Boston College Athletics
Athletics Teams Up With Fenway Sports Group
February 15, 2005 | Boston College Athletics
Feb. 15, 2005
Boston College announced it has selected Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to develop a year-round collegiate sports marketing and multi-media partnership program aimed at showcasing the strength and competitiveness of BC Athletics and its upcoming membership into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The partnership will focus on acquiring new marketing agreements, driving merchandise sales, building corporate sponsorships and new regional media partners, while expanding the fan base of Boston College Athletics.
Fenway Sports Group, a broad-based sports marketing company and subsidiary of New England Sports Ventures (owners of the Boston Red Sox and New England Sports Network), will begin aggressively pursuing sponsorship, marketing and media opportunities for Boston College Athletics as it prepares for its official July 1, 2005 entrance into the Atlantic Coast Conference, the country's premier college athletic league.
Under the leadership of Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo, Boston College is preparing its student-athletes to compete at the highest level.
"As we prepare to enter the ACC, we recognize that this is a tremendous opportunity to expand our business and marketing activities around our athletic programs," DeFilippo said. "Participation in the ACC will require us to be much more aggressive in pursuing corporate opportunities. We selected FSG because we feel they are uniquely qualified to help us achieve our goals and reach new heights."
The partnership is the first of its kind for Fenway Sports Group, which was launched just a year ago.
"Our new partnership with Boston College is a significant step forward for FSG's development as we approach our first birthday," said John W. Henry, Principal Owner for FSG's parent New England Sports Ventures. "It is a privilege for us to be selected to lead the school's athletic marketing efforts at such an important and exciting time."
Mike Dee, president of Fenway Sports Group, said that Boston College's great success has created pent-up demand and tremendous potential.
"As BC takes its athletics program to the next level, it is a great opportunity to introduce the ACC to the Boston and New England business communities," said Dee. "Beginning day one, our goal will be to introduce prospective new corporate partners and advertisers to the rich history of BC Athletics and the competitive strength of the ACC. This partnership will present an opportunity to capitalize on league sponsorships, which also will be a primary focus of initial efforts. The chance to secure radio rights for football, basketball, and hockey also is a key element of this relationship - and is a strategic building block to construct a tier-one business plan for the school's athletics program."
Starting with the 2005-06 academic year, BC will share the playing field with eleven other schools including: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. The Atlantic Coast Conference was founded on May 8, 1953, at the Sedgefield Inn near Greensboro, N.C. Boston College accepted an invitation to join the league, as its 12th member, on October 17, 2003.
"BC will boost our East coast presence within the League and make it a truly Atlantic Coast Conference from New England to Florida,'' said John Swofford, Commissioner of the ACC. "And I know FSG will go a long way in making that presence known."
