Sports Career Consulting Blog

  • Super Bowl LVIII Promotions Student Competition – Winning Entries!

    In conjunction with Super Bowl LVIII, Sports Career Consulting hosted a student competition that challenged students to create a point-of-purchase promotional display representing a consumer goods brand tied to the Big Game.

    We had a lot of highlights this year, with quite a few submissions that offered pretty cool interactive engagement opportunities. Students offered creative packaging and display ideas that featured QR codes, sweepstakes promotions, hashtags encouraging social media interactions, and more. We expected to see more promotions with Taylor Swift tie-ins. Still, several submitted displays were a little too Swiftie-centric, forgetting almost entirely about leveraging the Super Bowl to promote the product.

    Thank you to all the schools who participated. We hope you and your students enjoyed the activity. Entries were evaluated on creativity and how well students demonstrated an understanding of promotion. We more than one hundred entries, but the winning submissions came from students who not only found creative ways to promote a product but also developed the best strategies and plans for boosting product sales. The top submissions also did a great job tying the display they created to additional activations that would support the marketing campaign.

    WINNER:

    First Place: Gatorade “Pour Your Prediction” (Grant High School, Oregon)

    Congrats to Nate and Tristan at Grant High School in Oregon for winning SCC’s Super Bowl LVIII Promotions Competition!

    Creative, engaging, memorable…there was a lot to appreciate with this year’s winning display. According to Nate and Tristan, the goal was to “combine the past with the future” with this Virtual Reality point-of-purchase display. Grocery shoppers can simulate the experience of the iconic “Gatorade Shower” in-store, powered by VR. Positioned near the entrance of the store so shoppers can’t miss it, the display experience is described as “As one enters the display, they’ll notice several cardboard cutouts of players on the 49ers and Chiefs posing in action, only to have their football replaced with bottles of Gatorade. Next to them will be signs prompting shoppers to enter the #PourPrediction challenge. Behind the cutouts will be lines of refrigerators hosting the new San Francisco Squeeze and Kansas City Quench flavors. There will also be several of the famous Gatorade jugs placed around the booth for fans to purchase, which will be bundled with the limited edition flavors in powder form. The virtual reality experience will be located in the middle of the supermarket, and the software will be designed to function without an attendant.

    Within the virtual reality experience, fans will get to experience what billions have dreamed of doing since the first jug was dumped. The simulation will start by prompting users to select one of the two competing teams. After this, they will take the place of the selected team’s head coach and will choose a game-winning drive from a virtual playbook presented to them. Each play will have a special Gatorade-themed name. After the play is completed, the player will get to simulate having Gatorade dumped on them, which will change color depending on the play.”

    What makes this work is not only the increased engagement that the display will no doubt create but also the leveraging of the promotional opportunity to sell an entire line of Gatorade products, not just its traditional sports drinks. The display would also feature Gatorade jugs, powdered drinks, and other Gatorade-branded products, including two limited-edition flavors created just for the Super Bowl. The attention-to-detail in making sure the display is self-sufficient enough to function without the need for an attendant or staff was a nice touch, and the inclusion of a sweepstakes promotion and use of a hashtag that encourages fans to post on social media really helped to tie everything together.

    This was really well done. Congratulations!

    Runner Up: “George SKittles” (Grant High School, Oregon)

    This was such a fun idea from Oscar and Ryan at Grant High School, who took second place in this year’s pop display competition. Pairing one of the game’s biggest stars, 49ers tight end George Kittle, with Skittles for a special edition Super Bowl package was such a clever idea that we are surprised this didn’t actually happen!

    Oscar and Ryan developed Super Bowl-themed packaging for Skittles candy that featured the face of the 49ers star, with an “X” through the “S” in “Skittles”, along with a color scheme (red and gold) that aligns with the San Francisco 49ers’ brand colors.

    They also included a sweepstakes promotion by including 10 “golden tickets” in Skittles packages with a chance to win Super Bowl tickets and an autographed George Kittle jersey. The in-store display featured a life-size cutout of Kittle, positioned at an end cap where fans could buy Skittles candy in both the limited-edition packaging and traditional packaging and from a candy machine. Because Skittles is a NFL sponsor, Oscar and Ryan wisely leveraged the league’s wide reach to promote the campaign through the NFL’s social media channels.

    This was fantastic!

    Third Place: Reese’s Mini Cups (James River High School, Virginia)

    The third place finisher in this year’s competition is from James River High School in Virginia. Similar to the George “Skittles” promotion, Savannah’s concept also included a sweepstakes with a hidden prize inside select packaging. However, her version, designed to increase sales of Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups, included a hidden replica Super Bowl ring.

    Savannah also created limited-edition Super Bowl packaging to help attract the attention of shoppers, and we thought it was a really smart decision to expand the number of displays beyond just grocery and into big box stores, convenience stores, and other retailers, pretty much anywhere Reese’s mini cups can be purchased. There is no question that this would help to increase sales.

