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 telephone Trip Durham of Elon University at 336/278-6708.

Shooting from the Cheap Seats

DePaul University
Jane Parr, marketing intern

Objective: One of DePaul's goals at athletics events is to interact with fans during the slow times. The institution has been especially successful at this during women's basketball games. During halftime, there is a seven-minute period between the end of the dance team act and when the teams return to the floor. Instead of paying for a high-priced act to occupy the down time, DePaul found that fans would rather be a part of halftime. The best halftime promotion with bigger crowds was "Shooting from the Cheap Seats."

* How it works: Staff wheels out three carts, each at least as big as a volleyball cart, on to the court and places them at the two free-throw lines and center court. Six assistants (student workers or cheerleaders) are stationed at each cart facing a designated section. Each assistant is armed with a mini foam basketball and a pile of T-shirts. The public address announcer explains the rules of the promotion to the crowd. The assistants then throw the ball into the crowd; the fan who catches it is supposed to shoot for the cart from his or her seat. If the fan gets the ball in on the fly or on a bounce, he or she wins a T-shirt. Staff members continue to throw the balls into the crowd until the teams return for warm-ups.

Success: Fans are entertained with the nonstop action occurring in their sections. About 250 to 300 shots may be taken on any given night. Organizers can vary the size of the ball and cart depending on the number of winners they want. Those who are assisting with the promotion should try the shot themselves; you don't want to make it so difficult that you look cheap.

Air Force Honor Guard and Mascot Mania

California State University, Fresno
Chris Helsel, assistant director of marketing

Description: Fresno State is attempting not only to provide competitive athletics programs but also to create an atmosphere to which fans want to return. The budget is limited, but the low-cost promotions are effective in building fan enthusiasm.

Air Force Honor Guard: During the 2000 football season, Fresno State brought the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard's 16-man team to Bulldog Stadium for a halftime performance. The demonstration is similar to the beginning of the movie "A Few Good Men," in which the Naval Honor Team flips rifles with precision. The eight-minute performance was a major hit with fans.

Mascot mania: This season, Fresno State used women's basketball as the platform to showcase Mascot Mania. Those participating included TimeOut (the Fresno State Bulldog), Tony the Tiger, the Carl's Jr. Star, Bobby the Bubbles Beaver, Sammy Slice, Captain Deal and Friends the Fresno Bee, Gabe from Red Robin Restaurants and others. Mascots also were used during the 2000 women's soccer season. In both cases, the promotion was geared toward San Joaquin Valley youth. A "meet and greet" session for children followed each event.

Team Whiteman Day

Central Missouri State University
Shawn Jones, manager of athletics marketing/broadcasting

Description: The two largest local employers are Central Missouri State and Whiteman Air Force Base. The institution has a good relationship with the base and is always looking for ways to interact with Air Force personnel, who often become fans after attending games. For that reason, Central Missouri State created "Team Whiteman Day" for Mules baseball games. The athletics department set the event up through the base commander's office. The commander threw out the first pitch and participated in the broadcast for an inning. Anyone with a base identification card, along with his or her family, was admitted at no charge. The concessions group helped by providing a "Whiteman Special" at low cost. Photographers took pictures that were sent to the base, and the Air Force color guard provided a great start to the day during the National Anthem. The result was one of the best crowds in Central Missouri State baseball history -- and several new fans