#NCAA will let athletes wear social justice messages on uniform patches

College athletes now have the freedom to to honor social justice causes they support.

The NCAA announced Thursday the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rules that allow athletes across all sports to wear patches on their uniforms in an effort to spread awareness for causes or issues they may be passionate about.

There are rules, however.

“The patch must not exceed 2¼ square inches and must be placed on the front or sleeve of the uniform,” the NCAA said in a release. “While all team members are required to wear the patch, they must be identical for those who choose to wear them.”

Players also have the option to put the patches in place of their last names as they traditionally would appear on the back of a jersey.

Though messages may vary by athlete, the NCAA intends that the patches, which may include names, mascots, nicknames, logos, and other marks, should “celebrate or memorialize people, events, or other causes.”

The NCAA’s announcement follows a growing trend of activism among professional leagues that have resumed since the coronavirus halt, including the MLB, NBA, NWSL, and WNBA.

MLB allows players to place patches on their sleeves that read “Black Lives Matter,” or “United for Change.” The NBA has “Black Lives Matter” written on the courts in their Orlando bubble, while players are allowed to put a pre-approved social justice message on their jerseys. Some WNBA players have actively replaced their names with those who have been killed by police, including Breonna Taylor.

Though the new NCAA rule may allow athletes to continue to speak out on causes, it is subjected to conference and school approval for each athlete.