MAAC: Behind the Logo

On the Road Again

by: Tania Kennedy, Assistant Director of Championships

There’s nothing more exciting then March Madness and it all starts on the ROAD to MAAC-A-CHUSSETS. In order for fans to become engaged during the season, much groundwork must be developed by the arenas and NCAA D-I conferences that host the championships. As a part of the efforts to create fan awareness, I have been traveling with a marketing team to different MAAC Basketball games to promote the 2012 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in Springfield, Massachusetts. This year’s championship will be at a neutral site for the first time since 1989, which has brought a lot of excitement and anticipation from MAAC fans, coaches, and players alike. With the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (which now includes a permanent MAAC Experience exhibit) less than a mile away from the MassMutual Center, the 2012 MAAC Basketball championships is sure to be an awesome time for everyone.

As noted above, to sell the MAAC Championships, a marketing team has been developed, whose aim is to visit as many MAAC campuses as possible to make fans aware of the new site. The marketing team consists of me, Nate Harris, the Marketing Manager at the MassMutual Center, Samantha Hegmann, the MAAC Compliance Fellow, and Jimmy Ketterer, the MAAC Championships Fellow. The team has refined its approach during the course of many campus visits so far this season. This past weekend’s marketing visit landed us in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday for a Rider vs. Loyola showdown on the men’s side, and a doubleheader in Riverdale, New York on Saturday with Manhattan’s women facing off against Marist as well as a men’s game between Manhattan and Iona, who were then tied for first in the league along with Loyola.

Some of the items that we distributed at Loyola were flyers and brochures that had information about the championship, a map of downtown Springfield, blue wrist bands with the clever text that reads MAAC –A -CHUSETTS, a point of interest booklet, buttons, and an opportunity for fans to win an iPad2 in a raffle.

Interest is high at Loyola because the men’s team is tied for first place in the MAAC. Because of this, there was not one empty seat at the Reitz Arena last Friday, which worked perfectly for us. It was easy to distribute the marketing collateral to fans. We talked to supporters about everything from hotels in Springfield, to single tickets now being on sale at www.ticketmaster.com, to the closeness of the Basketball Hall of Fame to the arena. By the way, the race for first continues this Friday which when Iona visits Loyola at 7pm on ESPNU.

Since the 2012 championship is the same dates as Loyola’s spring break, Nate, from the MassMutual Center, thought that would be a great promotional angle to suggest to students a trip to the MAAC Championships. I wish I could take credit for this idea since “What better way to spend spring break, then by taking a road trip to Springfield, Massachusetts?” and “Take a road trip to Springfield, Massachusetts and come support your team (who is tied for 1^st) in the MAAC Championships” are such great taglines. This worked well for us. A lot of the undergraduates took the brochures and seemed likely to make the trip to Springfield to cheer on their team. There were even several Rider fans in attendance that we were able to also provide information to about the tournament.

Like at Loyola, the interest levels at Manhattan for the MAAC Championships are high as well. Before the women’s game, the marketing team put rally towels in the student section, and rolled up t-shirts for cheerleaders to throw during their t-shirt toss promotion. Our promotions table was set up right next to the entrance. They set the table up with the same items that we had in Loyola. As soon as fans began walking in, we bombarded them with information about the championship. A majority of the fans assumed that Springfield was 4/5 hours away from Manhattan. I was shocked at how many people didn’t know that Springfield was actually closer than Albany but I’m glad we were able to give them the proper information. (Note to self: Need to develop PR campaign on the closeness of the Springfield to most MAAC cities.)

The Marist fans that traveled to the game, didn’t take the flyers that we had, because they already received the information a few weeks ago when we were at Marist promoting. Some of them used the information we provided to book their hotels and purchase tickets. It was the same reaction with Iona fans, since we promoted at Iona about three weeks ago. However, something new we added to this trip was a video blog. I talked to a few fans about who they thought was going to win the men’s or women’s championship. It was fun to see how many people were enthusiastic about their teams. There were two friends that I recorded (one was an Iona fan and the other was a Manhattan fan) and it was hilarious how they went back and forth about who they thought was going to win the championships. I’ve posted a few videos below.