    While the additional promotion elements were fantastic, what helped this display earn a top-three finish was how much Savannah prioritized the details of the display. After all, the main focus of this competition is to encourage students to create something that captures the attention of shoppers, and the attention to detail in colorways, branding, etc. in this display would definitely accomplish that goal.

    Great work!

    Fourth Place: Papa Murphy’s Vending Machine (Desert Pines High School, Nevada)

    This year’s competition was initially intended to reward the top three entries, but we made an exception and will award a prize to the fourth-place finisher based purely on how unique the idea was. Quitzia, a student at Desert Pines High School in Nevada, recognized the importance of this event (the Super Bowl) to pizza brands. It was such a fun concept that we had to give some props.

    The goal of this competition is to create a promotion that will leverage the Super Bowl to drive sales. Quitzia came up with a solution that could help automate the pizza-making process in a way that would increase efficiency and help maximize the number of pizzas sold by introducing a pizza-making vending machine at Papa Murphy’s. Not only would this “functional” display capture consumers’ attention because of its uniqueness, but it could (in theory) double the production on game day.

    The way it would work is consumers would enter the store and have the option of getting in line the same way they traditionally would order a Papa Murphy’s take-n-bake pizza, OR step up to the vending machine, select their toppings, pay with a credit card, Apple Pay etc., and the machine would produce the requested pie in a Super Bowl box. Love it!

    Great idea, Quitzia!

    Congratulations to the students who finished in the top four! We have gift cards coming your way!

    While only four students won prizes, we wanted to recognize a few more students for a job well done.

    Honorable Mention:

    Verizon Promotion – Danny at Guilderland High School in New York hoped to tap into the power and influence of celebrity by aligning with Taylor Swift and Anna Frey for a display that featured a goal post shaped like the Verizon check mark. The displays would be placed in stores, malls, and any other retail spaces where consumers could be shopping for mobile devices and services.

    Pringles Promotion – Elijah, Preston, Bryce, Carson, and Eyan from Galax High School in Virginia also found a creative brand-centric design for a football goal post with a Pringles promotion that used the iconic Pringles mustache as the crossbar with the posts built from cans of the popular brand of Chips. In addition, the group decided to cross-promote with Little Caesar’s, offering a coupon code for 25% off the purchase of a pizza on the bottom of the chip packaging.

    Stanley Promotion – Lily and Grace from Deep Run High School in Virginia tapped into the latest viral product craze with a display featuring licensed Stanley cups. The promotion included cups featuring logos from both Super Bowl teams, and a third option with the NFL logo for fans of all other teams.

    Kleenex – Students in Mrs. Fields’ classroom at Memorial High School in San Antonio introduced one of the most unique brands as part of the promotional display in this competition…Kleenex. Why Kleenex? They’re needed during the emotional Super Bowl ads. Such a clever product idea, and they also did a great job with the actual display.

    Pepsi Brands – Maijae at Chavez High School in Arizona included several really fun elements as part of a campaign promoting a variety of PepsiCo brands, including MTN DEW, Pepsi, and Brisk. The display features a stadium designed using the brands soda boxes with cardboard cutouts of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Maijae strategically introduced the displays in stores a full month prior to the Super Bowl to maximize sales opportunities, and included a variety of digital marketing aspects like QR codes, a microsite, social media components, and text messaging.

    Dick’s Sporting Goods – Another group of Grant High School students, Erin, Malina, and Dagny, chose to create a display at Dick’s Sporting Goods promoting Kristin Juszczyk’s new clothing line. Kristin is the wife of 49ers’ player Kyle Juszczyk, whose designs have found their way to players on the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions, and the Green Bay Packers, and celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, Brittany Mahomes, and Simone Biles. This was a really unique spin on this project.

    Flat Screen TVs – Parker and Zavier from Hinsdale South in Illinois did not specify a specific brand of TV as part of their promotion, but they offered one of the best reasons for choosing this product category…because “every fan who broke their TV watching needs to buy another one”, a reference to all the viral videos after the Big Game of people breaking TVs after the game’s outcome didn’t turn out in their favor.

    Starry – To promote Pepsi’s newest flavor, Starry, students from Parsippany High School in New Jersey (Kenny, Nick, Joe, Darren, and Jerin) teamed up with Ice Spice to help draw attention to the product in stores. With speakers built into a Super Bowl display with several shelves containing cases of the product, Ice Spice music would help to attract consumers. The promotion would also include product samples, which is a great idea considering this is a relatively new product.

    Thanks again to those who participated. We look forward to seeing what your students come up with next year!

  • SCC FFL Sports Marketing Challenge: 2023 CHAMPS!

    With the final scores tallied, we have a winner in the ninth season of SCC’s fantasy football sports marketing challenge. However, before announcing this year’s winner, we would like to express how impressed we were with the effort from all of our participating schools, and we hope everyone enjoyed the competition.

