UHV Athletics, Del Papa Distributing partner with jersey sponsorship

UHV Athletics proudly announces its first baseball uniform sponsorship deal.

On Wednesday, UHV Baseball and Del Papa Distributing unveiled a new set of pinstripe uniforms donning the Del Papa logo, marking a new, strong partnership between the University and local business.

UHV Director of Athletics Ashley Walyuchow thinks the department's uniform sponsorships can go a long way to helping the department's mission of winning national championships and creating productive citizens after graduation.

"We're very excited about this sponsorship," said Director of Athletics Ashley Walyuchow. "Community support has been vital to all we have accomplished and will be vital to what we can do going forward.  So, it's exciting when local businesses step up to support our mission. We're very grateful to Del Papa Distributing for this sponsorship and look forward to growing this partnership down the road."

The Jaguars will debut the new uniforms in a 2 p.m. doubleheader with No. 13-ranked Mid-America Christian University this Friday at Riverside Stadium.

"We are thrilled to team up with Del Papa Distributing," said UHV Baseball head coach Jonathan Stavinoha. "They have been a big part of everything in Victoria. For them to be our first uniform sponsor really shows their commitment to our program and the community of Victoria."

Del Papa Distributing serves 17 counties throughout the Texas Gulf Coast, including seven in the Crossroads region.

In its 115-year history, the company has prided itself on its extraordinary record of civic achievement. Del Papa has developed a diverse list of community partnerships that has grown to include local Universities and Colleges, Health Care institutions, Social Service agencies and local civic and economic development organizations.

Through this partnership, Del Papa will promote its non-alcoholic beverages such as Essentia Water, PRIME, Jarritos and more.

"Our partnership with the University of Houston-Victoria athletic department reflects our deep commitment to strengthening the Victoria community," said Jeff Wheeler, Del Papa Distributing Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Relations. "Supporting these student-athletes by sponsoring their jerseys is more than branding—it's about fostering local pride and investing in the future of Victoria."

The NAIA became the first collegiate sports association to allow uniform sponsorships after the legislation was passed during the April meeting of the NAIA's National Administrative Council. This follows the trailblazing path the NAIA has set, which included becoming the first college sports organization to pass Name, Image and Likeness legislation in 2020.

UHV was one of the first universities in the NAIA to go public with its uniform sponsorships in August after securing four sponsorships for men's and women's golf. This sponsorship marks the fifth set of UHV uniforms that will adorn sponsor logos.  

There is still a total of eight uniform sponsorships available in soccer, softball and baseball.  Any business or individual interested in uniform sponsorships with UHV are encouraged to contact Director of Athletics Ashley Walyuchow at WalyuchowA@uhv.edu or by phone at 361-485-4424.