I honestly think traveling to as many campuses as possible to talk to the fans and students about the championship will draw more attendance to the tournament. Overall the feedback from administrators about the marketing campaign has been positive, and I look forward to ending the MAAC Basketball marketing campaign with a strong finish.

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MAAC On the Road: Ceder Falls, Iowa

by: Tania Kennedy, Assistant Director of Championships

One of the benefits of working for a Division I conference is that we get to travel to different games, events, and championship series. Teams that win the MAAC championship automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament and the MAAC generally sends one conference representative to support the team in its quest for a NCAA championship. In November, I was given the opportunity to travel with the Niagara Purple Eagles Volleyball team, the 2011 MAAC Volleyball Champions.

After Niagara won its third straight MAAC title, I waited anxiously, watching the selection show wondering where their site selection would take me. Last year I had the opportunity to go to Penn State to support MAAC volleyball. It was a great experience, but this time around I was looking for something on the warmer side. I was hoping I would get a call saying Niagara women’s volleyball team would be taking its talents to South Beach like Lebron did. That call never came and I was told to bundle up and head to the Midwest.

It was nice being out with Niagara’s volleyball team, who was taking on the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls for the first round of the NCAA tournament. It is not often that MAAC administrators have the opportunity to connect with the teams in our conference during MAAC championships because our event duties keep us focused. With NCAA travel, this changes, and Niagara was very welcoming and humorous to travel with.

When I got to Iowa, I met the team at the hotel and we drove over to the Olive Garden to have team dinner. As soon as we sat down I told the girls that I would be posting a picture of the team on Twitter. I thought there was going to be some resistance from the girls but they quickly posed for the camera. Coach Susan Clements, on the other hand, was hiding behind her menu.

As the trip progressed, I found the team to be a lot of fun. They were making jokes because I rented the smallest car known to man for the weekend. They even put on a full-fledged concert on the bus heading to practice. Seriously, I thought I was at Madison Square Garden for an Adele concert.

The funniest part was when the team started incorporating their bus driver, Rick, into every song. It was hilarious, and he was loving every minute of it. I can honestly say it’s special to be a part of a conference with teams that allow you to instantly feel like a member of their squad.

On game day, the team had a serve and pass at UNI’s gym in the early afternoon. UNI has an amazing facility. The girls began practicing and spiking the balls. I thought about helping the team shag balls, but then I had a traumatizing flashback from last year’s MAAC championship. When I was shagging balls last year, I got nailed by what felt like a rocket-propelled volleyball in the face. Reliving that moment in my head caused me to change my mind. Anyway, the athletes seemed loose and prepared to take on UNI.

The Purple Eagles took the court on Friday evening looking focused and determined to move on to the next round. The McLean Center was packed and it was a great atmosphere for college volleyball. As intimidating as the crowd seemed, they were all wearing purple since UNI’s colors are purple and yellow, which brought some type of comfort to the Purple Eagles.

Bus driver Rick and I watched the game together. You could see the connection the team made with Rick because he was probably their loudest supporter in Iowa. Niagara put up a strong effort but came up short. In the end, Northern Iowa proved why one it is of the nation’s top teams, besting Niagara in three sets. Still after the loss, the team was in good spirits and happy for the opportunity to play in the tournament.

After the game, the coach took us to a southern barbeque restaurant. The girls were still singing and laughing the rest of the night. They even showed me how to play a game to help the time pass as we waited for our meals to arrive.

The next day, the team and I were on the same flight to Detroit. I then flew to Newark Airport and they headed back to good ol’ Buffalo. Overall, I had a great experience in Iowa with the squad. Niagara women’s volleyball team did a tremendous job representing the MAAC in the NCAA Championship, and had I had the opportunity to see another host venue and enhance my event experience.

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.

The Crossover: From High Tops to High Heels

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