Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: Reciprocal Marketing Agreements Between College Sports Teams & Pro Teams
In sports other than football and men's basketball, an institution's marketing department may enter into a reciprocal contractual relationship with a professional sports organization for the specific purpose of marketing and promoting an institutionally sponsored sport.
For example, a Division I women’s basketball team and a WNBA team could arrange for cross-promotions throughout their respective seasons. This can be advantageous when, for example, a former star from the Division I women’s basketball team now plays for a WNBA squad and the interests of both fan bases cross over.
It will be interesting to see whether the restrictions on football and men’s basketball will be removed by the NCAA as college athletics moves further into a marketing-centric era and seeks to simplify NCAA rules. Finding ways to expand fanbases, home attendance, and eyeballs on game broadcasts are, more and more, top of mind for athletic administrators.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
