SJU wins BIG on Saturday 1/26/13

Midway through the basketball season, on Saturday, January 26, 2013, Hagan Arena hosted a double-header: women’s and men’s basketball games at 3 and 6 pm respectively. Both Hawk teams won BIG: ladies beat St. Bonaventure 61-44 and men beat Xavier 59-49. When SJU basketball teams win, everyone wins, including Hawks sponsors and organizations featured at each game. Marketing behind the scenes of college basketball is huge, starting with “Hagan” arena, and finishing with particular game day promotions.  

The women’s basketball game hosted Autism Awareness and the featured organization was SJU Kinney Center for autism education and support. In the main lobby, their featured table had brochures and showcased great raffle options. For a small donation, a tote bag, hand sanitizer and bracelet were given as well as a chance to participate in a raffle.

The sold out men’s game was dedicated to Hawks for Margo. This organization was founded after Margo Mallory Ambler, the sister of Hawks’ student-athlete Taylor Mallory, died due to the cervical cancer and is aimed to continue to find a cure for this disease. Their table featured shoe laces and T-Shirts given away for any contribution. Needless to say that the student section 54th Airborne promoted this cause the best: everyone wore one of these T-shirts!

Both organizations have websites, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, so that the marketing connection is not lost and stays with attendants of the game along with game day memories, tote-bags and T-shirts. More sports marketing? Look at the banners in the gym and promotional messages on the electronic score boards, and walk around the tables in the lobby at the next game!