"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.

NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
Pennsylvania State University
Cassandra M. Keiber, marketing assistant

Who: The promotion was targeted toward Penn State students.

What: Two or three marketing representatives were assigned to sell sponsorships. A total of 175 all-session student tickets were given away at the semifinal and championship matches.

How: After acquiring approval from the NCAA, organizers presented four opportunities to local vendors so they could feel connected to the championship. The Ace, Spike, Assist and Dig packages included the sponsorship of student tickets, along with tickets to the event and ads in the championship program. The arrangement was successful, resulting in a total of 175 sponsored student tickets. The first 175 students each night were to bring a receipt from one of the local businesses to get into the championship free.

Results: All sponsored tickets were given away both nights even though Penn State lost in the semifinals. The crowd exceeded the listed capacity of 5,400 both nights.

Additional promotions: In addition to the sponsored tickets, Penn State increased attendance at the Men's Volleyball Championship in the following ways.

Organizers placed a magnetic NCAA volleyball logo with the telephone number for tickets on an attractive new car provided by a local auto dealer. The car was parked in visible areas, such as at baseball games and on College Avenue downtown.

In November, organizers sent 700 letters to high-school boys' volleyball teams in Pennsylvania and neighboring states. The letters included a group ticket form.

Fliers were distributed in the student union during finals week.

Posters with ticket information were displayed at key sites.

Delta Fan of the Game
University of North Carolina, Wilmington

During each home baseball game, organizers selected a "Fan of the Game" through random selection, winning a baseball bingo game, answering trivia questions or doing certain tricks. Those selected as "Fan of the Game" were recognized but didn't win anything. However, each fan automatically qualified for "Pack Your Bags Night."

On "Pack Your Bags Night," each fan came to the ballpark with their bags packed for the weekend. Before the game, eligible contestants came on the field with their bags. A drawing then was conducted for the "Pack Your Bags Night" winner. A local representative from Delta Airlines drew the winning name. The winner left directly from the game to the airport and caught a Delta flight to Atlanta. The total package included round-trip airfare for two from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Atlanta; two nights' accommodations at a Buckhead hotel; two tickets to an Atlanta Braves baseball game; and $50 in spending money. The promotion worked well and was very inexpensive. The airline tickets and baseball tickets were donated. The total cost was about $200.

Volleyball honorary captain
Indiana University, Bloomington
Chad Giddens, marketing and promotions assistant

Who: This promotion was reserved for children under 12.

What: One child and an IU goody bag.

When: At each Big Ten Conference volleyball match.

How: During the nonconference portion of the home schedule, kids were invited to sign up to be an honorary captain at a future Big Ten match. The honorary captains were given free tickets for themselves and reserved courtside seats for their family. They also were given a goody bag upon arrival. The bag included an autographed team poster, schedule cards, stickers and an IU Credit Union seat cushion. Before the match, the honorary captain was introduced with the team on the court. Kids were selected randomly from the entries received and contacted by the IU sports marketing staff.

Results: Children loved this as they got a chance to be part of the team for a few minutes. Most kids loved the chance to run onto the court and be introduced. The families also enjoyed the event, and many photos were snapped by proud parents.

Junior reporter plan
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Robert Zullo, assistant director for sports marketing

Who: Elementary and middle-school sports enthusiasts with journalism aspirations.

What: An informational brochure for school teachers to pass out, press passes, media guides and roster sheets. Organizers can get those props from the sports information director. In this case, organizers printed copies of media guides from the Web site and prepared a set of game notes geared toward kids. They also checked with the head coach and the team's sports information director about holding postgame interviews and touring the press box. A soda and hot dog also were provided to each participating junior reporter.

When: Organizers had a pregame Q&A session with the coaches, provided in-game updates and then conducted postgame interviews.

What sport: Softball.

How: The Virginia Tech marketing office sent fliers/brochures (made in-house) to area English teachers inviting their kids to attend a select home softball game. Their students received a media guide, game-day notes, a game program, hot dog and soda, and a great seat to "cover" the game. Throughout the game, kids were taken to the press box to watch how the statistician/scoreboard operator worked, how the Internet live stats crew worked, how the PA worked and how the sports information director handled the flow of the game from a game-day standpoint. After the game, kids were invited to select a player to interview. The students then were encouraged to write a report and turn it in to their teachers. The best stories and students would be recognized at a future home game.

Results: It was the promotion's first year. Organizers say that in the future, they will provide students four or five dates from which to choose. They also will recruit English teachers, possibly through a coffee-and-doughnuts session. They also will try to tie the idea with a local newspaper so that kids can sign up through the newspaper to cover the game.

The idea can be used for other sports, but the coaches and student-athletes must be receptive to the idea. Some sports may not be able to do this for a large number of kids.