    Without further delay, we would like to congratulate Robert Kelly’s class at Waverly High School in New York for winning our 9th annual fantasy football sports marketing competition!  Despite the most competitive field in competition history, the Louisville Stallions led wire-to-wire, securing the championship trophy that has eluded Waverly students for years. After two top-three finishes and a runner-up in previous competitions, the championship trophy will finally find its way to Waverly High School.

    The Boise Rattlers front office, comprised of students from Capital High School in Montana (coached by Jessica Frazier) finished in a close second with a really strong finish. Blacksburg High School students, representing the Austin Diablos front office (coached by Jessica Catley), took third place after gaining the highest score possible in the sixth and final sports marketing challenge.

    To celebrate the championship, Waverly students will receive a championship trophy to proudly display at school.  Both the Stallions’ front office at Waverly and the Boise Rattlers front office at Capital High School will be rewarded with a classroom pizza party. Congrats to both schools on a job very well done, and a shoutout to Blacksburg High School who narrowly missed a tie for runner-up.

    We also have a few individual school shout-outs for the response to the digital marketing challenge below…

    CHALLENGE #6 (DIGITAL MARKETING) HIGHLIGHTS:

    Waverly High School, New York (Louisville Stallions)

    Once again, the Stallions front office submitted an incredibly advanced response to our sports marketing challenge. This, the sixth, tasked students with developing a digital and social media marketing strategy. The Stallions’ plan was on-point, and demonstrated some really next level thinking, as they have consistently done throughout this year’s competition.

    We really appreciated seeing this group prioritizing a premium on better understanding of their core fan base by learning as much as possible about fan behavior, preferences etc. The recognition of how digital and social can help provide the team with valuable fan data underscores how well Waverly students have applied key concepts from our curriculum to each of the sports marketing challenges. As a result, the Louisville Stallions set a record for the highest point total in the competition, earning 599 points of a possible total of 600. Really, really well done.

    One of the really fun things about this competition is seeing the creativity from participating students, and every year we see lots of unique and clever ideas. However, what matters most is taking that creativity and applying it in a way that helps the team to reach organizational goals. Waverly students offered a very organized and balanced plan with strategies designed to meet very specific franchise goals. For example, one goal was to increase fan engagement. To reach that goal, the front office developed a gamification strategy, offering unique ways for fans to interact through the team’s app and social media with a variety of offerings like trivia, games, and more. Other goals included:

    • Brand positioning: The Stallions want fans to view the franchise as a “fun” brand, so they introduce games and stadium experiences like the “Virtual Reality Lounge”
    • Generate revenue: Waverly students recognize the importance of revenue, and enhanced digital offerings create opportunities to expand sponsorship inventory, including the opening of a FanDuel sponsored sportsbook lounge at the stadium, also demonstrating how much research they did on industry trends
    • Build brand loyalty: To help build a loyal fan base, the Stallions created a rewards program, offering a variety of perks to incentivize fans to not only sign up, but also regularly interact with the team on the website, through its app, and social media while also encouraging the purchase of game tickets and merch
    • Establish year-round connectivity: To further build a connection with fans and a sense of community, Waverly students made certain to expand programming beyond the regular season and into the offseason

    The Stallions front office also included several very creative ideas. Again, kudos to the amount of research this group put into the project, recognizing Hawkeye Technology as a provider of digital and tech for stadiums around the world. Really cool idea to utilize the company’s tech to embed chips into first down markers and the goal line to provide fans using the app with a “Hawkeye View” of whether a player gains the first down or crosses the goal line into the end zone. We also liked the “Stallions All-Access” premium app exclusives that take fans behind-the-scenes with views from the player tunnel during pre-game, drone views of the parking lot to help find where friends might be tailgating, and locker room tours.

    Congratulations Waverly HIgh School, you are SCC FFL champs!

    Capital High School, Montana (Boise Rattlers)

    The Boise Rattlers submitted a fantastic response to the sixth and final sports marketing challenge, as they have done all year. Capital High School students served up a variety of really great ideas, and again, while the creativity was superb, it was the execution of ideas that really helped propel them to a perfect score for the week.

    For example, the Rattlers’ were one of just two teams to recognize the importance of push notifications, not only from a communications perspective, but also the marketing value in capturing fan information and the engagement required with a call-to-action like an opt-in. We also really appreciated the idea of creating a calendar to help organize the content the team will share on social media feeds. This is a technique used by lots of social media professionals in the industry, so we loved seeing an adaptation of that in our competition.

    Last but not least, we thought the Rattlers’ metaverse plans were great. It isn’t enough just to say, yes, our team plans to have a presence in the metaverse. To score well in this competition, students need an implementation plan. The Rattlers’ front office offered a plan that included interactive games, simulations, behind-the-scenes content for fans, and much more. Well done!

    Congratulations on a very close runner-up finish Capital High School!

    Green Run High School, Virginia (Toronto Owls)

    Kudos to Green Run High School for a really strong finish in this year’s SCC FFL. The Toronto Owls’ front office submitted a digital and social plan that was absolutely loaded with great ideas.

