Univ. Of Oregon Introduces Social Media Center To Connect With Fans

The Univ. of Oregon has “introduced a social media command center, called ‘QuackCave,’ which the UO is billing as the first digital media hub in college athletics,” according to Adam Jude of the Portland OREGONIAN. The goal for the QuackCave is to “increase Oregon's interaction with fans across several popular social media platforms.” It was built in "a seldom-used storage space near Autzen Stadium," and designed by Oregon graduate students Anna Miron and Miranda Lee. The idea was “inspired by a similar command center run by the NHL's New Jersey Devils and other companies.” Using iPads and wireless keyboards, “select UO students will man the QuackCave and connect with Duck fans on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram.” Oregon said that it boasts “nearly 500,000 combined followers on Facebook and Twitter” (OREGONLIVE.com, 8/8).

THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: In San Jose, Jon Wilner reported the Stanford Univ. football team “will have a new playbook for the 2012 season -- a digital playbook.” Every player and coach “has been given a specially-programmed iPad instead of the traditional, paper-filled spiral notebooks that are used to store the offensive and defensive plays.” The athletic department “purchased more than 100 iPads outfitted by PlayerLync, a Denver-based sports technology company that has several NFL clients.” Stanford said that it is “the first college team to make use of the digital playbook” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/6).