Texas A&M in June hired its first Chief Revenue Officer, and the hire "indicates where things in college athletics could be going in the next few years," according to Ben Baby of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Whether it is "finding ways to maximize corporate sponsorships, or finding deeper ways to engage with a rabid fan base, schools are making sure no potential revenue source is overlooked." The "first, large concrete venture" that Texas A&M Senior Associate AD & CRO Pat Coyle will debut for tonight's opener against Northwestern State is a "website called 12thManLive.com." It "allows fans to keep up with stats in real-time, enter contests and get food coupons." Coyle, a former Colts exec, said, "There's a lot going on behind the scenes that we think we're really going to get smarter." Coyle said that the site "costs roughly $50,000 to implement." But he noted the effort has "paid for itself" with the addition of "marquee sponsors such as Ford, Wells Fargo, AT&T and PepsiCo." Learfield Exec VP & CRO Andy Rawlings said that big sponsors are "looking for ways to create more authentic connections with universities." Rawlings: "Gone are the days where a brand is going to be interested in just slapping a name on a building or a stadium" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/30).
FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES: In Houston, Craig Hlavaty noted United Airlines starting this college football season will be "adding more flights to some of the country's major collegiate sports cities, including College Station." In other markets, United is "adding more flights" to Oklahoma City, Omaha, Madison, Wisc., and Columbia, S.C., "near where college football powerhouses reside." United said that they have "added 204,000 seats in all" just for this season (CHRON.com, 8/29).