    Highlights inlcuded:

    • A partnership with Netflix to provide a docuseries with the team, leading up to the first-ever NFL live game broadcast between the Toronto Owls and an opponent
    • Pop-up ads on the team’s digital platforms to remind fans about watch parties, ticket sales opportunities, and merchandise offers
    • Strong plan for establishing a presence in the metaverse
      • Loved the metaverse-based rewards and the “VR fantasy football draft” feature
    • Smart idea to incentivize fans to download the app, and exclusive merch offers (espeically the personalized heated stadium chairs) would most certainly do the trick!
    • Revenue-generating opportunity with microstransactions in the metaverse allowing fans to outfit their avatars with team-branded gear
    • Unique idea to offer digital trading cards, could be used as a game-day giveway (possibly sponsored?) and/or merchandise available in the team store…don’t think we have seen that idea in this competition before!

    Overall, a fantastic effort from the Owls’ front office. Great job!

    Blacksburg High School, VA (Austin Diablos)

    Blacksburg students gave it all they had, that’s for sure. It is a bummer they came up just a bit short, as the digital and social plan they submitted was exceptional, probably the best one we have seen in the history of this competition. There is no shame in a third-place finish, however, especially with a loaded field like the one we had this season. Major props to the Diablos front office for a job well done.

    There is so much to love here, and highlights include:

    • The creation of a live, functional website with lots of cool information and features (https://sites.google.com/mcps.org/austindiablos/home)
    • VR technology to aid fans in ticket buying decisions to preview seats before clicking “purchase” on the team’s app
    • An app with tons of features to improve the game day experience, like directing fans in real-time to find available parking areas, in-seat delivery etc.
    • E-mail newsletters to fans with a focus on building the team’s database for marketing purposes
    • A weekly podcast, both for the fans and a paid version to generate additional revenue with exclusive features like uncut content and more exclusives for subscribers
    • Hologram stations at the station for fan photos and to encourage the ever-valuable UGC content
    • Helmet-cams with footage being live-streamed exclusively on the app
    • A Fortnite skin collaboration, including an “Austin Diablos bundle” available in the Fortnite item shop, featuring the team’s mascot
    • Timely and relevant social media posts on every platform, like Instagram to showcase Diablos’ players’ “My Cause, My Cleats” initiatives (nice job weaving a current event in with your social strategy)
    • Custom Spotify playlist featuring some of the Diablos’ players’ favorite music

    Overall, just a really amazing, and incredibly comprehensive, digital and social media marketing plan from Blacksburg High School students. Great job!

    https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3RtVVy0MQAibl48axfzhuH?si=coMSvSMjSbWDwFs5sdlIxg&nd=1&dlsi=1b442a82f1d347aa

    FINAL SCC FFL 2023 STANDINGS

  • SCC FFL 2023: Sports Marketing Challenge #5 Recap & Scores

    SCC FFL 2023: Sports Marketing Challenge #5 Recap & Scores

    With just one sports marketing challenge remaining (digital marketing) before we crown a champion in our 9th annual sports marketing competition, many schools remain in contention for this year’s SCC FFL title.  This one is coming down to the wire, and the season is shaping up to be the tightest finish in league history.

    SCC’s fantasy football competition requires students to not only demonstrate a firm grasp on fundamental sports business concepts, but also challenges them to show the creativity and effort they put into each challenge response.  Challenge #5, the ticket sales, promotion, and sponsorship challenge, offers a great opportunity to do just that. This year’s crop of competitors did not disappoint, incorporating elements from three different chapters of our textbook while demonstrating a ton of creativity.  There were so many unique and fun ideas this year, and we were very pleased with how students responded.

    Points have been distributed for each team’s Sponsorship, Ticket Sales & Promotion strategy. You can find the updated standings along with a recap of some of the highlights from challenge #5 below. 

    Capital High School, Montana (Boise Rattlers)

    It is always fun to see the various mock-ups that students create as part of the challenges. This one from students at Capital High School is a great example, with a sample of how a team’s corporate partner will activate its team sponsorship. In this example, Bank of Idaho will offer team-branded credit cards to fans. Capital students have created mock-ups like these throughout. The visuals are always fun to see, but it is the application that really counts, and this illustrates how well they are grasping a key concept like sponsorship activation.

    Overall, the entire Rattlers’ ticket, sponsorship, and promotion plan was really well developed. We really liked the promotional schedule, and the plan was detailed, thorough, and full of creativity. Another fantastic effort from the Rattlers!

    Elizabethtown High School, PA (Miles City Jedis)

    One of the features included in some of the stand-out responses to challenge #5 was the inclusion of benefits to ticket buyers to help incentivize purchases. While several schools introduced season ticket benefits, the Jedis’ front office took things a step further by offering group ticket benefits. Group ticket benefits are a common industry practice, and incorporating them as part of the Jedis ticket sales strategy demonstrates how Elizabethtown students researched ticketing practices and applied concepts from the textbook. They were one of just three teams to provide group ticket benefits. Great job!

