Marketing College Athletics

Public Image Marketers strive to make colleges have great images

NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association – Governing body of most college programs Provides guidelines for schools to follow: – Recruitment – Gender Equity – Scholarships – Gambling Prohibitions – Focus on Integrity

Team Rankings Various newspapers, magazines, TV Channels, Internet sites rank teams – Advertising Phenomenon 1LSU 2Southern Cal 3Georgia 4Ohio State 5West Virginia

Rank Influences Past Performance Talent Schedule Strength Selection Committee Preference Exposure – East Coast vs. West Coast

Preseason Ranks Importance: – TV Schedule set in preseason – Marketers look at schedule to see which teams are most profitable – Higher the rank, quicker a team can be #1 Pressure for coaches – Higher Rank---better bowl game/chance at post- season tournament

Incentives Football – Bowl Championship Series $17 Million Dollars Per Team in 2006 – Other Bowls $500,000 - $4 Million – Basketball Higher Seeds in Final 64 Tournaments MORE WELL KNOWN A TEAM—MORE TIMES ON TV

NCAA CHAMPS Hundreds of Marketing Opportunities – Royalties collected from T Shirts Hats Posters Memorabalia – Retailers gain growth through sales of these – Apparel Companies—mass growth

KEY Key to college Football – EVERY GAME IS VITAL