U Sports, the governing body for athletics at 56 Canadian universities, "hopes to pull in tens of millions of dollars" in corporate funding via its partnership with IMG, according to Victoria Gibson of the GLOBE & MAIL. The efforts of Canadian university sports are currently "fragmented -- with individual schools finding their own sponsorships." IMG Canada Senior VP & Managing Dir Sam Galet said, "No university athletics department is getting any sponsor for more than six figures." Gibson notes U Sports President & CEO Graham Brown and Galet "agree that marketing for Canadian university sports has been weak on a national level -- despite efforts from individual athletic departments." Brown recently estimated that "pure corporate sponsorship of Canadian university athletes -- where a company pays for marketing and exposure -- is only bringing in" about (all figures C) $4-5M a year. However, that figure "doesn't include philanthropy, procurement deals or other local sponsorship, which brings the total closer" to $15M. Galet said that financial institutions are the "first target for U Sports because 'it's probably the category that's spending the most money, is most competitive and has the most resources to spend on something like this.'" Galet: "We also know that every financial-services company is looking to talk to millennials." Gibson notes Galet and Brown "aim to have one sponsor signed on by Sept. 1." Eventually, they will "turn their sights to the automotive industry, professional services, technology and telecom as well." Both Galet and Brown also assert they "aren't looking for philanthropy." Brown: "This is about a real marketing campaign, real money, being accountable, putting a proper framework where you're going to be monitored, monetized and you're going to be evaluated on it" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/6).