    Waverly High School, New York (Louisville Stallions)

    What a phenomenal response to challenge #5 from Waverly High School students. They showed a lot of next-level thinking with their ticket, sponsorship, and promotions plan. This submission could legitimately provide a roadmap to success for an actual expansion franchise, it was that impressive.

    Highlights include:

    • Making sure to include some ticketing features as part of the team’s app
    • Offering both physical tickets for collectors and also tickets in a digital format
    • A detailed seating chart, including pricing and sponsored sections
    • An absolutely loaded promotions calendar, catering to every possible fan group to insure a sold out stadium each and every Sunday
    • A “pricing calculator” feature to help fans determine affordability of ticket packages, along with offering PSLs with a financing option
    • A wide variety of sponsorship inventory, with creative partnerships like UPS sponsoring the game ball delivery and a Duck Tape partnership with the tagline “Real fans stick together”
    • Highlighting a “Fan Appreciation Day” promotion, including a sponsor (Pepsi) that adds value for fans and for activation opportunities for the sponsor (free Pepsi products at the game on game day)
    • Unique mini package with the “Triple Crown Bundle” (a clever way to tie in with the iconic Kentucky Derby for a team based in Louisville) by partnering with University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky football programs
    • An advertising campaign, including TV, radio, and out-of-home (billboards) promoting season ticket sales beginning in the summer and leading up to the start of the team’s inaugural season
    • Community-driven promotions like Huddle for Hunger and holiday promotions that encourage sponsors to purchase tickets, then give them away throughout the community…a “win-win”
    • A number of great activation ideas and game day giveaways (sponsored)
    • An elaborate rate card including sponsorship prices program ads, stadium signage, media (radio ads, live reads/drops), promo giveaways, stadium seat covers, and more
    • Building different sponsorship packages that cater specifically to individual prospective clients

    All in all, this was one of the best ticket, sponsorship, and promotion plans that we have seen in this competition. SUPER impressive effort from the Stallions front office!

    Miami Valley Career Technical Center, Ohio (Gem City Warhawks)

    The Gem City Warhawks submitted yet another fantastic challenge response in this year’s competition, with a tickets, sponsorship, and promotion plan that was full of creativity and outstanding ideas. MVCTC students offered a variety of great ideas for ticket sales strategies that will keep fans coming out to games, and a fantastic execution of a sponsorship activation strategy. They also offered a great mock-up of both physical tickets available to fans and the digital ticket that will provide entry on game days. Smart strategy to provide an option for physical tickets for traditionalists and collectors, but also recognizing how technology has evolved in a way where digital tickets allows the organization to more effectively protect fans from counterfeit tickets and duplicate seat sales. Also, visuals really help to elevate challenge submissions (below), and the Warhawks front office was once again on-point in delivering mock-ups to help illustrate things they wanted to highlight in the report.

    We also really liked seeing an activation plan mapped out for each of the team’s primary sponsors, and incorporating social as part of that activation strategy was important. That was one area we felt teams missed out on in this challenge, so it was great to see MVCTC recognize the value in social channels and place an emphasis on utilizing the team’s platform to help maximize exposure for brand partners. Very well done!

    Wichita East High School, Kansas (Kansas Tornadoes)

    In one of the neatest ideas from this challenge, we loved the Drone Light Show promotion in conjunction with the Tornadoes’ Halloween Game from Wichita East students. We could see this as an idea that really takes off throughout the league. What a cool idea from Tornadoes front office!

    North Royalton High School, Ohio (Alabama Airmen)

    One of several submissions to create a full-year promotions calendar, North Royalton students dialed up a variety of ways to leverage one of the organization’s greatest assets in its home field. We loved some of the ideas in the Airmen included to make sure fans were engaged with the team even in the offseason, and potentially offering exclusively as benefits to ticket buyers and incentives for sponsors. The events will also provide the franchise with fantastic opportunities to generate additional revenue. A few of our favorites included:

    • Nerf Gun Battle/Obstacle Course at Airmen Stadium
    • Very on-brand promotion with an Airshow and community BBQ for Memorial Day
    • 4th of July “family night” Fireworks display and event, similar to something the Green Bay Packers offer for fans each summer
    • Hosting an outdoor college rivalry hockey event
    • Watch parties at the stadium for NFL Draft and away games
    • Community relations initiatives like food drives, blood drives and family events like Easter egg hunts

    Nice job from North Royalton High School students as they continue their strong showing in just their second year in this competition.

    SCC FFL 2023 STANDINGS AFTER CHALLENGE #5

  • SCC FFL 2023: Sports Marketing Challenge #4 Recap & Scores

    SCC FFL 2023: Sports Marketing Challenge #4 Recap & Scores

    Entries are in for the fourth sports marketing challenge in this year’s competition. With just two remaining challenges and a crowded leader board at the top, this year’s competition is poised to result in a photo finish. 

    The fourth challenge is one of the most fun challenges to evaluate, in part because we see so much creativity with fan experience strategies, and also with the attention to detail that some of our competing teams go through in designing and creating their stadiums. As always, there were some great submissions this year.

