Announcement Coincides with Refreshed Brand Identity for Learfield
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Learfield and Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal/Daily today announced that they are teaming up to present the 15th Annual Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. The program will be taking place December 7-8, 2016, at the New York Marriott Marquis at Times Square in New York City. Concurrent with this sponsorship announcement, Learfield, which was founded in 1972, also rolled out a new brand identity for the company.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Learfield, a diverse multimedia enterprise and well-respected leader in college sports,” comments Richard Weiss, Publisher of SportsBusiness Journal/Daily.
According to Greg Brown, Learfield President & CEO, “This is a fabulous opportunity for our company and it’s right down the middle of the fairway of the kinds of events in which we want to be engaged. It is always our mission to elevate the discussion of college athletics in a productive way.” Big 12 Conference Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby adds, “I appreciate Learfield’s sponsorship of this annual, high-profile forum on intercollegiate athletics and it’s consistent with the company’s support of collegiate programs. There are many vital issues that need to be discussed and it’s important that conversations like this are facilitated.”
Now entering its 15th year, the Intercollegiate Athletics Forum is the largest and most prestigious sports business conference on the business of college sports. A “must attend” event since 2002, the Forum provides an “insider’s view” by offering firsthand insights from those directly shaping the future of intercollegiate athletics — athletic directors, university presidents, conference commissioners, coaches, academic advisers, media and corporate sponsors. In recent years, the speaker faculty has included the likes of NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Power 5 Conferences Commissioners to K-State President Kirk Shulz and NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern.
“This is a wise investment that Learfield is making to further the company’s partnership with college athletics, as a whole, and specifically to help tell the story of how intercollegiate athletics is contributing to future success for student athletes,” said Brad Traviolia, Deputy Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.
“With our partner Learfield and the editorial and production team we have in place here at the Journal and Daily, I know we will elevate the Forum to an even higher level of thought leadership,” adds Weiss.
Simultaneous with the Forum sponsorship announcement with SportsBusiness Journal/Daily, Learfield introduced a new brand identity, which features a pennant, noting its deep involvement with college athletics. “We are really proud of this new look. It’s fresh, clean and forward looking and we believe it evokes the excitement we all have for college athletics,” notes Brown. SME Branding was hired to lead the design project for Learfield.
The color of the pennant can be matched with a school’s color, making its usage more flexible. Long-time partner of Learfield’s, Joe Castiglione, Athletics Director at the University of Oklahoma said, “This is a fresh new identity and its design works so well with each institutional brand.”
Leadership from the SportsBusiness Journal/Daily has already begun its work with Learfield executives in preparation for the 2016 edition of the Intercollegiate Athletics Forum in New York.
About Learfield
An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors’ Cup. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; licensing and trademark consulting; digital platform expertise; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies. For more about Learfield’s history, businesses and career opportunities, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
About Street & Smith’s Sports Group
Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal is the industry’s leading weekly trade publication, providing breaking news and comprehensive reporting and analysis on sports business. With 80 reporters, editors and guest columnists, SBJ keeps its readers up to date on the latest developments in sports marketing, sponsorships, media, facilities, agents and labor, finance and more. For more information, visit www.sportsbusinessjournal.com.
Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily and SportsBusiness Daily Global are the leading daily trade publications on the business of sports. From Sunday through Friday, the publications summarize industry news reported by more than 600 media outlets in the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, India, Asia, Australia and South America. They also offer relevant original features by their experienced editorial staff. In prioritizing the day’s most important news, the Daily and Global Daily offer readers both the substance and “the spin” of how the news is playing. In addition, they provide timely original features that go beyond the headlines and analyze the latest trends influencing the multi-billion-dollar sports industry. For more information, visit www.sportsbusinessdaily.com.
These publications are part of the Street & Smith’s Sports Group, which consists of Street & Smith’s Conference Group, Resource Guide LIVE and NASCAR Illustrated. Street & Smith’s is a division of American City Business Journals (ACBJ), which comprises weekly business journals across the country, BizJournals.com and Hemmings Motor News. ACBJ is part of the Advance Publications family.