Generating sponsorships takes a community effort

The foundation for many athletic programs is sponsorship.  On any level, sponsorship can make or break a football program.  Most of us hear about the lucrative TV contracts that school receive, and this can make up a huge amount of an athletic department's revenue.  For smaller programs, even in the bigger conferences, there is a desperate need for more money coming in, than going out.  That sounds obviously simple, but when you consider less than half the schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision consistently turn a profit, it can help you grasp how desperate the situation really is across the board.  In previous posts, I have discussed this topic, so I will not explain too deeply here.  Most athletic programs rely on the only sport that turns a profit: college football.  The question is, "what will sponsors look for when they decide to give money".  I will use the city of Macon, GA as an example. 

I was able to attend the mayor's meeting to bring baseball back to Macon.  Odell, the designers for a possible new baseball stadium in Macon, gave a proposal at the mayor's request.  The company talked about revitalization efforts in many of the cities they had worked in, one of which was Oklahoma City.  They talked about how they were able to completely redesign a section of town to create a completely new public space, which supports peripheral traffic whether or not there is a game in town.  People may not attend the games, but their presence can provide a great atmosphere that can help that area grow.  Macon is in the process of eliminating blight throughout the city, which is why the example with Oklahoma City really stood out to me.  It is more that just placing a stadium in a city; you want something that places the city in the stadium.   

With the success of the renewed Mercer football program, this seems like a perfect time to generate sports fans in central Georgia.  In an effort to make the transition back to college football popular and profitable, many ordinances in the city had to change, such as open container laws.  On days that Mercer has a home game, there is a larger window and acceptance for drinking around downtown Macon.  The city also provides transportation between certain sites in downtown Macon and the campus of Mercer, which helps to minimize drink driving, or even drunk walking.  In this instance, the city helped create a buzz around bear football.  It encourages people to spend time in Macon, not just attend the game, especially guests for the visiting teams who may be from as far away as California.  People will talk about their experiences on road trips.  It gives the city a chance to market itself a supporter of sports programs, which is key if you want to restart a baseball franchise. 

Just to clarify this post a little, I am not supporting or objecting to any new sports programs in Macon.  However, I do want to highlight the background information for this simple fact: sponsors look at these types of items before are willing to donate funds.  They do not want to put money in a situation that will fail, or does not have much local government support, let alone public support.  One of the keys to getting money is doing the free work first.