In today's day and age sponsorships play a huge role not only in pro sports but in college sports as well. If you have ever experienced a college gameday weekend you see sponsorship tents, trick shots done by fans, and even ESPN College Gameday Built by the Home Depot at select colleges. These are all different techniques of getting fans engaged and excited about the event and it all begins with integrating sports sponsorships with universities.
The first question that needs to be answered and probably the most important question is how do we get fans packing the stands and excited about going to a sporting event? For starters, you need to figure out new and unique opportunities that can be presented to fans. These two factors are ones that can be controlled, unlike the result of the game. Engaging fans and creating unique experiences that happen during or before the game is a great way in doing this. Brandon Parks of the Tennessee Vols gives an example of having a fan shoot a half-court shot for a chance to win a prize. "Who doesn’t want to celebrate with a fan after hitting a big shot for a big prize?” said Parks.
Another great example is a sponsored tailgate by Truly, an alcoholic beverage company. The idea of the sponsored tailgate was to give fans a space to interact, eat, and drink Truly products. Having this tailgate and space concession stands and restrooms that were not as busy provided a great way for fans to engage with the brand rather than just seeing a TV ad while also creating an immersive experience that would help bring fans to the game.
“It is all about an experience for their brand," said Parks.
Additionally, by having these sponsored events fans may be more enticed to spend the money for a weekend in Gainesville to watch the Gators play. As a fan of out-of-town sports, one problem that always comes up is not the cost of the ticket but the hotel and travel expenses. According to Alica Longworth, “During a huge football game weekend, such as UF vs FSU, hotel prices cost more than a game vs FAU." Being able to provide experiences outside of the game help to justify the cost of fans coming down for a weekend.
Not everything you try is a success and not everything will run smoothly. Sometimes promotions and experiences do not go over well and it is important to make changes when that happens. An example of this is once a team brought in a DJ and hip-hop music instead of having the band play at the game. Fans were very frustrated and upset about this because part of going to a college game experience is listening to the band play. After the game, fans wrote to the ticket offices and boosters about their frustrations. Fortunately, these types of situations are ones that can be fixed very easily and controlled.
In order for sponsorships and promotions to go smoothly, it is vital that a strong relationship is built with the sponsorship team. It is also extremely important to know the fans. Knowing what they want and how they feel will make all the difference.
Listen to Integrating Sports Sponsorships with Universities to learn more. To dive deeper into the topic, listen to the second episode of this two-part topic, here.