SportsVerse publisher Daniel Yaw-Miller notes Nike launched its first on-campus NikeSKIMS retail pop-up at Texas prior to the Longhorns’ matchup against Ohio State, marking a shift toward broader campus engagement after the brand was removed from the S&P 100 following an 18-year run. Here’s more of what you need to know…

➤ Under CEO Elliott Hill, the company is expanding its collegiate reach beyond team uniform deals—which cover over 1,000 schools and a 26-year relationship with Texas—by marketing directly to 18-to-22-year-old students through sorority sponsorships, student workout events, and its Blue Ribbon Elite NIL ambassador program.

➤ For instance, DYM explains that “in the lead-up to Saturday’s game…Nike invited 115 University of Texas students to a unique experience they would never have previously had access to: training in the Longhorns’ football weight room, complete with gifted outfits and head-to-toe Nike Pro workout gear. It’s the perfect example of Nike leveraging a decades-old relationship with a school in a totally new way to drive home its sporting credentials.”

➤ Nike College Business Director Emily Johnson adds: "College is a great space where you have a bunch of young people who want to be involved in sports and culture. Like, even on game day, you're going to have the 120 guys who are playing on the field, but it's also a moment for Nike to engage everyone else who is a fan of both schools. There's a broad range of sports we can serve, and again a massive student and non-student population there that's ready to build community and be active. We think it's a new angle for Nike to really activate around, which is cool." (link)

Meanwhile, Fanatics is introducing non-commerce programming to its live-selling platform, Fanatics Live, aiming to capture community engagement in a U.S. livestream market that generated $14.64B in sales last year—a 50% YoY increase—across competitors like TikTok Shop, Whatnot, and eBay Live, according to The Athletic's Larry Holder. CRO.takeaways…

➤ The new initiative, dubbed Collect Originals, features trading card creators and celebrity collectors like Tom Brady and drove a 98% increase in weekly viewership from July through August. The platform carries more than 20 feeds that bypass immediate transactions to focus strictly on hobby-centric interviews and live chat engagement.

➤ Fanatics Live SVP of Commercial and Live Commerce Tom Wright explains the decision to aggregate creators without relying on direct sales conversions: "You often have groups of fans who love this content, but it’s quite hard to find it in one place. It’s kind of distributed across lots of different platforms. So the goal was to bring it into an environment so that we could kind of pair those people, and then add the live piece. I think that adds another element because of the community element of the platform. The idea that you could take creators, actually let them have direct relationships with these audiences. That was a big part of the pull." (link)

Gold House Co-Founder/CEO Bing Chen spoke with Adweek Editor-in-Chief Ryan Joe at Brandweek regarding how brands can authentically engage with niche communities in an increasingly fragmented media landscape he describes as "polyculture." Rather than treating target audiences as inventory or relying on dilutive global creators like MrBeast, Chen advocated for partnering with credentialed micro-influencers by offering four core superfan pillars: brand access, exclusive content, status designation, and unbuyable experiences. Chen: "The product is the customer. And not only is the product the individual customer, the product is the community of customers that they’ve been able to stoke through individual nodes and networks that then take off themselves. ... We’re moving to the expert economy now. No longer can you be a random charlatan pontificating on love or whatever. You have to be a credentialed leader within the niche, and those are the people that are going to be followed." (link)

A survey of 153 sales leaders and reps from ValueSelling Associates and Selling Power shows cold calling is six times more effective than AI-written emails, according to Revenue Brew's Layla Ilchi. The report ranks phone outreach as the second most effective channel for reaching new prospects at 47%—behind client referrals at 74%—even as 46% of leaders report reps give up too easily, 40% struggle with objections, and 39% fear making calls. ValueSelling Associates President and CEO Julie Thomas pointed to training gaps rather than an outdated medium as the core issue: "Cold calling isn’t dead. In the age of AI, a human voice on the phone remains one of the most effective ways to reach new prospects. In fact, our research found that salespeople rate every human-led tactic above every automated one. ... Our research suggests the issue isn’t the method—it’s the skill. The solution is to instill seller confidence through sales training, rebuilding the capability to make cold calls and do it well." (link)

Liverpool set a new Premier League shirt sponsorship benchmark by securing a five-year deal with Turkish Airlines worth £60M ($80M) annually, and SportsPro's Adam Raincock notes the agreement reflects a broader push from airline brands into global football, joining investments by Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Wizz Air, and Corendon. Meanwhile, Raincock submits that brands should be mindful about traditional sponsorship models, which he says face reach limitations. Notably, activations on rightsholder-owned channels typically access only 23% of a sport's total audience. While GWI estimates Liverpool's global fanbase at 450M, the club's unique social media following is roughly 90M. Though digital media now accounts for over 70% of global ad spend, broadcast and in-venue visibility still drive most rights fees, and Raincock writes: “Football sponsorship continues to grow, and with good reason. It remains one of the most effective ways to reach a global audience. But rights alone do not create value. For Turkish Airlines, success will depend on its ability to activate the partnership in ways that reflects modern football fandom. (link)

The Pittsburgh Penguins named U.S. Steel as the franchise's official helmet sponsor for all home, road, alternate, and practice gear during the 2026-27 NHL season. The deal expands a corporate partnership active since 2021, moving beyond the team's previous road-only helmet sponsorship with MSA Safety. (link)

Tottenham Hotspur is partnering with London-based athlete venture capital firm The Players Fund to launch Hotspur Labs, a new venture program targeting Series A to Series C startups. The initiative marks the first of its kind for a Premier League club and allows Tottenham to exchange access to internal systems and team assets for cash, equity, or a combination of both on a deal-by-deal basis. The program currently focuses on sectors like commerce, fan experience, and sustainability, with four companies already in negotiations under the direction of CRO Ryan Norys and CTO Rob Pickering. Norys explains the long-term vision: "One, we’re looking to build the club’s future pipeline of companies, whether it’s sponsorship or not. ... The other piece of it is a little bit of revenue growth, but not massive. When I went to get this approved by the board, there wasn’t an ROI attached to it. But by nature, we’re going to build enterprise value for the football club and the stadium. We’re going to get better at how we operate, whether that’s fan-facing or just internally. And I think there are going to be a lot of intangible additives and incentives that we’re going to be able to achieve that we just don’t know about yet." (link)

MATCH Hospitality entered a 10-year, $465M agreement with IFEMA Madrid to build, operate, and commercialize hospitality offerings for Formula 1's new MADRING circuit through 2035. According to Business of Speed's Vincenzo Landino, the program adapts the playbook developed at Silverstone—where MATCH tripled VIP attendance since 2019—by offering 20K premium seats across tiered packages to serve an inaugural event that drew over 353K total fans. Top-tier option Club 91 debuted at $7K for a three-day pass serving 2,500 guests and sold out with a waiting list, while entry-level tier La Terminal launched at $2,320. Initial sales figures showed an individual-to-corporate buyer split of 54% to 46%, with domestic Spanish buyers accounting for 69% to 72% of sales. (link)

Activision CMO Tyler Bahl tells TBPN that every marketing idea has to pass the same three-part test: stature, swagger, and scale. Key notes…

➤ "Stature is asking 'How do I do something that only Call of Duty can do?' So when we go to market, we want to be across the street from everybody else. We don't want to be in the same building."

➤ "When we think about swagger and when we look at creative or think about a partnership, we're thinking 'Does it have swagger? Is it cool? Is it interesting? How are we innovating in that space?'"

➤ "For scale, we ask 'How do I reach as many people as possible?' Because I'm not just talking to a niche gaming audience. We have 100 million people playing our free-to-play game and one billion players on our mobile game."

➤ "So when we have an idea or someone's pitching me something and it checks these three boxes, green light, go all the way." (link)

The Kraft Group opened the 160K-square-foot New Balance Athletics Center for the New England Patriots, building out a unified technology infrastructure through a five-year sponsorship deal with tech integrator NWN, according to SBJ's Ethan Joyce. NWN, which also serves as the technology provider for the Boston College athletic department, helped construct a three-story venue featuring 100-inch Daktronics LED screens in the draft room, a 20-yard VR walkthrough field, Wicket facial authentication, 31 Cisco WebEx rooms, and AI-driven cafeteria management. Kraft Group CIO Michael Israel on standardizing the tech experience across the entire organization: "The same way we do with autonomous purchasing in the stadium — frictionless is across the board. Making it so that the technology is there, but they don’t even realize that they’re using it." (link)

The Florida Panthers invested a mid-seven figure sum to transform a 25-year-old premium space into the Champions Club, presented by JetBlue, and SBJ's Bret McCormick explains that SCI Architects and Hauser Construction anchored the redesign, outfitting the area with Dream Seats and elevated food stations from new hospitality provider Sodexo Live to service nearly 1,200 seats averaging $6,900 for a season membership or $96 per single game. The arena upgrades arrive as the franchise utilizes an exclusive four-year window from its 2024 lease extension to plot a mixed-use development district across 150 acres and 7,500 parking spots, pending Broward County approval. President of Business Operations Michael White says the immediate goal was to enhance the legacy club space to honor the team's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships before tackling the broader real estate project: "It was already a really popular destination and elevating it with brand-new seats, new bars, countertops, booths, for fans to hang out pregame and in between periods. ... We’re taking a lot of steps forward, the beginning steps of the process." (link)

MLS regular-season matches following its 2026 FIFA World Cup break averaged 22,098 fans across 154 games—a 1.7% decline compared to the same period in 2025 due to a condensed midweek schedule—though season-to-date attendance remains up 1.1% YoY at 22,106, according to Sports Business Journal's Alex Silverman. Weekday matches accounted for 33% of the post-break slate compared to 12% prior, while 2027 season-ticket sales are up 23% across 24 of 30 clubs, and the league added 4.8M net new social followers alongside a 36% increase in website page views. MLS CBO Camilo Durana: "Based on the World Cup and what FIFA projected – $3B taken out of the marketplace – the idea that we’ve managed to sustain a slight increase really demonstrates resilience and growth. ... We’re not judging the success of the World Cup two months after the tournament. We’re looking at a two-year runway and that was what we set out to do from the beginning." (link)

Ad Age’s Reid Litman argues that the NFL must evolve its Gen Z marketing strategy by granting fans born between 1997 and 2012 direct creative input and tiered content rights rather than relying strictly on top-down distribution to mega-influencers. While the league scheduled nine international games this season, current licensing structures restrict fan edits and weekly film studies from emerging accounts with 6K to 60K followers. Litman suggests the league adopt content models used by Disney and Netflix by opening a pre-cleared footage vault for tiered revenue sharing, funding local in-country creators for international fixtures, and monetizing crossover fandoms in music, fashion, and gaming alongside licensees like Topps and Fortnite. “Other sports leagues are already turning cultural crossovers into events and collectibles. The Dodgers host a One Piece Night with Toei Animation, while the Yankees hold a Naruto Night. Each offers fans something they can keep, including a Dodgers card drawn by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda. The NFL has figured out how to reach the next generation. Now it needs to give young fans more ways to create, participate and make the game theirs.” (link)

Interested in advertising a job opening in CRO.ticker on CollegeSports.jobs? Submit your position here.

(Posted from most recent over the last 15 days)

(NEW!) Assistant Director of Stewardship & Hospitality (University of Missouri / Columbia, MO): This position provides support in the planning, coordination, and execution of stewardship, hospitality, donor recognition, and engagement initiatives for the Mizzou Athletics Fund. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Director of Development (University of Missouri / Columbia, MO): This position manages a regional portfolio of alumni, donors, and prospective supporters while serving as a frontline fundraiser for the department. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Director of Development, Leadership Annual Giving, Athletics (University of Denver / Denver, CO): The Assistant Director will manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving and major gift-rated prospects, with an emphasis on qualifying new donors, and developing a pipeline for future major gifts. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Athletic Director for Corporate Partnerships (Virginia Military Institute – VMI / Lexington, VA): Leads VMI Athletics' corporate partnership efforts by generating new revenue, securing sponsors, managing partner relationships, and developing sponsorship opportunities. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Athletic Director, Development (Washington State University / Pullman or Seattle, WA): WSU Athletics is hiring 2 positions for Assistant Director of Athletics, Development, at either the Director of Development 4 or 5 level. Positions may be based in Pullman, WA, or Seattle, WA. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Athletics Videographer I/II (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): The Athletics Videographer manages the design and development of all aspects of video production for FGCU Athletics. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Major Gift Officer (University of Washington / Seattle, WA): Washington Athletics has an outstanding opportunity for a Major Gift Officer to join their team. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Director of Development (University of Missouri / Columbia, MO): Seeking someone to secure philanthropic support through the identification and cultivation of donors by managing a regional portfolio of prospects and serving as a frontline fundraiser. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Marketing & Revenue Strategy Coordinator (Full-Time Temporary) (University of Nebraska / Lincoln, NE): Coordinate digital marketing messaging and efforts across digital platforms to develop and grow audiences. UNL ranked among the best places to work in the state and the nation! More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Athletics Director of Media & Creative Strategy (Wright State University / Dayton, OH): Lead creative efforts to maximize athletics revenue, including several conference champions & NCAA tournament regulars. Join a department with a ton of opportunity, momentum & a growing brand. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Bulldog Club (Fellow) (Mississippi State University / Starkville, MS): The Bulldog Club supports Mississippi State Athletics through a fellowship focusing on fundraising techniques, donor stewardship, event coordination, and Paciolan software management. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Director, Ticket Sales & Retention (Auburn University / Auburn, AL): Join our Ticket Sales team and be part of the energy behind Auburn Athletics—where every connection counts and every gameday experience matters! More details HERE.

(NEW!) Program Coordinator, Athletic Video Production (University of Toledo / Toledo, OH): Assists Toledo Athletics in creating video and digital content that promotes varsity sports, drives ticket sales and fundraising, supports recruiting, and enhances the game-day fan experience. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Director of Athletics (University of Detroit Mercy / Detroit, MI): Lead an NCAA Division I athletics program focused on student-athlete success, competitive excellence, strategic growth, financial sustainability, and strong community engagement. More details HERE What would it cost to move to Detroit? Click HERE.

(NEW!) Director of Marketing - Athletics (Abilene Christian University / Abilene, TX): This position reports to the Executive Associate Athletics Director for External Operations. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Director, Athletic Communications Strategy (R0009147) (Wake Forest University / Winston-Salem, NC): Works with internal/external constituents to heighten Wake Forest University's visibility and brand awareness. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Asst AD - Digital Marketing and Revenue Strategy (University of California – San Diego / La Jolla, CA): The University of California San Diego is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Asst AD - Digital Marketing and Revenue Strategy. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Director of Athletic Multimedia (Virginia Military Institute – VMI / Lexington, VA): Leads VMI Athletics' live broadcasts and multimedia production, including ESPN+ events, game-day video operations, digital content, equipment, staffing, and promotion of teams and cadet-athletes. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Sports Information Director (Virginia Military Institute – VMI / Lexington, VA): Leads communications and media relations for assigned VMI sports, managing digital content, statistics, game-day coverage, media requests, and promotion of cadet-athletes and teams. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Development Officer/Senior Development Officer - Athletics (Bucknell University / Lewisburg, PA): Bucknell University is seeking talented, relationship-driven Athletics Development Officers and Senior Development Officers to join our growing University Advancement team. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Sports Information Director (University of Alabama at Birmingham / Birmingham, AL): Serves as Director of Media Relations for the Athletics Department. Coordinates all media activities and related publications. More details HERE.

