Texas A&M’s NASCAR, Rosenqvist Deals Total $335,000 in 2025

Texas A&M University has agreed to pay $335,000 this year to continue advertising in motorsports, doubling down on a marketing strategy it launched late last year.

The school recently signed a $275,000 commitment to NASCAR’s Haas Factory Team and a $60,000 commitment to IndyCar’s Felix Rosenqvist, according to documents obtained by Sportico via open records request. In return, the College Station university will receive a wide range of deliverables, including advertising on cars and driver apparel, VIP hospitality and social media promotion.

Last October the school agreed to pay $160,000 to be the primary sponsor of Stewart-Haas Racing cars at two NASCAR tracks.

In a statement last month announcing these new partnerships, Texas A&M vice president and chief marketing officer R. Ethan Braden said motorsports were “especially well-positioned to deliver cost-effective and efficient national reach.” He cited the school’s engineering pedigree and military ties, both of which overlap with the sport and its fans.

Under the deal with Haas, signed on March 17, Texas A&M will be featured as the primary sponsor of Cole Custer’s No. 41 car at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25. Custer will wear a “fully-branded” Texas A&M firesuit for the race, similar to what Haas driver Josh Berry wore during an A&M-sponsored race last year. New in 2025, Texas A&M will also be an “associate sponsor” for the 2025 Cup Series season, appearing in front of the rear wheel well of the car.

Beyond that primary advertising, the school will be featured in a set number of videos and social media posts distributed by the NASCAR team and receive a host of hospitality benefits. The school will be given 20 all-access VIP credentials for the Coca-Cola 600, plus a hauler tour and race-day meet-up with Custer.

Much of that mirrors the language in last year’s deal. In simple terms: Last October, the school paid $160,000 for primary sponsorships (and side benefits) for a Haas car in two playoff races, the South Point 400 in Las Vegas and the Cup Series Championship in Phoenix. This year it is paying $275,000 for a primary sponsorship in one race and the season-long wheel well logo.

Also new this year: benefits for students. Haas agreed in the contract to provide up to two paid summer internships in its North Carolina race shop for Texas A&M engineering students. Educational opportunities often appear in other commercial deals with universities, including in apparel deals between athletic departments and companies like Nike and Adidas. The Texas A&M deal also includes an at-track experience for 10 engineering students set for May 3 at Texas Motor Speedway, which includes VIP credentials for the Xfinity Series race.

The IndyCar relationship is smaller. Under the agreement with Rosenqvist’s FRO Racing, signed on March 28, Texas A&M’s branding will appear on the driver’s helmet and driver suit for the entire 16-race season. The contract specifies that the helmet branding be visible from Rosenqvist’s in-car camera utilized on Fox broadcasts. There are also smaller hospitality and promotion deliverables, and the contract says Texas A&M “will have the rights (domestic and global) to name, likeness and image of Felix through the 2025 IndyCar Series season.”

The two deals together will be particularly visible on May 25. Not only is that the day where Texas A&M takes over the full No. 41 livery, but it’s also the date of the Indy 500, the biggest race on the IndyCar calendar.

Texas A&M is not the first college to advertise via NASCAR cars—Penn State, Auburn, Maryland and Virginia Tech are among the many schools who have done similar. NASCAR also has its own marketing deals with schools, including one signed in 2022 with Alabama. Texas A&M’s institutional expenses in 2023-24 were $2.56 billion, according to Sportico’s college finance database.