"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.

Yale Basketball Halftime Show
Yale University
Patrick O'Neill, director of marketing and promotions

Who: Students (although the promotion could be for the general public).

What: Six contestants (picked ahead of time), six basketballs, six wiffleball bats (or something similar), a wireless microphone, cheesy game-show music, three doors (numbered 1, 2 and 3), cheerleaders, game-show coach (Yale uses an out-of-season coach), one "cool" prize (Playstation 2, DVD player), one "OK" prize ($25 to $50 gift certificate) and one gag prize ("win a date with the mascot" or "laundry duty after the game").

When: Basketball halftime (the promotion takes about eight minutes).

How: Sign up six students at the start of the game. Tell each student to be at a specific meeting point with three minutes to go in the first half.

At halftime, place numbers on doors (either props or real doors) at the opposite baseline from which the contestants will line up for round one. Place one cheerleader at each door as the "door opener."

As the cheesy game-show music plays in the background, the PA announcer introduces the game-show host.

The game-show host introduces six contestants and explains how the game works. Six contestants should be positioned evenly on the baseline. Give each contestant a wiffleball bat. Six basketballs should be placed evenly at halfcourt for the contestants to run to.

When the game-show host says "Go!," contestants must spin around 10 times on the baseline with their head on the wiffle bat. They then must run to half court, pick up and dribble a basketball to the far end of the court and make a lay-up. The first contestant to do this will move to the second round (be sure to have spotters to assure contestants spin around enough times).

Once the first round is complete, the host will bring the winning contestant to half court. The game-show host will explain how there is a prize behind each door and ask the contestant to choose door 1, 2, or 3. The cheesy game-show music plays while the contestant makes a decision. The game-show host will ask the audience what door the contestant should pick (the crowd usually gets into it). The game-show host then tries to bribe the contestant with money ("I'll give you 20 bucks and you can walk away without choosing a door"). Once the contestant chooses a door:

Scenario 1: If a contestant chooses a door, show first what was behind the two doors they didn't choose (cheerleaders behind the doors should show the prize when their doors are called). Show the contestant the door he or she picked last. If they picked the gag prize, have the host explain enthusiastically what it entails. If the gag prize is a date with the mascot, have the mascot (instead of a cheerleader) behind the door, holding a rose. Have the mascot run excitedly into the arms of the contestant.

Scenario 2: If the contestant takes the money, show what was behind each door. A cheerleader should be behind each door with the prize or a poster identifying what prize is behind that door.

Results: Yale has done this promotion several times over the past three seasons, and the students love it. Everyone in the crowd can participate.

Faculty and Staff Night
Eastern Michigan University
Doug Kose, director of marketing and promotions

Target audience: Eastern Michigan faculty and staff.

Promotions: All faculty and staff get in for half price; campus department shootout at halftime; popcorn bags sent out as fliers, redeemable for a free bag of popcorn.

Procedures: (1) A few months in advance of the game, fliers were sent to all campus departments to register a team for the halftime three-point shooting contest. All teams were invited to a pregame reception to have free pizza and pop. The winning team (the team that made the most baskets in 30 seconds) received gift certificates to a local restaurant. (2) A few days before the game, organizers sent popcorn bags (in lieu of a flyer) with a ticket on the bag. The ticket promoted the game (Faculty Night) and invited everyone to see their fellow faculty and staff members participating in a shooting contest. In addition, the ticket and bag were redeemable for a free bag of popcorn at the game. (3) On game night, there is a reception before the game with the teams. The teams are advised the order in which they will go in the contest. Team members are permitted to warm up in the practice gym.

Results: Seven teams participated in the contest, and good feedback was provided. This year, organizers will make it a head-to-head matchup, with the winning team advancing to the next round until only one remains. Another thought is to allow some students on each team since some departments didn't join because they could not rally enough participants.

TheSpringBreakGirl.Com Scuba Challenge
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Bill Lockey, assistant athletics director for marketing and promotions

Who: Students.

What: Two sets of rubber scuba flippers, two sets of scuba goggles and snorkels, two Hawaiian T-shirts (Hawaiian leis and baggy swimming trunks also can be used).

When: The promotion was done during a television timeout for men's basketball and at intermission for ice hockey.

How: Students filled out entry forms at the student entrance at two consecutive basketball games and placed their forms in a box. Signs advised them what the grand prize winner would receive, which was an expense-paid trip to Cancun, Mexico, for spring break. The names of two contestants then were drawn from the box at the end of the first half. The PA announcer called their names at halftime.

Two contestants are lined up at one end of the court (one on each side of the basket) and given a basketball.

At the announcer's signal, they dribble their basketballs to the other end of the court.

Once their get there, they must put on their rubber flippers, goggles, snorkels and Hawaiian shirts.

As soon as they have every article of clothing on, they must dribble back down to the end from which they started and make a lay-up.

The first one to make the basket wins.

Results: UMass conducted two preliminary rounds and the two winners advanced to the finals, where they competed for the trip to Cancun. It was a great promotion that was entertaining for students and fans. In addition, the athletics department used the entry forms to create a student database.