VIKING SPORTS PROPERTIES/LEARFIELD SPORTS

Beginning in 2014-15, Learfield Sports partnered with Cleveland State Athletics to professionally manage all sales, marketing and servicing for Vikings Sports Properties, the external corporate partnership program for CSU Athletics. 

Learfield’s Vikings Sports Properties office is located on the Cleveland State University campus at the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics on the 2nd Floor of the Wolstein Center.

Founded in 1972, Learfield Sports is the national leader in collegiate sports marketing.  Learfield is headquartered in both Plano, TX and Columbia, MO.

Included among the 90 Universities and governing bodies Learfield represents across the United States are the Big Ten Conference, Stanford, Alabama, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Penn State, Missouri, Texas A&M, Clemson, Northwestern, Minnesota, Colorado and Indiana

In Ohio, Learfield represents Xavier, Toledo and Bowling Green in addition to Cleveland State.

Learfield’s six divisions focus primarily on the collegiate sports marketplace and provide constantly expanding services to Universities with over 700 full time employees across the United States:

  1. Learfield Collegiate Sports represents over 90 University Athletic Departments and governing bodies in sales, marketing, and servicing corporate partner relationships including here at Cleveland State; 
  2. Learfield ANC Sports Enterprises is an in-venue signage company that installed the center hung scoreboard at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland among other cutting edge custom signage installations at professional and collegiate venues; 
  3. Learfield Licensing Partners protects University marks and logos in the licensed apparel and licensed merchandise industry; 
  4. Learfield Ticket Solutions assists Universities in marketing season and individual game tickets for Athletic events;
  5. Learfield Sidearm Sports based in Syracuse, NY designs and manages web and digital platforms for Universities to engage alumni and fans and enhance interaction with social media platforms; and
  6. Learfield Levy Food Services, provides specialty upscale concessions and Suite catering at both professional and collegiate Arenas across the United States including the United Center in Chicago.

THE MARKETING POWER OF CLEVELAND STATE ATHLETICS

Cleveland State University is a primary Cleveland economic growth engine.

The Wolstein Center and Cleveland State Athletics are the Front Porch for the University to consistently reach consumers across a broad demographic spectrum to welcome them into the CSU Family.

Cleveland State’s 85 acre campus is the single largest footprint in downtown Cleveland.  The University impacts 6,700 jobs in the city of Cleveland and impressively injects upwards of $679,000,000 million dollars annually into the Cleveland economy.

CLEVELAND STATE IMPRESSIVE DEMOGRAPHICS

  • Annually there are over 400,000 consumers who attend Wolstein Center athletic events, concerts and special events. 
  • In Northeast Ohio alone, 176,000 consumers attended Cleveland State University. 
  • College graduates represent the most affluent, upscale audience in the United States and earn an average income of over $100,000 per year.
  • And finally, there are over 20,000 Cleveland State students, faculty and staff concentrated daily on Cleveland State’s downtown campus.

These are powerful demographic numbers.  The Wolstein Center and Cleveland State Athletics can connect your company with this diverse hard to reach audience who are interconnected by a life time loyalty to and affinity for Viking Athletics. 

And most impressively, a Nielsen-Scarborough poll of college fans reveals that 64% would consider switching brands or buying habits to support a sponsor that invests in their University’s Athletic teams.

VIKING MARKETING PLATFORMS

At Cleveland State, as with Learfield corporate partners at 90 Universities, Learfield is committed to creating long-term positive relationships between CSU and its partners.  Customized partnerships are created to fit the unique goals and objectives of each individual corporate partner. 

The Wolstein Center and Cleveland State provide impressive and diverse marketing platforms to assist corporate partners reach hundreds of thousands of affluent, upscale consumers in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

Learfield can customize a strategic marketing campaign to specifically target a group or groups of consumers a company wishes to engage with including alumni, students, faculty, staff and Viking fans.

The strategic marketing platforms tools include among others;  

  • Direct mail;
  • Email Blasts;
  • Digital Media;
  • Social Media;
  • Game Telecasts;
  • Signage Positioned for Television Visibility;
  • CSU Basketball Home Games Televised by ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, Fox STO, American Sports Network or TWC;
  • External LED Signage on Carnegie Avenue;
  • Wolstein Center Video Board Signage;
  • Consumer Promotions;
  • Consumer Sampling;
  • Tabling;
  • Signage on Athletic Venues;
  • Event Title Sponsorship;
  • Radio Broadcasts;
  • Tickets and Hospitality for Wolstein Center Concerts;
  • Tickets and Hospitality for Wolstein Center Athletic Events;
  • Youth Sports Camps;
  • Wolstein Center Concerts;
  • Wolstein Center Concert Signage;
  • Exclusive Coaching Clinics; and
  • Wolstein Arena Fan Experience;
  • Speaking Engagement by Coaches.

LEARFIELD CONTACT INFORMATION

David McGrew
General Manager
Vikings Sports Properties/Learfield Sports
Cleveland State Athletic Department
Wolstein Center/2nd Floor
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH  44115
216-687-2094 – Office
d.m.mcgrew@csuohio.edu

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PARTNERS

Cleveland State Athletics is proud to partner with the following businesses! All of our partners are committed to supporting CSU Athletics through special rates and discounts. When planning your travel and meal arrangements, please contact any of the businesses below for CSU rates and discounts! If at any time you have questions, please contact the Corporate Sponsorship Department at 216-687-5454.