Nissan and Nike foster NCAA sponsorship funding to hit the $1.24bn mark this season

NCAA schools and conferences most active categories include automative, banks and retails with 4.8%, 4.3% and 3.8% of funding. While, Nissan remains the most active brand. Also, 72% of NCAA properties report State Farm as a sponsor.

Meanwhile, insurance remains the most active category sponsoring college sports, while State Farm is the most active sponsor. Insurance companies are 6.2 times more likely to sponsor college athletics than the average category, according to ESP data.

The NCAA already has sponsors like Google (official cloud partner) and Indeed for the 2017/2018 season.

William Chipps, ESP sponsorship report senior content editor said: “With a highly passionate fan base and a demographic profile that spans young to old, college sports remains a desirable marketing platform for those already in the sport as well as new companies looking to make their mark on the college scene."

Sports drink Powerade recently launched a new brand campaign, 'That’s Some Kind of Power' with a basketball-themed spot in time for the NCAA Basketball tournament.