Montana Grizzlies Sports, Football and Basketball : Grizzoulian

The nine-year deal the University of Montana recently signed with marketing agency Learfield Sports guarantees the University $6.1 million over that span, Athletic Director Jim O'Day said. However, O'Day said Learfield expects to reach that mark in the next two to three years.

O'Day also said this figure does not include "coaching shows or incentives by sales exceeding the 'share' hurdle for sales reached."

In emails exchanged with O'Day, he also defined what their role would be compared to UM's existing marketing department.

Learfield Sports will now be our “agent,” so to speak, in handling all our marketing, sponsorship and media right sales… negotiating media deals and “selling” Grizzly Athletics via advertising means (stadium/arena/auxiliary gym/South Campus soccer/Dornblaser Track signage, program advertisements, etc. UM Marketing will continue to market our product (but will not be involved in sales). They will run promotions, organize game events (pre-, during and halftimes), design posters/advertisements, purchase advertising buys, do all the graphics on the GrizVision, manage the game’s marketing efforts, etc. In all reality, they did very few sales. Learfield will now do those sales – and marketing will implement any promotions they might sell (such as passing out 3-point balls for cheerleaders to toss at basketball games, Monte dolls, “Wheel of Fortune,” etc.).

So, marketing department, the beer garden is still on you.

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The University of Montana further advanced its relationship with Learfield Sports by signing a nine-year deal that gives Learfield the responsibility of overseeing "all sponsorship and multimedia rights for UM athletics, including coaches' television shows, certain televised events, corporate hospitality, print sponsorships and athletic event marketing."

Last year, Montana signed a deal with Learfield giving them the task of selling advertisements inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Now, they've been given a lot more.

According to yesterday's Missoulian, this will be much more of a local operation than it appears on first glance:

Work will be done locally by Learfield’s Grizzly Sports Properties, an organization that collaborates daily with UM athletic director Jim O’Day and the entire athletics administration.

Leading the GSP sales staff will be Gene Peterson, a longtime Missoula resident with years of radio management experience; Dan Ingram, former assistant director of the Grizzly Scholarship Association; and Todd Howell.

For more information on exactly what services Learfield provides, take a look at their web page. I'm not sure Learfield will provide UM with the same range of services it gives to other schools but here are the services they say they provide as far as marketing:

• Game sponsorships, including signage, print, video and public address recognition, tickets and hospitality
• Pregame, half-time, timeout and postgame on-court/field promotions
• Corporate recognition and game ball presentations
• Title sponsorships
• Presenting sponsorships
• Interactive games
• Premium giveaways
• Hospitality villages
• Game day signage at "Olympic" sporting events
• Product displays
• Temporary signage
• Sampling, couponing and free product distribution 

It will be interesting to see the impact and presence Learfield will have and also how they will function along with UM's own marketing department.

Effective marketing could have an enormous impact on this program. I could name numerous marketing tactics I wish this school employed: a legitimate student fan club, Midnight Madness for basketball, a real spring football game and a beer garden for hoops to name a few. I understand resources are thin but a little money spent well not only excites fans, but also opens up new revenue streams.

The University of Montana sits at the top its conference and is one of the most respected schools on its level. We shouldn't sit comfortably under this artificial ceiling. The hoops team is desperately in need of some sense of legitimacy while the football program's success at the FCS level could be further boasted. There are passionate Griz fans spread out from coast to coast. I hope Learfield can stir up this intense fan base both on-campus and off while also giving outsiders a glimpse at something special.

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The University of Montana athletic department has signed a deal with Learfield Sports, making them UM's "exclusive athletics marketing partner for stadium and arena sponsorship rights."

Here's Jim O'Day's explanation on the deal:

This is Phase I of the program with Learfield… they are only assuming the rights of Virtu Consulting… but this will allow us to re-negotiate the contract currently in place in Phase II. That contract has a lot of “gray area” that needs to be addressed. Ultimately, it will allow the marketing folks to “market” the program --- and not have to worry about finding sponsors, etc. That will be the job of Learfield…. And they are very skilled in that area. It will also allow us to market UM Athletics more proficiently.

Up to this point, what I've seen of the marketing department has been pretty disappointing. They didn't want to take many risks and didn't have original ideas. This should free them up to take a few chances and try things others haven't tried.

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