    Points have been distributed for each team’s response to the Fan Experience / Stadium Design component of the competition (sports marketing challenge #4). Updated standings are below along with highlights. 

    Waverly High School, NY (Louisville Stallions)

    Another impressive showing from students at Waverly High School. The Stallions’ front office left no stone unturned, and delivered an incredibly detailed fan experience plans. Of the stand-out ideas presented in the team’s fan experience report, we really liked the idea of offering a “fan travel package”, and appreciated the analysis of how the stadium would be funded. Privately financing the majority of stadium costs to ease the potential burden on taxpayers will most certainly endear the new franchise to area fans, and that is the type of next level attention to detail that wins this competition. A job very well done by the Stallions front office.

    Some highlights:

    The Stallions’s “Ultimate Fan Travel Packages” (Prices vary dependent on Opponent)

    • Hotel Accommodations
    • Game Tickets
    • Pregame Tailgate
    • Pregame Field Pass
    • Family Friendly Options
    • Pregame Field Pass
    • Pregame Family Tailgate
    • Meet and Greet with Colonel the Mascot

    Other highlights from the Stallions fan experience plan:

    • Great idea to communicate behavior expectations with a Fan code of conduct
    • Nice seamless integration of tech at the stadium with features like contactless entry w/ facial recognition to improve safety and security
    • Excellent idea to solicit fan feedback with surveys at games to improve the overall experience and making fans feel valued
    • Loved the unique stadium amenities like the pickleball bar, virtual reality lounge, and FanDuel sportsbook, demonstrate how Waverly students have been following industry trends, and incorporating them into their fan experience and stadium development plans added a nice touch
    • Smart to offer fans a wide variety of concessions options, including items with local flare like the Kentucky Hot Brown Burger
    • Love the strategic plan for parking and traffic flow to ease congestion on game days

    Great job Waverly students!

    Lyman High School, FL (New Smyrna Sand Sharks)

    Clearly Lyman High School students had a lot of fun with this challenge, as evidenced by the fun creative brand extensions with the team’s fan experience and stadium planning. In particular, we liked the unique design of “Black Pearl Stadium” with ties to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, along with the food and beverage offerings like “Myrna Burgers” and popular local food like Grouper Sandwiches.

    Making several “Shark Shack” options available throughout the venue will ensure that fans have easy access and short lines and wait times for food and beverage on game days, and we liked seeing the physical replica stadium model that students created. Nice job Sand Sharks front office!

    Green Run High School, VA (Toronto Owls)

    The fan experience strategy from Green Run students was amazing, and absolutely loaded with creativity and unique ideas. It is always great to see students take what they have learned in class or observed as industry trends and incorporated them into a challenge response, and we saw that with the “Sphere” concept from the Owls’ front office, piggybacking on the new “MSG Sphere” entertainment venue that recently opened in Las Vegas. From the team’s report, “Located directly next to the stadium, the Toronto Owls Sphere will provide an extraordinary game viewing experience that will transport audiences inside the stadium through technology that ignites the senses and enables audiences to share experiences at a never before seen scale. Toronto Owls will feel the wind, the cold, and they will smell the grass and see through the eyes of the players all without ever leaving their world class viewing seats inside of the Sphere. When the Toronto Owls are not in town, the Sphere will be the hottest place in town for away games and concerts and movies.”

    Then there was this little gem: “The Quantum Series is the world’s best stadium and seating solution due to its structural integrity, competitive price and patented beam mount design. The Quantum Beam allows for the Owls to maximize seating capacity by up to 6% equalling more revenue when it comes to game day!” That is some really next level thinking from Green Run students.

    Additional highlights included:

    • “Toronto Tastings” – A dessert menu at the stadium featuring items created by a renowned pastry chef from Toronto featured on the show “Cake Boss”
    • A Virtual Reality game room at the stadium
    • The “world’s best stadium and seating solution”, as described by the Owls front office in their fan experience report: “BMO stadium has premium Quantum Series seats that arethe world’s best stadium and seating solution due to their ergonomic structural integrity, competitive price and patented beam mount design. These comfortable seats allow for more space and at least 6% more sports fans to watch the games in person. The Toronto Owls are set to provide a one-of-a-kind inaugural chance for fans to actively participate in the music, game, and overall experience, rather than merely observing as spectators. Through the incorporation of interactive components into the fan journey, this will enhance their bond with the team.”
    • Opening a TikTok shop to add a unique digital experience on game days with branded shop, allow to order online and pick up at the stadium on game day along w/ limited edition merch for season ticket holders and drone delivery of items purchased from TikTok shop to fans in their seats
    • A focus on sustainability in the stadium’s construction and operation, including water conservation, the use of recycled steel for construction
    • VR experiences provided in various areas around stadium
    • Mixed reality feature with the team’s mascot, Maple the Owl, flying around the field in mixed reality prior to kick off

    Overall, the Owls’ submitted one of the best fan experience plans in this challenge. REALLY well done!

