Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State Athletics Partners with Learfield Communications
 |  Fresno State Athletics Director Scott Johnson announced a new marketing agreement with Learfield Communications Inc. |
July 16, 2004
Fresno - In an unprecedented venture, Fresno State's athletics department has announced a new multimedia marketing agreement with Bulldog Sports Properties, a division of Learfield Communications, Inc. This new partnership allows the university to expand its corporate sponsorship program. Steve Sullivan will serve as the general manager of Bulldog Sports Properties, which begins operation July 21.
"This agreement puts us on a long-term course to benefit from the strong marketing presence of a nationally renowned company," said athletics director Scott Johnson. "After a thorough screening and proposal process, we are confident we have chosen the right company to help us produce financial results we need to enhance Bulldog Athletics. We want to continue to build a nationally prominent program and I believe that Learfield and Bulldog Sports Properties will help us achieve that goal. Learfield has a great reputation and track record with many outstanding universities and I'm proud of this new partnership and am looking forward to a long-lasting relationship."
The initial term of the agreement is for six years, beginning with the 2004-05 academic year. Bulldog Sports Properties is responsible for the overall management of the university's corporate partnership effort, which includes, corporate sponsorship sales, print advertising in various athletic department publications, signage in selected athletic facilities, game sponsorships and corporate hospitality events. Additionally, Bulldog Sports Properties will offer overall consultation and management of all Fresno State Athletics media rights packages.
"We are extremely pleased to be associated with Fresno State and its outstanding academic and athletic tradition," said Learfield President Clyde G. Lear. "It's an exciting time to be associated with Bulldog Athletics, and we welcome the opportunity to work the athletic department and its corporate partners."
Sullivan comes to Bulldog Sports Properties from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass, where he served as the Director of Marketing Partnerships. Sullivan has worked in a variety of university's athletics departments. From 1999-2002, he was the associate athletics director for external operations at Texas Tech. Prior to that he was the director of marketing and corporate relations at the University of Arizona, his alma mater, where he worked for seven years. He was assistant director of marketing and promotions at the University of Connecticut from 1990-92.
Learfield Communications Inc, which was founded in 1972, began its business with news and agricultural radio networks that today serve several Midwestern states. Learfield's sports division manages the multi-media athletic rights for 15 other leading universities: Alabama, Clemson, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Memphis, Miami (Fla), Missouri, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Purdue, South Carolina and Wisconsin. The company's web site is www.learfield.com.
For information about how to become a corporate partner with Fresno State Athletics, please call (559) 244-2800.