Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Impact of COVID-19 on college football and basketball
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on college football and basketball, February 2021
- Opportunities and challenges
- Bowl games face a decline
- College sports should look to give back locally to support businesses struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic
- New NIL laws will revolutionize marketing with college sports
- College sports should tap into consumables opportunity
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- Figure 2: School branded whiskey
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Bowl games face a decline
- New NIL laws will revolutionize marketing opportunities in college sports
- NMSU whiskey illustrates consumables opportunity
The College Sports Market
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- College sports world garners massive fan attention
- COVID-19 completely upended the college sports world
- Economic impact further contributes to decreased fan interest
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- Figure 3: Consumer confidence and unemployment, 2000- December 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on college football and basketball
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- Figure 4: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on college football and basketball, February 2021
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- COVID-19: US context
- Learnings from the last recession
Market Factors
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- Bowl games face a decline
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- Figure 5: Brand synergy for bowl game naming rights
- College town businesses suffer due to pandemic
- College basketball’s delayed start opens doors for new brand involvement
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- Figure 6: Local brand college basketball tournament sponsorship
- Advancement of NIL laws could drastically impact the college sports industry
Market Opportunities
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- Tap into the college sports halo effect
- New NIL laws will revolutionize marketing with college sports
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- Figure 7: Sabrina Ionescu endorsement post college career
- Create connections through consumables
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- Figure 8: School branded whiskey
- Provide enhanced access to sports teams and players
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- Figure 9: Clemson football Disney+ movie
- Gaming opens doors to new brand integrations
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- Figure 10: Madden NFL 20 Bowl sponsors
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Bowl game sponsorships provide reach and further advertising access
- Pac-12 leans into “Pacific” theme for sponsorships
- Education a focus for Allstate and Dr Pepper partnerships
Competitive Strategies
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- Local brands can enhance value of bowl game naming rights sponsorship
- Barnes & Noble Education, Fanatics, and Lids partnership illustrates value of symbiotic relationships
- Pac-12 leans into “Pacific” theme for sponsorships
- Education a focus for Allstate and Dr Pepper partnerships
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- Figure 11: Dr Pepper tuition giveaway
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- College fandom creates a heightened sense of identity
- Social media’s importance to reach and engage fans continues to rise
- Gaming can help college sports connect to younger fans
- Fans want college sports to be involved and active in supporting social causes
Consumer Trends Impacting College Football and Basketball
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- Experiences
- Identity
- Technology
- Surroundings & Rights
- Wellbeing
Exploring College Football and Basketball Fans
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- College football and basketball are two of the most popular sports in the US
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- Figure 12: Sports fandom by sport, November 2020
- COVID-19 pandemic causes setback for collegiate fan passion
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- Figure 13: College sports passion by sport followed, November 2020
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- Figure 14: College sports passion by sport, November 2020
- College fandom creates a heightened sense of identity
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- Figure 15: College sports attitudes, November 2020
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- Figure 16: Using home courts to further fan connection
- Highlight female success stories in college sports
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- Figure 17: Sports fandom index by sport, by gender, November 2020
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- Figure 18: First woman to play in a Power 5 college football game
- College sports faces a generational problem
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- Figure 19: Sports fandom index by sport, by generation, November 2020
- College sports have opportunity to grow fandom through multicultural consumers
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- Figure 20: Sports fandom index by sport, by race, November 2020
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- Figure 21: Japanese-specific Washington Wizards Twitter account
- Appealing to the non-college sports fan
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- Figure 22: Barriers for college sports fandom, November 2020
Following the Action on the Field
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- Sports remain the stalwart of live television, but college sports should continue to utilize digital mediums
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- Figure 23: Methods for following college sports, by generation, November 2020
- Social media rivals television for most important platform
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- Figure 24: Methods for following college sports, November 2020
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- Figure 25: LSU Football acclaimed social media post
- Figure 26: MSU sponsored social media score update
Connecting with the College Sports Fan
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- COVID-19 induced problems for fan engagement
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- Figure 27: College football and basketball engagement attitudes, November 2020
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- Figure 28: College football championship ratings, 1999-2021
- Tentpole events hold greater importance for college sports
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- Figure 29: College basketball behaviors, by college basketball fandom, November 2020
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- Figure 30: March Madness brand integrations
- Rivalry games are ripe for further brand integration
- Ancillary games can help college sports connect to younger fans
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- Figure 31: Toledo NCAA Football 14 inspired merchandise
- Figure 32: College Madden tournament
- Look to virtual experiences to fill the void of limited in-person fan capacities
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- Figure 33: College sports attitudes, among fans, November 2020
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- Figure 34: Penn State virtual tailgate
- Continue to use merchandise to enhance the fan connection
Supporting the Greater Good through College Sports
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- College sports should use their platform to support social justice
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- Figure 35: Racial justice demonstrations
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- Figure 36: College sports attitudes, among fans, November 2020
- College sports can support both physical and mental wellbeing
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- Figure 37: Iowa football tradition to wave to children’s hospital
- College sports GOTV campaigns target the lowest turnout demographic
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- Figure 38: College arenas as polling places
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 39: College sports behaviors, by college sports fandom, November 2020
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- Figure 40: College football attitudes, November 2020
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- Figure 41: College basketball attitudes, November 2020
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- Figure 42: College sports attitudes, November 2020
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- Figure 43: College sports attitudes, among fans, November 2020
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- Figure 44: College sports attitudes, by generation, November 2020
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