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College sports are experiencing a popularity boom, not only in America but across the world. The reason? Incredible innovation has made college athletics one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment.
If I asked you whether the New Orleans Saints or the LSU Tigers had a bigger fan base, you’d probably say the Saints. They’re a professional team in America’s most popular sport. You’d be wrong, though. Each year, colleges like LSU add thousands of lifelong fans who leave the school and spread around the world. Studies show that 79% of college fans spend at least an hour a day following their favorite team. If nothing else, college fans are dedicated.
This sustainable model for fan generation and modern technology have presented some incredible opportunities for innovation in the college sports world. As a result, we’re seeing exciting growth in the popularity of American college sports worldwide, and it’s precisely because schools have shown a remarkable ability to integrate technology and fandom creatively.
Even Today, Fans Still Love Reading Newsletters
The first innovation we’ve seen from college sports has been a proliferation of digitally delivered, hyper-focused newsletters. Emails like the Terrapin Brew from the University of Maryland make it easy for alums to stay in touch with their school. However, the critical innovation in these newsletters is that they’re not just a sales pitch. Most brand newsletters that clutter up our inboxes are thinly veiled attempts to get into our wallets. Not so with newsletters like the Terrapin Brew (among others), which uses storytelling to build engagement. A digital newsletter they can read over a morning cup of coffee that doesn’t ask them to buy something? That’s one way for college sports to maintain a human connection with their fans.
Storytelling 2.0
Speaking of human connections, fans want to take their teams with them wherever they go, adding them to the pocket-sized entertainment console we’ve made our primary source of content. The growth of Over-the-Top (OTT) and dedicated apps to share custom content and access live games whenever, wherever, has only just begun. For example, the Fighting Irish TV app developed by WMT Digital allowed Notre Dame fans to access endless amounts of content — from live game broadcasts to behind-the-scenes interviews and more.
More teams and leagues are sure to adopt similar approaches to both reach more fans and allow them more touchpoints to engage with the brand, further fueling lifelong and dedicated fandoms. In fact, more than half (61%) of college sports fans believe that the sports industry has done a better job than other industries of utilizing technology for a better customer experience.
Venues: A Huge Opportunity for Engagement
Another area where college sports are leading innovation is in-person engagement at the venue. Studies show that 71% of college sports fans believe the sports industry is a leader in keeping pace with the live event experience of game presentation and entertainment.
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US college sports arenas are among the largest in the country, and many of them work with companies like The Aspire Group — who have built a proprietary outbound sales system, their Fan Relationship Management Centers which allow for on-site, remote or licensed ticket marketing, sales and service teams to serve as brand ambassadors for college fan bases or special events.
This type of innovation to the ticketing marketplace, paired with in-venue technology like that of Digital Seat, is particularly successful because they stimulate more activity during the game. As a result, fans get a more immersive environment that becomes more akin to an augmented reality experience, combining the best aspects of physical attendance with watching from the comfort of their home.
Name, Image, Likeness, and the Rise of the College Sports Superstar
Innovation doesn’t necessarily mean technology, though. Technology has indeed made it simpler to stay connected to fans, but colleges are also showing remarkable innovation in other areas. One recent development which has exponentially increased collegiate sports popularity is allowing its athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. Now, athletes are incentivized to grow their personal brands, which also helps colleges with their visibility.
Organizations like Altius Sports Partners have taken a leading role in the emerging industry, already striking partnerships with major brands like Powerade to bolster education programs and streamline deals with individual athletes.
Companies like this are helping strategically match brands and athletes to market products to the fans who are most likely to buy. Others work with advertisers to determine how to bring athletes together for group deals. Athletes with moderate social media followings can significantly increase their ability to monetize those followings through these new digital platforms.
Increased exposure has also made some college sports grow faster than their professional counterparts. Women’s soccer and women’s volleyball are two of the fastest-growing pro sports, but the reason they’re doing so well feeds off the college sports ecosystem. Women’s college sports, which have protections like Title IX, which pro sports don’t enjoy, can experiment with new techniques to drive growth. The results can be impressive when developments like name, image and likeness are effectively combined. This year, the women’s NCAA March Madness tournament is setting new viewership records, and that’s not due to some vast investor base. It’s because of the creativity colleges are embracing.
Support Your Local Teams
College sports have a lot of things going for them right now, but it’s all dependent on the support from the fans. If you’re a college sports fan, take some time to help your favorite team grow. Subscribe to their newsletter, buy a ticket to a game or follow their star athletes on social media. It means supporting the diverse pool of student-athletes and helping them continue to pursue their goals. The next time you’re in the stands watching the game and drinking a beer, you’ll be glad you did your part in keeping these teams alive and thriving.