    Miami Valley Career Technical Center, Ohio (Gem City Warhawks)

    MVCTC were dialed in once again, submitting a well developed fan experience and stadium plan. In addition to a plan that hit all the key fan experience variables, they also offered one of the most unique stadium “tours” we have seen in this competition.

    Click on the link below to take a virtual tour of Delta Stadium built by the Sports Management and Marketing class at MVCTC.

    Warhawks Stadium (Click link for tour)

    REALLY cool stuff from the Warhawks front office!

    North Royalton High School, Ohio (Alabama Airmen)

    We have really enjoyed seeing North Royalton students take a step forward in this competition this year. It is rewarding to see a school improve from one year to the next, and the Alabama Airmen have front office has been really impressive this season.

    We really liked seeing a breakdown of stadium construction costs, a budget, and a general analysis of how much it will cost to build the new venue. Great job researching the costs associated with other recent stadium projects and applying them to this challenge, including the addition of a retractable roof. In addition, it was really cool to see North Royalton students explain how the project will impact the local economy both during the construction phase and on game days once the season starts. Overall, a great job by the Airmen front office.

    Carl Sandburg High School, Illinois (Honolulu Tiger Sharks)

    We really enjoyed some of the ideas from Carl Sandburg students with their stadium design, including incorporating innovative new smart LED lighting features, glass construction to showcase the natural beauty of Hawaii outside of the stadium, and seating that keeps fans cool in hot weather.

    We also liked the idea of hosting pregame concerts featuring local musicians and bands at tailgates, which also feature plenty of local food options and activities tied to local culture. Communicating key information to fans in advance helps the team to proactively manage the game day experience, and the Tiger Sharks front office will do a nice job letting fans know what to expect at the stadium on game days.

    Great job Tiger Sharks front office!

    Five Star Magnet Academy, Florida (Utah Allos)

    Five Star Magnet Academy students did a fantastic job addressing every possible aspect of the fan experience. There were many highlights from the Allos front office response to challenge #4, and here are a few of our favorites:

    • Pregame – Great recognition of the impact pregame can have on the fan experience, both inside and out of the stadium, and creating enhancements at every stop, from tailgate parties, local food trucks, Kids’ Zones with face painting, etc., all catering to the interests of all types of fans
    • Premium seating – Nice job positioning premium areas as the “epitome of comfort and luxury” and recognizing the importance of creating a different marketing strategy for marketing to a higher income demographic
    • Stadium seating – Offering comfortable seating will keep fans wanting to come back game after game
    • Design feature – Including a giant Allosaurus feature outside the stadium is sure to be a hit with fans, and the photos and selfies are a surefire way to help maximize exposure for the franchise on social media
    • Fan safety – Prioritizing fan safety is paramount to a positive fan experience on game days
    • Food and beverage – From the Allos’ report: “From hot dogs and hamburgers to unique creations like Titanosaurus tacos and Allosaurus Angus Burgers, we cater to every taste”
    • Customer service – One of just a handful of submissions that put an emphasis on customer service
    • Tech – Using biometric technology like fingerprint readers will help shorten lines and wait times at the point of entry, and payment tech will help not only improve fan experience by making it faster and easier for fans to purchase food, beverage, and merch, but also help boost game day revenue

    One of the biggest highlights from this challenge was seeing the investment from the Allos in interactive experiences at the stadium for fans. From the front office’s Fan Experience report: “We believe in keeping fans engaged throughout their stadium experience. Our interactive smart boards provide information on everything, from finding your seat and concessions locations to VIP areas and player details. Fans can enjoy team-themed mini-games on these boards, adding an extra layer of fun and interaction. We also have a tweet board, where fan tweets and pictures can be displayed on the big screen when tagged with the stadium or team’s Twitter account. Scanning QR codes can lead to exciting rewards like free merchandise, tickets, VIP experiences, and even a chance to meet players and coaches.

    Great job Allos front office!

    Blacksburg High School, Virginia (Austin Diablos)

    No shortage of fantastic ideas from the Diablos’ front office once again, but some of the stadium design elements included in the fan experience and stadium report from Blacksburg students were an absolute showstopper. In addition to nailing every other aspect of this challenge, the stadium design blew us away, and we really liked how some of the on-brand design elements would draw attention to revenue-producing areas of the stadium, like the food and beverage stands and merchandise sales areas. Fantastic work from the Diablos’ front office!

    SCC FFL 2023 STANDINGS AFTER CHALLENGE #4

  • SCC FFL 2023: Sports Marketing Challenge #3 Recap & Scores

    SCC FFL 2023: Sports Marketing Challenge #3 Recap & Scores

    We are already halfway through our annual fantasy football sports marketing competition and not seeing much separation at the top of the standings. This might be the most crowded we have ever seen the leaderboard at the midway point, and it looks like anyone could win the championship this year.

    Points have been distributed for each school’s response to the Public Relations / Community Relations component of this competition (sports marketing challenge #3). Updated standings are below as well as a few individual shout-outs for particularly strong PR plans.

