College Marketing Notes: Big Sky Conference Unveils New Logo, Brand Campaign

The DESERET NEWS notes the Big Sky Conference yesterday “unveiled its new logo and branding campaign.” The conference for the past year “has been working with SME, Inc., on a rebrand, a process that will continue through 2013-14 when the league celebrates its 50th anniversary, and the 25th anniversary of sponsoring women's sports.” The Big Sky “now includes 11 full members in nine states, plus two football affiliate members.” The new logo features “the color of the sky (two blues and white), the sky element itself as well as a visual progression within the logo from the ocean up to the mountains, then down to the plains.” This marks the “first time the 49-year-old league has undergone a rebranding campaign” (DESERET NEWS, 7/17).

NEW DEAL: New Mexico State Univ. is the latest school to outsource its ticketing sales and marketing. The Aggies have struck a deal with The Aspire Group to handle ticket sales and service beginning this month. A manager and three full-time sales consultants will work out of a fan relationship center on NMSU's campus in Las Cruces. The focus of the fan relationship center will be connecting and communicating with the fans to maximize revenue and attendance frequency, the agency said (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal).

PIZZA PIZZA: Little Caesars Pizza Bowl officials yesterday announced “a new two-year agreement with Little Caesars Pizza to extend the title sponsorship of the bowl through the 2013 bowl game.” The pizza chain has been the bowl's sponsor since ’09 (DETROITNEWS.com, 7/16).