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Athletics Public Relations At Notre Dame Sports Information, Media Relations -- and all their variations Pre-Game Thoughts Understand Notre Dame -- as conservative as it gets No signage in football or basketball
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Athletics Public RelationsAt Notre Dame Sports Information, Media Relations -- and all their variations
Pre-Game Thoughts • Understand Notre Dame -- as conservative as it gets • No signage in football or basketball • We’re spoiled (since Rockne) -- ticket sales for football and basketball never an issue -- no issues with exposure in football and basketball • Last NCAA Div. I school to hire full-time promotions professional • MBA student with $10,000 budget • All that changed with success of Olympic sports
The Basics • Lots of names for it -- sports publicity, sports information, media relations, public relations, public affairs, promotions • Old background -- mostly journalism and communications (especially print), writing is key • New background -- business and law • Old school items -- media guide, press releases, schedule cards, statistics • New school items -- und.com, video, e-mail, texting, facsimile (blast fax), annual report • Old and new -- availability, internal communications
The Audiences • Local, regional, national, international • Media (print/electronic) • Fans, alumni, subway alumni • Current parents, athletes • Prospective students and student-athletes
The Basic Challenges • 26 sports, 700 athletes • National schedules, national recruiting • What does it take for Johnny Jones to be an All-American in Sport X? • Promotions -- put people in the seats • Television/broadband -- ESPNU, CSTV, und.com (stream live games) • Old-school challenge to prove there’s more to Notre Dame than football
The New und.com • Typical print-based entity • 13 hours of football programming • It’s our commercial zone • Stream live games, weekly press conferences and features (every student-athlete), post-game press conferences, recruiting, coaches’ shows (audio/video), event/season preview shows, post-practice interviews
Issues for und.com • NBC football rights (games? web?) • BIG EAST (live streaming home non-conference men’s basketball in 2007-08) • CSTV, ESPNU (also BIG EAST) • WHME Olympic events plus coach’s shows in women’s hoops, baseball, soccer • Comcast Local (Detroit-based, no pros) • Post-’01 NCAA women’s hoops = $7,000 per game
More Issues for und.com • Budget -- ad sales (NDSP) • Staffing -- lots of events (Jack Nolan) • Student/FTT options -- production, etc. • Motivation for football vs. 25 other sports • Image of programs • Hard-wired or wireless at site • Conflicts with multiple events
. . . In Times of Crisis • Probation/”Tarnished Dome” • Coaching Changes -- MacLeod, Davie, Willingham, O’Leary • No press conference -- individual interviews with Frs. Beauchamp, Malloy • Credibility at stake • Campus culture -- Residence Life -- education of media
The Strategy • Annual report --- much more corporate climate through Team ND • Monthly Kevin White breakfasts • Brady Quinn -- Heisman campaigns (Tim Brown context) • Relationships with media -- call us before you write something • Strategic availability (Willingham/Weis) • Survey of football media