"Ideas that Work" is a periodic feature developed for The NCAA News by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators. Individuals interested in contributing information may contact Trip Durham of Elon University at 336/278-6708.

A Night of Excellence
University of California, Irvine
Linda Valerio, marketing and promotions assistant

Who: Middle school students from the surrounding area who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement were presented with certificates of academic achievement.

When: Students were presented with the certificates at a basketball game during halftime of basketball games and brought on to the court. An announcement was made to acknowledge their outstanding academic accomplishments. Evening weekend games seemed to work best for the families and faculties of the honorees.

How: The athletics staff contacted school district offices to inform them about the program and to let them know they would be invited as well. The staff then drafted a general information letter and promotion flyer and sent those to the participating schools. Since it was the first year, organizers started small and invited only three nearby school districts, which had a total of 10 middle schools. The top 10 students from each school then were invited, with each school selecting the honorees based on grades and school involvement.

UC Irvine then sent general congratulatory letters to the schools. The selected students were given three ticket vouchers, which could be used the night of the event for the basketball game. The students were asked to RSVP two weeks before the event so they could have their name printed on the certificates. General certificates also were made available for late or non-responders.

On the night of the event, students reported to a check-in table, where they were given more details about where to meet before halftime. At halftime, they walked on to the court to receive their certificate.

Results: Of the 100 students who were notified, 60 showed up and received their certificate. UC Irvine plans to repeat the promotion this year and include more school districts.

Women's Football Clinic
University of New Mexico
Marie Baker, assistant director of marketing

Who: The target group is women age 21 and over.

Goals: To increase opportunities for underprivileged youth, to get women more interested in football and to promote general education about football.

What is needed: Female participants, football coaching staff assistance, football field access, football information packets, football equipment, space for a reception and refreshments.

When: August, to promote the approaching season.

Where: The football stadium and a nearby pavilion for a reception.

How: The clinic is $15 per woman, with all proceeds going directly to New Mexico's "Send-A-Kid Program," which purchases season tickets for underprivileged youth in the Albuquerque area.

The athletics staff finds participants and sends renewal or prospect letters. The prospect list consists of women in business from the Albuquerque Women in Business directory, Lobo Club members and corporate sponsors.

The marketing staff sets up the event, which begins with dinner, beverages and a short welcome speech from the director of marketing, who explains the Send-A-Kid Program. A guest speaker from one of the Send-A-Kid recipient agencies then thanks the women for contributing to the program.

After dinner and speakers, the women tour the facilities, including the athletic training room, the weight room and the locker room. The head football coach gives a speech in the locker room and answers questions for about 10 minutes. The women then divide into their respective clinic groups -- on-field or classroom, beginner or advanced.

The football staff runs the clinic. The on-field clinic allows women to get on the field and use practice equipment (tackling dummies, pads, shields, etc.). The classroom clinic is a Football 101 class, in which women hear about different plays and strategies.

Results: This was the eighth year of the clinic, but the first year of the "on-field" clinic. The women enjoyed the event and liked being able to get on the field with the coaches. The event has become well-known with callers now inquiring annually about when it will be conducted. The age range of the participants has been from 25 to 72.

'Maize Rage' Beach Day
University of Michigan
Brian Galvin, director of promotions

Game: Basketball.

Objective: Faced with an 11 a.m. start against a low-profile opponent, the athletics department wanted to create a party atmosphere for the student section to stimulate attendance and enthusiasm from the beginning of the game.

Promotion: The 12 "best-dressed" students were selected from the "Maize Rage" student section to participate in a halftime limbo contest. Students were judged on their creative beach attire, which was required to include the student section's official "Maize Rage" T-shirt. The winner of the limbo contest received two free airline tickets for spring break.

Execution: The athletics department sent an e-mail to student season ticket holders challenging them to be the best-dressed Beach Day fan and informing them of the contest. One thousand Hawaiian leis were distributed to fans before tip-off. Staff selected 12 competitors out of the crowd to participate in the halftime limbo contest, which was accompanied by beach theme music and inflatable palm trees.

Evaluation: The contest gave students a reason to come to the morning game early and prepared. The rest of the crowd was energized by the students' enthusiasm. Since the event, students have been independently submitting their ideas for follow-up theme games.

Great American Paper Airplane Toss
Winthrop University
C. Jason Capel, director of marketing/ promotions and game management

Who: Everyone in attendance.

What: An automobile and paper airplanes.

When: Halftime of a basketball game.

How: Get a car dealership to put up a car as a prize and to cover the insurance of the contest. Display the car at some of the games before the target date. Give everyone who comes through the door piece of paper that can be made into an airplane. Drive the car under a goal and put a trash can on the floor so that people from all sides of the coliseum can participate. Give them a countdown and watch the paper airplanes fly. Fans put their names on the airplanes; if one goes in the trash can (or some other small target), the fan wins the car.

Results: Winthrop has conducted the contest for six years, and it has become a community and student favorite. A large advertisement in the local newspaper touts the contest; the car dealership also promotes it to customers the week of the contest.