Pitt Athletics and Gecko Robotics Announce Men’s Basketball Jersey Patch Partnership

Pittsburgh-founded AI and robotics leader becomes Official Infrastructure Inspection Robotics Partner of Pitt Panthers Men’s Basketball and the first Jersey Patch Partner in Men’s Basketball program history

PITTSBURGH (OCTOBER 27, 2026) – Pitt Athletics and its multimedia rights holder JMI Sports today announced a multiyear partnership with Gecko Robotics, a global leader in AI-powered robotics founded in Pittsburgh, that will bring the company’s logo to Pitt Men’s Basketball jerseys beginning in the 2026-27 season.

The agreement marks the first jersey patch partner for Pitt Men’s Basketball and will debut when Pitt hosts Rider in the regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Petersen Events Center.

“Gecko Robotics is a Pittsburgh success story, built on the same ambition and work ethic that define this city and this University,” Pitt Director of Athletics C. Allen Greene said. “Our strategic plan, The Gold Standard, calls on us to pursue new revenue while building partnerships that fit who we are, and this one does both. Jersey patches are a new chapter in college athletics, and we are proud to have Gecko Robotics, a company that reflects the innovation happening across Pitt and our region, as our first men’s basketball partner. This partnership creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes and strengthens our connection to Pittsburgh’s technology community.”

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Gecko Robotics combines AI and robotics to help build, maintain, and modernize critical industries worldwide, including defense, energy, oil and gas, and manufacturing. Gecko Robotics brings the city’s signature grit to solving some of the world’s most complex infrastructure challenges. 

As such, Gecko Robotics will be a Gold Standard Partner of Pitt Athletics, strengthening the company’s continued investment in Pittsburgh’s higher education ecosystem as it expands engineering, manufacturing and defense capabilities and jobs in the region.

“Pittsburgh is the city of champions. Gecko was forged here, and we believe in backing winners. We are proud to support Pitt Athletics and its men’s basketball program,” said Jake Loosararian, CEO and Co-founder of Gecko Robotics. “Pittsburgh and grit go hand in hand. This city has shaped the future before, and now we are doing it again. This partnership represents a new dawn for the city of champions.”

Gecko Robotics will also create Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for select Pitt Men’s Basketball student-athletes in collaboration with H2PNIL, Pitt Athletics’ NIL platform. Campaigns will integrate student-athletes into the company’s marketing through digital content series and other efforts.

“Our players take great pride in representing Pittsburgh, and having a company founded in this city on our jerseys makes that even more meaningful,” said Pitt Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jeff Capel. “Gecko Robotics is building the future right here at home, and what I appreciate most is that this partnership goes beyond a logo. It gives our young men the chance to connect with leaders in technology and innovation, and we are excited to wear the Gecko patch with pride this season.”

JMI Sports, operating locally as Pitt Sports Marketing, worked in collaboration with Pitt Athletics to develop the agreement with Gecko Robotics. In addition to the jersey patch, the partnership includes a range of multimedia assets that will see Gecko Robotics branding and signage at the Petersen Events Center, in addition to in-game recognition at Pitt Men’s Basketball home games, digital and social media features, and a series of community engagement opportunities.

“Gecko Robotics is a powerful example of a global company that recognizes the enormous platform of college athletics to advance business priorities and create regional impact,” said Paul Archey, President at JMI Sports. “Gecko Robotics’ commitment to its hometown’s flagship university is an investment in the next generation of talent. We are excited by their ambition to put their support front and center with Pitt Basketball.”

ABOUT PITT ATHLETICS

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics sponsors 19 varsity sports and is a proud member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Committed to excellence in competition, academics and community, Pitt Athletics develops student-athletes who compete at the highest level while preparing them for success beyond sport. For more information, visit pittsburghpanthers.com.

ABOUT GECKO ROBOTICS

Gecko Robotics combines advanced robotics and AI-powered software to build, maintain and modernize the world’s most critical infrastructure.

Using robots that climb, crawl, fly and swim, Gecko is able to collect an unprecedented amount of data on the built world, whether that’s with Fortune 100 companies in energy, oil and gas, and manufacturing sectors around the world, or the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to protect and optimize nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers.

Through our AI-powered platform, Cantilever, Gecko transforms the massive datasets collected by robots into actionable insights that enable data-driven, evidence-based decisions on structures, delivering an ROI for customers.

ABOUT JMI SPORTS

JMI Sports is a leading media rights and venue development company that provides management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales agency representation and project management expertise for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. The company serves to maximize each client’s economic potential through customized initiatives, from marketing and branding solutions to facility design strategies.

JMI Sports’ signature collegiate multimedia rights partnerships include the University of Kentucky, UCLA, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, Columbia University, San Diego State University, University of California at San Diego, University of San Diego and joint-venture properties at the University of Georgia (with Learfield) and University of Notre Dame (with Legends). JMI Sports also represents multimedia rights for several conferences, including the Ivy League, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Patriot League and the Atlantic 10, and serves as third-party sales representation for premier sports properties, venues and events including Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, the Rose Bowl, the Penn Relays and USA Volleyball.

JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by CEO Erik Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres. To learn more, please visit www.jmisports.com.

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