    Blacksburg High School, Virginia (Austin Diablos)

    Blacksburg High School students continue to rise to the occasion in this year’s competition, and they submitted a fantastic response to challenge number three. What really stood out were the specific examples of a plan for responding to potential crises, including the potential for weather-related concerns being based in Austin. This is consistent with the Diablos’ response to challenge #1 where they identified Austin’s unpredictable weather in the organization’s SWOT analysis, which demonstrates incredible consistency, one of the keys to winning this competition.

    We also thought there were some great ideas for building support for the franchise throughout the community, including the “Diablo Dash 5K”, “Trick or Treat” event at the stadium, and “Best Buddies International”, the latter providing a great opportunity for the franchise to leverage its powerful platform to recruit volunteers to participate in a great cause.

    Overall, another great challenge response from the Diablos front office.

    Grant High School, Oregon (Mexico City Vipers)

    Grant students pulled out all the stops in challenge number three, submitting an incredibly thorough and detailed communications plan.

    Some highlights:

    • A sample media kit that included a compilation of news story highlights, roster with player bios and information, the organization’s mission statement, and details about the team’s donation to a local charity
    • In addition to answering the required questions, the Vipers front office submitted a series of press releases providing examples of how the team would address all communications channels, including an example of a crisis management-related release, and details about the team’s foundation
    • Sample press conference with an actual video that featured the team’s communications staff fielding questions from the media as they introduce the team for the first time

    A job very well done by Grant High School students!

    Capital High School, Montana (Boise Rattlers)

    Capital High School appears to be in it to win it this year, with each challenge submission better than the last. Challenge #3 was no exception as the Rattlers put together an excellent communications plan.

    What really stood out is how in-tune the Rattlers’ front office has been with tracking industry trends, tying them in with concepts from the textbook outlined in each challenge, and connecting the dots with other schoos in this competition. Case in point, the Rattlers included a sample of the team’s communications strategy promoting a rivalry game with another school participating in the competition with content that would be included in emails to fans and in the team’s media kit. Really clever promo, great communication, and a great example of how teams can use a variety of communications channels to disseminate information to the fan base.

    We also really appreciated seeing how well Capital students applied the community relations strategies outlined in textbook, demonstrating a great attention to detail and application of the key concepts that are required to be addressed in challenge number three. For example, this excerpt from the Rattler’s communications strategy describes exactly how the franchise will implement communications strategies outlined in our textbook with PR strategies initiated by both the team, its players, the community, the league, and brand partners.

    We look forward to seeing what the Rattlers’ front office comes up with for challenge #4!

    Elizabethtown High School, Pennsylvania (Miles City Jedis)

    The Jedis front office just continues to impress. With lots of creativity to support a firm grasp on the key concepts from this challenge, Elizabethtown students delivered another fantastic response to the sports marketing challenges in this competition.

    One of the really standout ideas from challenge number three was the Jedis’ recognition of how a schedule release can provide a team with a valuable opportunity to generate positive PR. To do this, the team decided to initiate a publicity stunt. From the Jedis’ report: “As part of our unique communications plan, we plan to implement a different schedule release each year. To introduce our upcoming games for our inaugural season, The Miles City Jedis chose to have our mascot give people the option of a dollar or a mystery box. By doing this, people will be persuaded to see what our mascot is doing because money is involved, as is the opportunity for suspense because of the mystery box. The mystery box will contain The Jedis schedule, such as “At Patriots, Sept. 8th, 1:30pm, week 1”. It will be the opposing team’s logo with a picture of the stadium the game is being played at, as well as the date and time. Hashtags used will be: #WhichOne? #WhatWouldYouChoose? #TheJedis #MoneyorMystery #EmbracetheForce. These relate to our schedule, release plan, slogan, and team, which advertise our brand as well as spreading the word about when we play. The use of big block letters in yellow will catch the viewer’s attention, and the headline at the top will be the first item they see, so they will be informed about what our post is about.”

    Overall, nice work from the Jedis front office!

    Waverly High School, New York (Louisville Stallions)

    Top to bottom, the Stallions communications plan was one of the best we saw in this round of the competition, and the crisis management strategy in particular was outstanding. A proactive approach to developing contingency plans for tackling negative publicity will certainly pay dividends should a crisis arise, and we appreciate seeing the recognition that such instances could occur both in-season and in the offseason. It is important to prepare for a communications plan all. year round.

    Speaking of year round, we really liked seeing the Stallions’ plan for establishing a “12-month presence” for keeping the team front and center in the minds’ of the team’s fanbase. What really stood out was the advanced level of thinking to recognize that communications are important not only with a team’s fans, but also internally. The organization’s communication of its “12-month presence” strategy to all employees will be play a big role in help to build roots in the community as the franchise builds a presence in the Louisville area.

    This was a next level comms strategy from Waverly students. Great job!

    SCC FFL 2023 STANDINGS AFTER CHALLENGE #3