Bloomington, IN – Indiana University Athletics announced today that it has officially reached a new multimedia and sponsorship agreement with Learfield Sports through 2021. The 10-year agreement, effective with the 2011-’12 athletics season, represents a continuation of IU’s 17-year partnership with Learfield Sports.
Fred Glass, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, indicated that IU could have simply renewed its previous agreement with Learfield, but instead concluded to evaluate more aggressively the value of its media property and negotiate a new deal.
“We asked a lot of Learfield Sports and they came back to the table with new ideas and new value that will benefit us both,” said Glass. “We greatly value our partnership with Learfield Sports, a well-respected leader in the collegiate sports marketplace,” added Glass. “This relationship has been very positive for IU Athletics, and we are thrilled to carry on our partnership through 2021”.
“We’re excited to continue our IU relationship, and we look forward to taking these new ideas to the marketplace,” said Learfield Sports’ Senior Vice President Bob Agramonte. “We appreciate Fred’s willingness to be creative as we move forward and provide additional benefits to companies wanting to associate with the Hoosier brand.”
Learfield Sports’ local entity, Indiana University Sports Properties (IUSP), oversees the various components of IU Athletics’ corporate partnerships, venue signage, print sponsorships, event marketing, radio play-by-play broadcasts, coaches’ shows, numerous live television and internet broadcasts, as well as corporate hospitality and official website advertising. IUSP also oversees management of every aspect of the IU Radio Network.
“It’s a privilege to be connected to such a powerhouse athletics program as the Indiana Hoosiers,” said Greg Brown, Learfield’s president and chief executive officer. “We’re honored to work alongside Fred and his talented team to deliver our best. We value this relationship and couldn’t be more pleased to continue representing IU, a heritage property for our company.”
In addition to Indiana, Learfield Sports manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for more than 50 collegiate institutions, conference and associations including the Big Ten Conference and other league member schools Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. It also titles the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, in conjunction with award co-founders NACDA and USA Today. Learfield Sports is an operating unit of Jefferson City, Missouri based Learfield Communications, Inc., which entered the world of sports marketing in 1975 as the radio rights holder for the University of Missouri. For additional information about the company, its history and comprehensive collegiate portfolio, visit learfieldsports.com.
Posted on Friday, March 11, 2011