Pitt hoops signs first jersey patch deal

Pitt men's basketball will wear a jersey patch from Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics when the Panthers open the 2026-27 season Monday against Rider at Petersen Events Center. The multi-year agreement, announced Tuesday, is the first jersey patch partnership in program history.

Pitt's athletic department framed the deal as a revenue step under its strategic plan, called The Gold Standard. Athletic director Allen Greene said the plan calls on the department to "pursue new revenue while building partnerships that fit who we are, and this one does both." Greene called Gecko Robotics "a Pittsburgh success story, built on the same ambition and work ethic that define this city and this university."

Gecko Robotics will also build Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for select men's basketball players through H2PNIL, Pitt's NIL platform. The company was founded in Pittsburgh in 2013 and remains headquartered in the city.

The patch follows the pattern set across Pitt athletics. Football and women's sports programs carry UPMC patches on their uniforms under an agreement reached in August. Pitt's football team and women's programs all sport UPMC patches under that arrangement.

Grecko Robotics joins a group of Pittsburgh technology firms working with the university. Greene said the partnership "strengthens our connection to Pittsburgh's technology community" and creates opportunities for student-athletes. The Panthers play Rider on Monday at Petersen Events Center to begin the season.

Pitt's previous uniform partnerships in other sports have centered on UPMC. The men's basketball program had not previously signed a patch agreement of any kind.