With experience as the director of the Final Four, director of the BCS and now director of the College Football Playoff, Bill Hancock has had a front-row seat to the biggest events in college sports.
But Hancock’s eyes have been on more than the games. Instead, he’s seen a fan base that has wanted more to do than cheer on their favorite team.
“The shift was gradual over time, and the culture has shifted to more of an active situation,” Hancock said.
That means adding ancillary events and other attractions that can take the experience to the next level. It’s why the CFP, in making its debut this year, offered the Taste of the Championship and the Championship Tailgate, and why the NCAA Final Four this year featured a three-day concert festival.
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The College Football Playoff’s Championship Tailgate drew inspiration from the successful Taste of the NFL held around the Super Bowl.
Photo by: College Football Playoff |
For executives like Hancock, the pressure is on to find the next element that can offer fans something new and make these grand events even bigger. In addition to providing a better overall experience, the additional elements broaden the market to more people.
Shea Guinn, senior vice president of events for Turner Live Events, said that part of Turner’s strategy in organizing all of the off-the-court events around the Final Four is “to put the Final Four on the calendar for both basketball and non-basketball fans.”
Turner’s planning goes on years in advance of each Final Four. “We’ve already met in Phoenix (2017) and will be going to Minneapolis (2019) fairly soon,” Guinn said.
Some of the events are catered to the individual host markets.
One addition that the Final Four made this year in Indianapolis was placing a large 44,000-square-foot bracket on the side of the JW Marriott downtown. The attraction set the Guinness World Record for largest sports tournament bracket and was updated throughout the tournament.
This year’s concerts were headlined by Rihanna, who performed Saturday night during the first Final Four game.
According to Guinn, this was the first year that the concert was held simultaneously with the games. He said that having it at this time was successful and that they were able to schedule Rihanna’s concert so Turner could televise her live performance between the two games.
Hancock said that while the CFP didn’t have any fans fill out surveys at the inaugural event, they had many people on the ground talking to people and gauging opinions. He said that this feedback helped measure what fans enjoyed and what adjustments are needed.
Sometimes in conceptualizing new elements, imitation is the best form of flattery. The CFP’s Taste of the Championship drew inspiration from the successful Taste of the NFL held each year around the Super Bowl. The CFP’s event featured local chefs and those from the markets of the participating teams.
Similar to annual changes made around the Final Four, the CFP will take new approaches when the event moves to Phoenix next year. Hancock said that most activities will occur in downtown Phoenix, and Playoff Fan Central will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center. In Dallas this year, those were more spread out.
Hancock did say that one aspect of the events appears to stick around no matter where they occur. “We’ve learned that we need these events to be interactive,” he said. “The new activities are all about participation.”
