Washington State University Athletics and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have entered into a five-year, $8.43 million partnership that will put a Colville Tribes patch on every Cougar uniform — the largest annual sponsorship agreement in WSU Athletics history and the first deal of its kind in the Pac-12.
The agreement calls for all WSU uniforms to carry a Colville Tribes jersey patch, one of the most extensive uniform integrations anywhere in college sports. Beyond the on-field branding, the partnership includes a $250,000 donation to the Cougar Athletic Excellence Fund in its first year, youth clinics in tribal communities, regional basketball development programs, and an AAU tribal tournament. WSU also plans a video series documenting the relationships between its student-athletes and tribal youth, along with designated Colville Tribes entitlement games across multiple sports and Nike N7 games for the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
The deal was negotiated with help from Playfly Sports, which serves as WSU’s multimedia rights partner.
The new athletics partnership extends a relationship between WSU and the Colville Tribes that dates back to a formal agreement in 1997 and reflects more than a century of engagement between the university and the region. WSU President Betsy Cantwell framed the deal as an extension of shared priorities around education and community investment.
“At the heart of this partnership is a shared belief in investing in young people, helping them become exceptional students, future leaders, and ultimately bringing them back home to strengthen the communities they love,” Cantwell said. “That alignment of values is what made the Colville Tribes the right partner for this historic opportunity.”
Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, echoed that sentiment, pointing to the tribes’ long-standing work with the university on education and cultural initiatives.
“The Colville Tribes has partnered with WSU for decades now on a variety of topics related to education and culture,” Erickson said. “We are pleased to continue our partnership with this new and historic involvement in WSU’s athletic program. Athletics instill character, and that is an important quality for Colville. There are multiple aspects to this deal, but I am sure our membership will especially enjoy seeing a Colville Tribes patch on WSU jerseys. Go Cougs!”
WSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow called the agreement a milestone moment for the university’s athletic program as it moves into a new conference alignment.
“This is a historic partnership rooted in Eastern Washington,” Haarlow said. “It brings together two tradition-rich communities as we chart an exciting new path forward as leaders in the Pacific Northwest and the new Pac-12.”
