"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.

Interactive Sports Fair
Princeton University
Lori Beckman, marketing and development assistant

What: An Interactive Sports Fair in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day to help fans learn more about women's sports.

Who: Families, especially women and girls.

When: Pregame (90 minutes before a women's basketball game or other women's varsity event).

Where: In the arena or in practice space adjacent to the arena.

How: Contact head coaches a month before the date of the event to find players to host interactive skill stations. Teams should inform the event representative about a week before the date of the event about what their station will require for spacing and equipment needs. Design space and event layout according to the needs of each team (for example, if a lacrosse team needs space or a tennis team needs a wall). Consider having a diagram at the event so each fan can find all stations easily.

On the day of the event, an athletics department representative should be present to direct teams to their specified location and assist with station set-up and identification. With the enthusiasm of the student-athletes, the event itself should run smoothly. Allow fans to mingle between the stations on their own. As game time approaches, event administrators should make an announcement that allows families to get to their seats before the start of the game.

Results: This type of activity allows youth in the community to learn something about each athletics program a school offers. It also give student-athletes an opportunity to be involved in community outreach and to build fan-athlete identification.

Blackbeards Family Fun Center Bulldog 500...Feet
California State University, Fresno
Marketing department

The Bulldog 500 uses two go-carts provided by Blackbeards Family Fun Center. The event takes place between the foul poles at the Fresno State baseball stadium. Each car "represents" one-half of the fans, giving them a chance to win various prizes from Blackbeards Family Fun Center. Insurance requires that only employees of Fresno State can drive the cars, so different "marquee match-ups" among coaches, administrators, faculty and staff are used to generate excitement. Included are races between men's and women's head coaches, those involving the school mascot, and those between the athletics director and the university president.

The promotion provides the institution with the opportunity to promote all of its sports in a fan-friendly way that sparks the interest of the general population.

Student Slam-Dunk Contest
Northwestern University
Tracie Hitz, assistant director of marketing

What: A Student Slam-Dunk Contest, a halftime contest that allows the school to identify basketball fanatics among the student body. The fanatics can in turn create a buzz on campus among their friends and classmates.

Who: The primary target was Northwestern students; a secondary target was basketball fans in the Chicago area.

When: Halftime of a basketball game.

How: A few weeks before the contest, organizers held preliminary tryouts on campus to identify the five best dunkers. The names of those five then were used in advertisements (student newspaper, e-mail, flyers, public address announcements, game-day information sheets passed out to students) to increase the excitement among their friends and classmates. Celebrity judges -- in this case, a former Northwestern football player, the university president and a former Chicago Bears football player -- scored the dunks. A preliminary round narrowed the contestants to the top three for a final round.

Results: The fans enjoyed the Slam-Dunk Contest so much that few of them left their seats before the contest was finished. The contestants brought their own cheering sections, so the crowd was vocal as the students showed off their best dunks.

Future Irish
University of Notre Dame
Sports promotions department

Local elementary and middle schools (private and public) were contacted during August through letters and promotional flyers. All schools were presented with an opportunity to choose one home volleyball match to attend for free. Children and chaperones were asked to arrive one hour before the start of the match. Tickets were held for attendees at will-call, and a marketing representative met the group upon arrival. All children attending the Future Irish program received the following: a certificate of promotion (signed by the coach), a special pass to the concession stand, a greeting by two or three volleyball players before the match, a schedule poster and schedule magnet, the featured giveaway item of the match, and the opportunity to take part in a postgame autograph session with the team. The group leader also received a packet with 10 to 15 Notre Dame items (T-shirts, mini-volleyballs, etc.) for the purpose of raffling them off to students before the start of the match. Throughout the season, the number of Future Irish participants ranged from 30 to 200 a match, helping to enhance the atmosphere.