College Marketing Notes: UT Inks Deal With Local Hospital For First-Aid Relief

In Austin, Ricardo Gandara notes the Univ. of Texas during football games this season will offer "revamped first-aid stations and more medical personnel spread throughout" Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium due to a "lucrative six-year agreement that will make St. David's HealthCare the official health care sponsor and emergency services provider" for the UT athletic program. Longhorn IMG Sports Marketing VP & GM Scott Willingham said of the agreement, "It is a very significant annual investment involving cash and in-kind services." Pursuant to terms of the deal, St. David's is "upgrading seven first-aid stations at Royal-Memorial Stadium and one at Myers Stadium," and will provide "about 120 medical personnel" to work at each UT home football game. In addition, incoming UT athletes "will get free heart screenings" and a registered nurse from St. David's "will work full time" at the school (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 8/24).

TOP OF THE HILL: In Kentucky, Nick Baumgardner reported Western Kentucky Univ. and Russell Athletic last week announced a "four-year contract extension" and unveiled the football team's new uniforms. The contract between WKU and Russell "will run through 2016 and is worth $1.75 million." The new agreement "goes into effect July 1, 2012, and ensures that all 19 WKU athletic teams will wear Russell Athletic-designed apparel." WKU also will "unveil new men's and women's basketball uniforms this season." Under the agreement, Russell receives "category exclusivity for licensed apparel at all university bookstores, as well as sports venue concession stands." The deal includes "stadium and arena signage, public address announcements, in-game video board recognition and commercials during WKU radio and television broadcasts" (BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS, 8/20).

TURTLE POWER: In DC, Tracee Hamilton writes of the Univ. of Maryland's new football uniforms, "Love it!" Hamilton: "A lot of people are anti-gold pants -- but don't worry. There are 32 combinations of uniforms from which to choose. ... They could actually have costume changes at halftime." Under Armour "designed this collection, which will challenge locker room attendants like never before" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/24). Meanwhile, the school is allowing fans to vote on which uniform combination the football team will wear during games, and Washington Post columnist Jason Reid said, “I like that, make it interactive. You know, get the fans involved. … Increase support, increase interest” (“Washington Post Live,” Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, 8/23).

FLAG ON THE PLAY? In Colorado, Brittany Anas reported former Univ. of Colorado football player Art Johnson and his wife opened a new restaurant last week called Ralphie's, which is the name of the school's live buffalo mascot, and a sign "visible from Arapahoe features a generic Buffalo and the restaurant's name ... spelled out in a black-and-gold font similar to that used by the school's athletic department." The school and a CU-themed barber shop in June "resolved a dispute over licensing revenue and the use of Ralphie on the shop's window front." CU Dir of Media Relations Bronson Hilliard "wouldn't go so far as to say that the restaurant is in violation of the school's trademark policies." But he indicated that CU AD Mike Bohn and Dir of Equipment J.T. Galloway "will be swinging by the restaurant to talk about the use of the name Ralphie" (BOULDER DAILY CAMERA, 8/20).