Game on: UNLV Athletic Department adopts new tack

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Athletic Department hopes to make its sports sponsors into sports marketing partners.

Darryl Seibel, UNLV associate athletic director for external affairs, said the goal is to have corporate sponsors such as Findlay Toyota or Boyd Gaming Corp. play the role of a marketing partner to help promote the Rebel sports brand and sell tickets.

Seibel, who started at UNLV on March 31, stressed this strategy of massaging more marketing help from longtime sponsors is in its “infant stage.”

Boyd Gaming has a business relationship with UNLV that goes back decades. And Boyd Gaming spokesman David Strow suggested the new tactic may have mutual benefits.

“This is a good opportunity to promote UNLV football through discounted tickets to some of our customers and our employees,” he said. “If we can find new ways to build on that relationship and promote UNLV athletics, we’re happy to explore that.”

IMG, a New York City-based sports agency, cuts the UNLV sports sponsorship deals and pays UNLV’s sports facilities — Thomas &Mack Center and Sam Boyd Stadium — for the UNLV sports media and sponsorship rights, said Gerry Bomotti, senior vice president for finance and business.

IMG is paying $3.2 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year for the media and sponsorship rights, said Tina Kunzer-Murphy, UNLV athletic director. IMG has a 10-year deal with UNLV, with three years left, she added.

In April, IMG was purchased by WME, a worldwide entertainment and media agency. IMG College, which partners with university clients, works with more than 90 colleges, conferences, bowl games and venues, the UNLV Rebels website says.

An IMG general manager, Eric Kovac, who oversees the UNLV account among about 10 other university clients in the western United States, said it makes financial sense for both UNLV and sponsors to work more closely together.

“They want more people in that building to see that advertisement,” Kovac said. “Their goal is to get their messaging in front of people at the arena. People are looking to build the brand, drive traffic back to their locations and for (game experiences) like having your kid be the ball boy during the UNLV basketball games.”

UNLV basketball and football games are IMG’s “bread and butter” with UNLV, Kovac said.

NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Scott Becher, executive vice president and managing director of Fort Lauderdale, Fla-based Zimmerman Advertising, said UNLV’s idea of enlisting sponsors to help on marketing is typical.

“Frankly, what UNLV is doing has become commonplace,” he said.

Although IMG cuts the sponsorship deals, the agency collaborates with UNLV’s Seibel and also UNLV sports venue officials like Thomas &Mack/Sam Boyd Stadium Executive Director Mike Newcomb.

Kovac sits in on UNLV athletic department senior staff meetings, while Seidel said he is included in IMG meetings with prospective sponsors. Kovac has a staff of five working on UNLV sponsorship deals.

The athletic department budget shows a blank revenue line for broadcast, TV, radio and Internet rights. For the fiscal year ended June 30, the department showed revenues of $44.1 million — about $400,000 less than expenditures of $44.5 million.

UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP

The university’s arena is a commercial venue that generates the vast majority of its total gross revenue (84 percent) from non-UNLV athletic events such as the National Finals Rodeo and the NBA Summer League.

That’s why there’s a three-way effort among IMG, the UNLV Athletic Department and Newcomb to market and promote Rebel events at Thomas &Mack and Sam Boyd Stadium.

On the UNLV sports facilities front, Newcomb said his budget is responsible for about $550,000 in media buys for platforms such as billboards and television and Internet ads. He tacks on another $300,000 to $400,000 to promote events at Thomas &Mack such as the NBA Summer League in July and the Mountain West Conference tournament.

To boost UNLV sports, the athletic department hired staff after three marketing workers left in January in one day. The departures haven’t been explained.

“As to why the individuals decided to leave, you’d probably need to ask them. What I can tell you is they are all talented individuals and we appreciate the contributions they made to our department,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “From time to time, people choose to pursue other opportunities and we wish them all nothing but success in their future endeavors.

“It’s also worth noting that these decisions were made almost a year ago. They have moved forward and so have we,” she said.

“Fortunately, we had other people within our department who immediately stepped forward and took on broader responsibilities. We have also recruited a talented and enthusiastic new team.”

UNLV hired Seibel and then hired Evan Spoon as marketing director.

Spoon works with two coordinators, Jenny Little and Meghan Cordeiro, who work on game presentation such as coordinating the cheerleaders and bands and putting on promotions during UNLV football games, Seibel said.

Seibel worked as director of communications and Olympic media strategy for the British Olympic Association from 2009-14 and chief communications officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colo., from 2003-09.

About 120 sponsors, including longtimers Findlay Toyota, Boyd Gaming, Bank of America, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and Born and Raised sports bar and restaurant, support UNLV sports. New sponsors include Cox Communications and Firehouse Subs.

Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal or 702-387-5273. Find him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel