NEWPORT NEWS, VA. – Collegiate marketer Learfield, named rights partner for the Atlantic 10 Conference last month, announced today that Chuck Gray will serve as general manager for its newly established A-10 Sports Properties team.
Gray joins Learfield and the A-10 from Old Dominion University Athletics in Norfolk, where he served in the same capacity. During his nine-year tenure as general manager for ODU Sports Properties, a division of OUTFRONT Media, Sports, Inc., Gray oversaw all aspects of the entire athletics’ corporate sponsorship program and multimedia rights partnerships. He also managed affiliate agreements and talent related to the ODU radio network and was integral in developing elements supporting the launch of the university’s football program in 2009. Prior to that, he served inside ODU as director of athletic marketing from 2000-2008. Gray earned his undergraduate degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. and his master’s degree from ODU.
“We are excited about the experience and success that Chuck Gray brings to this position, and to Learfield’s commitment to the Atlantic 10 Conference. Chuck is highly respected and has amassed an impressive sales record that will only enhance Learfield’s ability to upsell the A-10’s assets to prospective sponsors,” states A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.
Learfield holds exclusive multimedia rights to the men’s and women’s basketball championship and all 19 Atlantic 10 Olympic sport Championship events, including all naming rights, sponsor signage, radio and publishing rights. Gray will drive all areas of business related to the Atlantic 10-Learfield partnership from the league office in Newport News, and A-10 Sports Properties will facilitate a partnership that encompasses the league’s wide media footprint. Atlantic 10 institutions reside in markets that comprise 18.8 million television viewers, 16.5 percent of the total national market. There are eight A-10 schools in the top 25 media markets in the country.
“Chuck possessed all of the attributes we were looking for in a GM to lead our brand-new property at the A-10. We feel confident he’ll do an exceptional job working with Bernadette and the entire league administration in moving our new partnership forward,” said Learfield Vice President Daryl Jasper.
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 and consists of 14 diverse members across eight states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 21 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph’s University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.
An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide, including active agreements with eight Atlantic 10 institutions. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for nearly 130 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; branding, licensing and trademark consulting; digital and social platform expertise; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies.