MAAC: Behind the Logo

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The MAAC, the Mouse, & ESPN3: Hosting MAAC Fall Championships at Walt Disney World

By: Kyle Sturley, Director of Championships and Special Events

By the time this is posted, the 2011 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports will have concluded in sunny Orlando, Florida and I’ll be back home in New Jersey. I had planned on posting this blog earlier, but of the 7 days our MAAC staff spent in Orlando, I had about 2 hours of free time… and 1.5 of those hours was right after we got off the plane. It also would have been pretty cool to keep up a live, running blog during the event, but such is life in sports operations, and that’s what we have Twitter for (Hint hint: @MAACSports). The hours are certainly the one thing you can count on when you work in sports: not what the hours will be, of course, but that you will be working a large number of them! That being said, I have been looking forward to this event since my first day with the MAAC back in mid-July.

The process of planning any athletic event is already quite detailed, but when you add a thousand miles of travel, a global icon like Disney, and live ESPN broadcasts to the mix, it becomes even more complex. Airfare for more than 250 student-athletes and nearly 800 hotel room nights are just the beginning: there are practice schedules, game balls, timing sheets, school banners, awards, photography, announcer scripts, and so many more things have to be created, organized and shipped. Putting that all aside, when you consider that the MAAC has been bringing teams to compete at Disney since 1998, you’ll start to realize how much we believe in the experience it gives to our student-athletes.

If you’re never had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World, it really should be on your bucket list. I am admittedly biased in that I grew up with family in Orlando and visited annually, and also recently completed a yearlong internship with Disney Sports before moving to the MAAC. While Walt Disney World is known primarily for its family entertainment based around 4 theme parks, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex has gained notoriety as one of the best multi-sport facilities in the US, if not the world. The complex is over 220 acres, and currently home to 24 fields (with 4 more to open later this year), a baseball stadium, track & field complex, and 2 large indoor multi-sport facilities. In short, it gives us the flexibility to rotate all of our fall sports to the facility, maximizing the number of MAAC student-athletes that get to experience a 10-team championship in the most magical place on earth. The MAAC prides itself in having a tradition of excellence in both academics and athletics, and the 4-year rotation amongst women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s soccer and cross country is even more incentive for these student-athletes to work hard both in and out of the classroom. The promise of competing at Disney is the reward to years of effort, and the Disney championships are also great for coaches to reference when recruiting- the MAAC tries to provide an experience that no other conference does.

Another positive aspect of holding our MAAC championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports is the recent addition of the ESPN Production Center, which opened in 2010. A small, unassuming building hidden next to a loading dock, this broadcast hub is staffed by skilled ESPN personnel and negates the need for a travelling TV truck & production crew. It also allows the same high quality broadcasts to be produced for a fraction of the cost of traditional TV, making it possible for the MAAC to broadcast more games than ever before. Coaches and student-athletes have the opportunity to showcase their team, and even give live interviews during breaks in the competition. This year, a total of 5 men’s soccer games were broadcast live on ESPN3, giving tremendous national exposure to our conference and all ten full member institutions.

I hope this has provided a little insight into why a conference based entirely in the Northeast is willing to travel so far to host championships in Orlando, Florida. At the end of the day, it all comes back to the experience for the student athlete, and we’re confident that our partnership with Disney allows us to provide one of the best experiences in college sports!

Life of a Fellow

by: James Ketterer, Administrative Fellow/Championships

Welcome back to MAAC: Behind the Logo. My name is James Ketterer, and I am the Administrative Fellow for Championships. I started working with the MAAC in the beginning of August; so far it has been great. I found out that as part of my job I will be attending almost every championship event. How awesome is it to get paid to watch Division I sports or just sports in general?

As part of my job, I have been on two site visits. One was to Saint Peter’s, and one was to Lake Mercer; each was very different. Saint Peter’s is hosting the MAAC Volleyball Championship. This is the first time Saint Peter’s has hosted a conference championship event in a long time. I think Saint Peter’s is more excited about hosting than any one I have ever seen, but then again I have only been here since August.

While on the site visit to Saint Peter’s, we encountered a couple challenges. At past MAAC volleyball championships, the host has had an auxiliary gym for teams to have their warm-up serve and pass, but Saint Peter’s does not have an auxiliary gym. MAAC staff and Saint Peter’s staff went through several options to find a solution; we talked about closing one side of the gym, but, but feared that this would make the gym look unattractive with a giant curtain covering one side. Also that curtain would be the only thing separating the championship court from the student-athletes practicing. Another option we discussed was to rent a volleyball court floor. Saint Peter’s has a bubble on the roof of the Yanitelli Center that is used for tennis, and a portable floor could be placed on top of the tennis courts. The teams would be able to use the portable court as a warm-up space. The third option was to have the teams travel to an off-site location for their warm-ups and serve and pass. With this option, there is always the possibility of an unforeseen delay due to travel time or traffic. With all these possible solutions floating around, the MAAC staff along with help from the volleyball committee will have to come up with a definitive answer prior to the next site visit to Saint Peter’s.

Site visits are also a great way for an intern to network with athletic administrators around the league. Lake Mercer is the site not only for a MAAC Championship, but also a NCAA Championship. Schools from all over the country will be taking part in this event. As part of this site visit, I drove to Philadelphia to meet Larry Hiser, the Director of Athletics at Marietta College in Ohio. Mr. Hiser is a member of the NCAA Rowing Committee. Picking Mr. Hiser up from the airport was a great way to meet a new contact, and to also learn about Marietta College in Ohio and the work Mr. Hiser does for the athletics program. This trip to the airport was a great way to network myself and learn about a sports program outside of the schools in the MAAC.

The next day was the Lake Mercer official site visit. Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was that the water was extremely high, covering things it probably shouldn’t. Most of the area where people would normally walk, all the seats, and even part of the gazebo were flooded. While sitting in on a meeting with fellow MAAC staff, the NCAA Rowing Committee, and some NCAA staff, we ran into a couple challenges, none of which were serious enough that they couldn’t be solved. For example, one concern was how and where to place the cameras so the wireless relay could cover the race course from start to finish. At this time we decided to take a look at the layout of the race course and where potential cameras could go. After taking a ride out onto the lake we came to a conclusion that it would be best to install floating docks for several cameras, with one moving boat camera to capture all the action of the championship. Working through these obstacles was an easy task when everyone in the room was focused on one thing-running the best possible NCAA Rowing Championship. I think Lake Mercer is the perfect place for the MAAC and the NCAA to work together for a Championship. If you would like a firsthand experience at what the NCAA rowing championship is like, click here.

I am looking forward to working these championships and all of the upcoming MAAC events. My first championship will be the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country Championships at Van Cortlandt Park, immediately followed by a trip to the MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. I can’t wait for all the excitement of championship season to start and all the things that come with it.

Compliance: The Watchdog of College Athletics

by: Samantha Hegmann, Administrative Fellow for Compliance

Perhaps one of the most difficult and misunderstood positions in college athletics is that of the compliance coordinator. Essentially the traffic cop of an athletic department, the compliance coordinator is responsible for determining the initial and continuing eligibility of student-athletes, overseeing all recruiting operations, investigating alleged rules violations, monitoring student-athletes amateur status, and educating coaches and players on the NCAA and conference rules. The compliance coordinator is the person in the athletic department who most often utters the words “no” and “not permissible”.

There are many ways that a compliance coordinator can help student-athletes. One way of helping is to support the student-athlete by submitting waivers on his/her behalf. These waivers can be for reasons of medical hardship due to illness or injury or academic difficulties. By collecting and processing the necessary paperwork, the compliance coordinator can help student-athletes maintain progress academically as well as athletically.

The compliance coordinator is the watchdog who ensures that a student-athlete’s name or image is not used for commercial exploitation. The NCAA bylaws prohibit athletes from having their image, or likeness, used in any form of advertising or promotions. Failure to comply with such bylaws will not only place the institution in violation, but could also result in a student-athlete losing amateur status. It is the responsibility of the compliance coordinator to help monitor and track all promotional and charitable activities athletes engage in. The smallest thing could render them ineligible and make them lose their student-athlete status.

While it seems compliance coordinators mostly deal with the student-athletes, they are also responsible for assessing the recruiting activities of the coaches. Coordinators work with coaches to help regulate the recruiting of prospective student-athletes. They track phone calls, official and unofficial visits, text messaging, contacts and evaluations, camps and clinics, offers and inducements, and transfer eligibility. There are specific timelines coaches have to follow when contacting prospects. Compliance coordinators have to make sure that coaches are following the NCAA bylaws and recruiting calendars.

Compliance coordinators help student-athletes by monitoring and enforcing practice time limits during a playing season. Participating on a college sports team is a full time job for student-athletes. In addition to practice times, there are film reviews and strength and conditioning sessions that the student-athletes have to attend. Enforcing the NCAA’s daily and weekly limits on the number of practice hours gives student-athletes ample time to complete their academic responsibilities.

In terms of continuing eligibility, the compliance coordinators must ensure that student-athletes are meeting their academic requirements as outlined by the NCAA. Each semester, compliance coordinators monitor a student-athlete’s credit hours requirements, making sure he or she is eligible to compete the following semester. Student-athletes are required to enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester and pass a minimum of 6 credits per semester. Compliance coordinators also monitor grade point average and percent of degree completion requirements. If student-athletes do not meet the prescribed guidelines, they will become ineligible and unable to compete in the next academic year.

While it is the student-athletes and coaches that perform on the field, part of their success can be attributed to compliance coordinators. Through their collaborative effort with student-athletes and coaches, compliance coordinators help keep student-athletes successful on the playing fields as well as in the classroom.

The Next Generation of Ticket Sales

by: Hamilton Cook, Director of New Media/Marketing & Ticket Sales

When you think of a box office, what is the first thought that comes to mind? You probably think of a small rectangular booth, with a big machine that produces tickets as they are purchased, and one tiny window so there can be an exchange of money for credential. But what if I told you that times have changed, and with the new technologies we have in our everyday lives, that a box office can be as manageable as a laptop, internet connection, and a USB scanner. Even your smartphone and tablet can be used as ticket scanners. Yes, this is the next generation of ticket sales.

The MAAC has taken this next step into ticket sales technology and now uses an online platform for sales. The MAAC has partnered with TicketLeap.com to be the ticket provider for the Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, the Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, the Volleyball Championship, the Water Polo Championship, Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse, the Softball Championship, and Baseball Championship from the 2009-10 through 2012-13 seasons. TicketLeap.com is designed to make creating events and selling tickets easier. They give the MAAC assistance and opportunities that have never been available in previous years for ticket sales during championships.

One asset that the next generation of ticket sales delivers is the box office and operations set-ups are much more manageable. The box office equipment required are a laptop, internet connection, a USB barcode scanner (for advance tickets purchased), and a USB credit card swipe (for on-site sales). This box office can be easily packed/unpacked and taken to multiple locations for sales and check-in. This creates box office location advantages since it can be set up in almost any location as long as there is power and an internet connection. As stated earlier, even smartphones and tablets can be used as barcode scanners.

The next generation of ticket sales offers reconciliation assistance. When using the online platform, any tickets purchased in advance online or on-site with a credit card, will be tracked and reconciled through the ticket system. This is a great assistance when it comes time to turn in the sales report because all online transactions are in one unified system. This also reduces the amount of cash that has to be handled. The platform breaks down sales by date and ticket type. It then shows all transactions, total revenue, any fees, and total profit made by the MAAC. With this reconciliation assistance, less people are needed to run a box office and reconciliation is more accurately accounted for.

The most important leverage of the next generation of ticket sales is marketing. The platform offers a variety of marketing and promotion tools online. Through the marketing, the event can be published to Facebook and other social media sites just from the click of a button. Events being published to social media outlets have the capability to reach out to a larger audience which can help drive tickets sales. Also offered are event buttons, which are words or phrases related to the event used in search engines that associate your events with a specific word (examples; sports, championships, soccer, etc). Anytime TicketLeap.com is visited, if a buyer searches any words used in your organizations event buttons, they will receive a list of your upcoming events with the word as well as any other events that use the word. The platform offers email marketing (e-blast), which can be sent to previous buyers. The e-blast can be used to notify buyers of upcoming events or to notify buyers of changes to events that they may have purchased tickets for already. A traffic source tool is available for analytics. This tool tracks all traffic of websites associated with your organization as well as search engine traffic (Google, Yahoo, etc). With the traffic source, your organization can monitor and view the number of views, number of visitors, number of orders, tickets purchased, and revenue made from each website. This tool is a great way to know exactly where your organizations buyers are searching to find your events. TicketLeap.com also allows your organization to set up a Google Analytics Tracking Account through them which is a more detailed traffic source.

With all the new technologies in our lives continuing to change, athletic organizations must grow with them. The next generation of ticket sales offers an exciting new phase in marketing operations and event management development.

To purchase tickets for MAAC sporting events, click here.

Marketing with the MAAC

by: Whitney Swab, Director of New Media/Broadcasting

The MAAC Basketball Championships head to a neutral site at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the next three years. The MAAC and the MassMutual Center developed a plan for marketing the championships to fans and alumni. This is just one part of the plan.

In today’s era everyone has their cell phone with them. It is like another appendage and I’m sure a vital one, as many people can’t stand a moment of being out of the loop. Phones today give you access to anything. If you don’t know the definition of austerity*, all you have to do is log onto the internet on your phone – or I’m sure there’s an app for that! Want to know what that square that looks like a confused checkerboard is? Well, read on.

Have you noticed that these weird boxes are popping up everywhere and you just can’t help but wonder what they do and where they will lead you? Well, so has the MAAC and the MassMutual Center, and this element was added to the tournament marketing plan. These code looking squares are quick-response codes, or QR codes. Now, don’t think that you can hold your phone up to the QR code and it will scan it – you will need to download a QR code reader first. Once you do this, you can scan any code with your smartphone and be directed to the website that it is linked to.

QR codes will be showing up on MAAC campuses in October, right before tournament all-session tickets go on sale to the general public on October 25. All ten MAAC schools will be given t-shirts to distribute to a marketing team. These teams are composed of on-campus students selected by the school to market the MAAC Basketball Championships. The t-shirts will have a school specific design on the front and the back of the shirt will have a QR code. Each school will have its own QR code on the back of its shirts, along with a unique site with information about the tournament as the destination for when the code is scanned. This gives you ten possible QR codes to look out for across the MAAC, with ten different sites of varying information! I hope this has piqued your interest so that you wonder where the QR code leads to on the back of a student’s t-shirt at Niagara or at Saint Peter’s. I won’t tell you where they will take you – that would spoil the fun – but I will give you a hint… the site is the leader in online videos.

The students that pick up the most scans from the QR code on their shirts will win a MAAC Championships prize pack. Having a prize, and the opportunity for the students to win bragging rights at their school will hopefully prompt them to wear the shirt a lot – though we hope they wash their QR code t-shirt a couple of times along the way (in no way does the MAAC promote bad hygiene).

This is one of the many marketing elements for the championships. Each school has a number of other elements they are executing on their campuses, including promotions at their regular season game with prizes for the winners, advertisements on their broadcasts both on TV and radio, and a web ad that links to the MAAC-achusetts website, the number one destination for all information about the MAAC Basketball Championships. No, the QR codes won’t take you here either – I guess I gave you two clues. When you scan your QR code, let us know what you think about the sites!

*Austerity was the most looked up definition in 2010 according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

The Crossover: From High Tops to High Heels

by: Tania Kennedy, Assistant Director of Championships

                Basketball was my life. It came so naturally to me. I got my first taste of basketball when I was in middle school; I was shorter than everyone else, skinnier then everyone else, and had the most awkward shot. But I didn’t care because I loved being on the court. As I began to take basketball more seriously, I started working out with my Uncle Stanley (we called him Uncle Run because he looked like Run from Run DMC) on a daily basis.
                Uncle Run was the first person who took my interest in basketball seriously. He showed me different drills and techniques, and helped me understand the value of hard work and dedication. We played one-on-one after every session, but he never let me win. That’s where I get my competitive edge from. As the summer before my 9^th grade school year began to wind down, I felt that my uncle prepared me for the next step of my basketball career: high school.
                Two days into my freshman year, I received a phone call that would change my life forever. My uncle had passed away unexpectedly from a massive heart attack while playing basketball. How could he be gone? The one person who believed in me was taken away so suddenly. I was devastated and didn’t want to play basketball anymore. I didn’t touch a ball for several weeks. But one day I thought about what my uncle would say if he was here. What would he want me to do? Would he want me to give up on my dreams and aspirations? From that point I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, and use the tools that my uncle instilled in me to be a dominant force on the court. I made the varsity team that season and never looked back.
            If you had asked me five years ago what my future goals were, I would have said to play professional basketball, most likely in Europe. My dreams were to become an international basketball sensation and a WNBA all-star. Unfortunately these dreams did not come true, but I had a pretty decent college career. I scored over 1000 points for Saint Peter’s College, was a three time All-MAAC performer, and was voted the 2008 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. My time at Saint Peter’s was the best four years of my life.
                All too quickly, it was over. It was time for me to graduate. As soon as I walked across the stage to get my diploma, my mind was cluttered with thoughts pertaining to my future. My goal for as long as I could remember was to play professional basketball overseas, but when the time came for me to get an agent I couldn’t imagine living so far away from my family.
                I knew I wanted to stay close to sports so I considered coaching at Saint Peter’s or working for an athletic department at a college. Just when the pressures of deciding what direction to go in life reached their peak, I learned that there was an open position at the MAAC. I had completed an internship with the MAAC during the summer prior to my senior year that sparked my interest in the administrative side of college athletics. When I heard about the position, I jumped at the opportunity and began full-time work as the Assistant Director for Championships.
                I’ve been working at the MAAC for the last two years and it has really opened my eyes to what college sports are all about. I thought I understood the ins and outs of college athletics, but I realized my experience as a student-athlete was only part of it. I played basketball at places like Texas A&M and University of South Florida, I watched every bowl game, and followed the NCAA Track and Field Championships. But working in collegiate athletics is completely different than being a student-athlete.
                As a student-athlete, it was all about preparing for and playing the actual game. In an administrative role, it is about all the components that make it possible for the game to be played (officials, hotel arrangements, ticket sales, etc.) I remember arriving at my first MAAC Basketball Championship with Saint Peter’s; my focus that particular day was on winning the game so that my team wouldn’t be eliminated in the first round of the tournament. As my team walked into the locker room, there were championship shirts neatly folded for us, ice cold waters and Gatorades in the coolers, and game programs available to take home. I wasn’t concerned about the people who made sure the championship shirts were properly counted, or filled the coolers in between games. I never thought about the long hours and months of planning that went on behind the scenes to ensure an excellent experience for me as a student-athlete. But now that’s my job.
                As an administrator, my focus is on the details behind the scenes so that the student-athletes can focus solely on playing. I did not know how critical every detail is for an administrator. With every championship, a great deal of planning and preparation takes place before hand. That’s one of the things I had to learn quickly. I was used to doing things at the last minute but that is impossible in this role. I want the student-athletes’ experience to be memorable like it was for me.
                Not everyone can say they love what they do, but I can. I love working with sports, and teams, and athletic administrators on a daily basis. Some might consider it a “9-5” job, but we are constantly traveling to games or site visits. The MAAC staff has been going up to meetings in Springfield, Massachusetts with the MassMutual Center and Basketball Hall of Fame staff to start planning for the 2012 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. I’ve worked with different people from the NCAA and IMG when I helped direct the FanFest at the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. I also attended the men’s basketball Final Four last spring.
                Being a student-athlete in the MAAC and now working as an administrator for the MAAC helps me appreciate my experience as a student even more. I feel like I’ve come a long way from the beginning of the journey and it is far from over. I know my uncle would be proud of me if he was here today.

Welcome! Hallo! ¡Hola! Bonjour! 您好! こんにちは!

Welcome one and welcome all to the greatest blog you’ll ever read about the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. I know, I know, this may be a lot for you to process initially, but we think you can handle it.

Within the confines of the svelte-looking tapestry that overlays our blogosphere, we will be giving you a backstage pass into our world. This behind-the-scenes foray will delve into the minds of the people running the MAAC. We are constantly confronted with queries into our roles pertaining to college athletics. What are some of those questions you say? Well, we’re glad you asked…

Frequently asked questions:

Q: Is this another fansite about Mac’ and Cheese!? I really love Mac’ and Cheese…

A: Sorry to disappoint! We’re big fans of the dish ourselves too, but the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is actually a Division-I college sports organization. But we could certainly satiate any sporting appetite with a myriad of some of the most competitive college programs out there.

Q: Eh, I guess that’s cool too. What are some of the sports you guys oversee? How many schools are part of the MAAC and cheese?

A: We sponsor 24 sports between both men’s and women’s athletics. With sports ranging from basketball, baseball, soccer, and even water polo, we definitely have a sport for you. Ten member institutions represent the MAAC: Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Loyola (Md.), Manhattan, Marist, Niagara, Rider, Saint Peter’s, and Siena.

We also have associate members that partake in select sports at the MAAC. They are the University of Albany, Boston University, the University of Detroit Mercy, Drake University, the University of Hartford, Jacksonville University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, St. Francis College, and Villanova University.

Q: Hmmm…It sounds like you just get to watch sports all day. Do they at least give you mac’ and cheese while you’re spectating?

A: In most cases that’s the last thing we’re doing during MAAC sporting events. Being a college sports administrator is very involved and requires an extraordinary amount of time and effort. Our job is to ensure that not only you, the spectator, enjoy yourself, but that the student-athletes, coaches, and schools/institutions that participate have a positive experience as well.

MAAC-affiliated events will also sometimes require months, even years of preparation. We are constantly in the background ensuring that the event you see is of the highest caliber and quality. And please, enough with the food references already, you’re making us hungry now…

Q: Alright, fine. Well then, who would win a wrestling match, the MAAC or a bear?

A: How does that pertain to sports or the MAAC?

Q: Bear wrestling is a rapidly growing sport, show some respect.

A: Well if you put it that way, we would win….every time.

Q: Doubtful. Anyways, the Muppet Show or Sesame Street?

A: Ugh. The Muppet Show, without question. Anything else?

Q: Good answer. I’m still very hungry. You guys are the coolest bear wrestling, Muppet loving, comfort food inspired sports organization ever.

A: We know.

…We hope this has helped.

The life of a Sports Administrator is one of constant change and turmoil, as we are always faced with new challenges to overcome due to the field we work in. This blog is designed to give you a look into our work. Firsthand accounts into the dedication, planning, and commitment required to run a successful, entertaining, and forward-thinking sports conference. And of course, the fun we have doing it.

Stay tuned…

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MAAC: Behind the Logo

Life of a Fellow

Compliance: The Watchdog of College Athletics

The Next Generation of Ticket Sales

Marketing with the MAAC

The Crossover: From High Tops to High Heels

Welcome! Hallo! ¡Hola! Bonjour! 您好! こんにちは!

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