The NCAA News - News and Features

August 18, 1997

NACMA discusses coordinated marketing strategies

Coordinated integration of institutional and conference athletics marketing and licensing programs was a consistent theme throughout presentations at the sixth annual National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Workshop June 19-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The workshop was designed to update the NACMA membership on marketing and promotions initiatives that affect members the most, as well as to address professional development.

NCAA Football was introduced as a marketing, promotions and public relations program that has been created to heighten interest in and awareness of college football.

"I am extremely excited that we have joined together to pool our collective resources under a unified coalition to create a national brand for college football," NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey said in his keynote address. "The intent of this concept is to benefit all who play and support the game, from institutions, student-athletes, coaches and administrators to the fans and corporate America."

Dempsey also was awarded NACMA's Outstanding Achievement Award during the workshop. GTE received the Award for Significant Contributions to Intercollegiate Marketing.

As usual, workshop attendees received a NACMA Membership Directory, Round Table Outline Book and NACMA Resource Book, which features successful promotional concepts. Tim Roberts, regional director of the Duck Athletic Fund at the University of Oregon, coordinated two days of round table discussions, while Kim McWilliams, director of marketing and promotions at Florida State University, chaired the compilation of the resource book.

Copies of the resource book are available from the NACMA office (telephone 216/892-4000) for $40 each.

Other presentations during the workshop focused on approaching major corporations, integrated marketing, collegiate trademark licensing and leveraging the college sports market.

New officers and board of directors members for 1997-98 were introduced. Officers are Alfred White, NCAA director of corporate marketing, president; Scott Zuffelato, assistant director of athletics, University of Connecticut, first vice-president; Chris Plonsky, associate director of athletics/external affairs, University of Texas at Austin, second vice-president; and Doug Ihmels, associate athletics director/development, California State University, Bakersfield, third vice-president.

New members of the board are Celice Clark, director of marketing and promotions for women's athletics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Vince Sweeney, associate athletics director at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; and Kelli Wilder, assistant athletics director for marketing and promotions at the University of California, Berkeley.