Subway's Washington- and Baltimore-area franchise groups have added an endorsement agreement with University of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams to their overall sponsorship package with Maryland athletics.
"When I sat down with Terrapin Sports Marketing to build upon the existing sponsorship, it became evident that there was a great opportunity with coach Williams," said Barbara Glaub-Urban, vice president of regional services for MarketSmart Advertising, 
one of Subway's largest ad agencies. "He's a former player, an alum [of Maryland], a coach of a national championship team and just a tremendous figure in the marketplace."
As part of its relationship with Williams, Subway will have presenting  |
| Subway will ride Gary Williams’ popularity. |
sponsorship of his postgame interviews, which will include a Subway-logoed media backdrop and one 30-second television commercial per interview. The sandwich chain also will have rights to use Williams and his likeness in promotional radio, print, television and Internet efforts.
The Williams endorsement complements Subway's existing sponsor inventory with the department, which includes signs in Byrd Stadium and the Comcast Center, sponsorship of premium item giveaways for select basketball games, inventory on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network's broadcasts of football and basketball games, and hospitality. Subway completed its first year as a Terps sponsor this past school year.
Glaub-Urban would not say how much the Subway franchisees are paying for the sponsorship. Officials from Terrapin Sports Marketing, a division of Viacom Outdoor Sports Marketing, which holds multimedia marketing rights to Maryland athletics, also declined comment but said agreements similar to Subway's sell for a high-five-figure to low-six-figure price.
Terrapin Sports Marketing worked with Williams' agent, Ron Shapiro of Shapiro, Robinson & Associates, to complete the agreement. Williams' compensation from the agreement was not revealed.
Maryland's new Subway agreement is a one-year deal beginning next school year. Glaub-Urban said Subway is exploring the option of adding Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen to the agreement in future years.
CSU TO HIRE AGENCY: Colorado State, even with the departure of Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway to a similar post at UConn, has decided to move ahead with plans to hire an outside marketing agency for its athletic department.
The school, which sent out a request for proposals from agencies early this year, approved plans last Monday to move forward in discussions with Nelligan Sports Marketing for a six-year agreement beginning with the 2003-04 school year, said Gary Ozzello, assistant athletic director for media relations at CSU.
Colorado State has generated almost $1 million a year from marketing revenue, Ozzello said.
"This is a program that has a lot of the same raw potential as other properties we represent," said Nelligan President Tim Hofferth.
Hofferth said one of Nelligan's first objectives at Colorado State will be to establish a flagship radio agreement in Denver, where the school has more than 70,000 alumni. Colorado State has a flagship agreement, which includes football and men's and women's basketball, in Fort Collins, where the school is located, but only football games air in Denver.
The university's search committee for a new AD was scheduled to have its first meeting last Tuesday. Chuck Neinas, of Neinas Sports Services, has been hired as a consultant in the process.
NEW JOB FOR GRIFFIN: Two-time Heisman Trophy winner and longtime Ohio State athletic department staffer Archie Griffin will leave his post as associate athletic director on Jan. 1 to become president of the Ohio State University Alumni Association.
Jennifer Lee can be reached at jlee@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
