Last weekend I went to North Carolina and visited ESPN's College Gameday set where the show was filming on location before the Miami at N.C. State game in Raleigh (I can't believe that was a marquee matchup last week, but that's beside the point). The set is absolutely covered in Home Depot logos -- the orange insignias pasted on everything the corporate big-wigs could get their hands on -- that got me thinking about the rampant commercialization in college sports.
Besides College Gameday, Michigan and Ohio State decided to rename their rivalry game the SBC Michigan-Ohio State Classic, after SBC Communications paid about $1 million for the rights, according to USA Today. Clearly, commercialization is a major part of a big time college athletics program, and I think Virginia is well behind the curve.
Now we've all seen those pictures of Pete Gillen or Al Groh smiling awkwardly in the game program, holding an Alltel cellular phone or a Pepsi. But those ads don't leave someone thinking, "I must buy that product" -- they inspire questions like, "Does making Gillen put his leg up on a stool while holding that Aquafina really make him look more natural?"
I think Virginia needs to re-energize their promotional strategy on all fronts. Now, I am not a marketing major, but as an impressionable consumer, I know what sells. I started buying small cups of Mott's Applesauce because Manny Ramirez was eating a cup in the dugout during last year's ALCS. Virginia's athletic programs can harness this kind of impulse buying based on the actions and promotions of sports figures.
Coaches are the key to this effort. Since players can't be used to promote products, according to NCAA rules, the coaches must be the face of the program. But we have to go beyond the requisite picture in a game program that only reaches the people who attend Virginia games. We need to think outside the box. Instead of Gillen holding an Aquafina bottle or a cell phone, let's see him dressed in a full-body Aquafina foam rubber suit in a commercial saying something like, "When you sweat as much as I do, you'll need more than 20 ounces of Aquafina!"
I'd also like to see the coaches mention the sponsors in every answer they give to questions at a press conference, just like NASCAR drivers. Gillen's quote from basketball media day two weeks ago, discussing Elton Brown's love of the Snickers candy bar originally read, "He still likes his Snickers around 11:00 at night." Instead Gillen could say something like, "Around 11:00 at night, Elton Brown 'Isn't Going Anywhere for Awhile,' so he grabs a Snickers. If you'd like to be an honorable mention All-ACC center, you will too."
The second part of the plan will ruffle the traditionalists' feathers. Now, if you've noticed, the Cavaliers' football sports complex has three names: the David A. Harrison, III field at Scott Stadium at the Carl Smith Center. Sure, all these names are the result of major University donations, but we could still use an annual check from a major corporation.
Virginia is already well-practiced at naming things multiple times, so that will equal multiple donations. We just have to expand past naming rights for stadiums to concepts. What about the Minute Maid Orange Crush Defense? Even better, it would be great to watch the baseball team execute their patented Country Crock 'Hit and Run.'
The third and most revolutionary part of the plan involves a character that holds a special place in many Virginia football fans hearts. Cav Man, who appears on HooVision before the football team takes the field, is a commodity just begging to be diversified.
He's computer animated, which means he can be placed in almost anything. That makes him ready made for all kinds of commercial crossovers. Imagine for a second Cav Man and that Wal-Mart smiley face working together to slash prices at Wal-Marts throughout central Virginia.
Those two make an incredible digital duo, and that's just a start. Cav Man and the Michelin Man could team up to keep all four of your tires on the road. Maybe Cav Man could even join forces with Jared Fogle from Subway to educate people on the Subway diet. Sure, Cav Man never speaks, except to grunt every now and then, but his presence would be plenty, believe me.
The Virginia Lottery sponsors Cav Man, so his jump into advertising wouldn't be too surprising -- he's already the product of commercialization. More shocking would be an expanded role for Cav Man's most recent co-star, the digital Thomas Jefferson statue. Imagine our beloved founder giving a "big thumbs down to high APR."
Okay, maybe a digital TJ giving an opinion on interest rates is years off, but I think some of these ideas need to be explored. If not, Virginia will be forever behind in the rat race of commercialization.
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