IMG College has renewed its licensing deal with the Univ. of Oregon for at least $57M over the next six years, "and maybe considerably more, depending on how royalties stack up," according to Diane Dietz of the Eugene REGISTER-GUARD. The new deal is at least a 40% "boost from the old contract." For the school, IMG sells sponsorships to "everything from the Autzen Stadium scoreboard, to radio play-by-play broadcasts, to one half of the GoDucks.com website, to game tickets, ticket envelopes and parking passes." In '08, UO signed a contract with IMG that called for payments of about $67M over 10 years -- which "more than doubled the university’s previous contract." But in the past eight years, the school's square footage of advertising space on new sports facilities "soared, and the Ducks' brand kept growing with elite team performances." UO AD Rob Mullens told the school's trustees, "Many of these deals have been done for 10, 12, 15 years, but because of what’s changing in this space we opted for a shorter-term deal." Mullens "demanded the flexibility to not be wedded to a decade or more with IMG." The school "held out for an unusually brief six-year contract -- through June 30, 2022"-- with 60% revenue sharing "after earnings clear particular thresholds, which are set annually." Under the contract with UO, IMG "will manage radio broadcasts, coaches’ shows, publications, corporate partnerships and venue signage." The deal is "so exacting," the school "had to carve out room for existing contracts with Gatorade for sideline drinks and Nike for team apparel" (Eugene REGISTER-GUARD, 6/7).