(NEW!) Director - Premium Seating & Gifts (Athletics) (Georgia Tech / Atlanta, GA): Responsible for GT Athletics premium seating and suite sales. Assess, cultivate, solicit, and steward annual gifts from donors identified through the premium seating process. More details HERE.

Associate Director of Marketing & Fan Experience (University of Mississippi / Oxford, MS): The Associate Dir of Marketing & Fan Experience will support the marketing department efforts for fan & student engagement initiatives at Ole Miss, working to create memorable & unique experiences. More details HERE.

Director of Marketing, Athletics (Villanova University / Villanova, PA): Cooperatively manage all aspects of Athletics marketing to include strategic branding, social media/digital strategies, game day experience, fan engagement, promotions, and attendance enhancement. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletics Director, Ticket Operations (Villanova University / Villanova, PA): Responsible for the day-to-day activities of the athletic ticket office including, but not limited to the building, processing, and reporting of season and single game ticketed athletic events. More details HERE.

Member Services Internship (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill / Chapel Hill, NC): Interns will gain hands-on experience in donor relations, database management, and event coordination within a fast-paced collegiate athletics space. Interns serve as primary contacts for members. More details HERE.

Assistant Director Of Fan Relations and Sales (Oklahoma State University / Stillwater, OK): Drive ticket sales and retention through exceptional service while leading student staff. Manage phone, SMS, email, ticketing transactions, staffing, training, sales pipelines, and game-day operations. More details HERE.

Senior Associate Commissioner for Basketball (Big South Conference / Charlotte, NC): A senior leadership position responsible for providing strategic vision, administrative leadership, and innovative direction for the Conference's men's and women's basketball programs. More details HERE What would it cost to move to Charlotte? Click HERE.

Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications (Southeastern Conference / Birmingham, AL): The Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications will provide strategic leadership for the Southeastern Conference's communication efforts. More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Ticket Operations (United States Air Force Academy / Colorado Springs, CO): Assistant Director of Ticket Operations. More details HERE.

Assistant Director - Licensing (University Athletic Association, Inc. at the University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): Assist in daily operation of Licensing department. Approve/promote correct use of logos/images/trademarks on retail and internal merchandise. Build relationships with licensing partners. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Athletics Communication (University of Illinois / Champaign/Urbana, IL): Lead and execute all communications and social media strategies and coordinate media coverage for assigned sports. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Revenue Enhancement (Kennesaw State University / Kennesaw, GA): Supports revenue growth for KSU Athletics by driving ticket sales, fundraising, partnerships, and events while building donor and alumni relationships to increase support and achieve strategic goals. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Bronco Productions (Boise State University / Boise, ID): Requires experience shooting/editing cinematic & creative content for D1 athletic social media channels & in-venue publication. Act as sport contact for multiple teams while working within a team. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director, Annual Giving and Premium Seating (University of Colorado – Boulder / Boulder, CO): This position and its team are tasked with stewarding donors, engaging alumni and other constituents, promoting the reputation of the CU Athletics, and increasing overall donor support for CU Boulder. More details HERE.

Director of Annual Giving (HR Title: Mngr, Athletics Development) - (DEA00000507) (Southern Methodist University – SMU / Dallas, TX): The Director of Annual Giving leads and executes SMU Athletics annual giving programs and serves as the lead annual giving officer for the Mustang Club. More details HERE.

Associate AD for Development (HR title: Director of Strategic Development) - (DEA00000505) (Southern Methodist University – SMU / Dallas, TX): The Associate AD for Development provides strategic leadership for SMU Athletics major and principal gift fundraising. More details HERE.

Assistant or Associate Athletic Director, Business Operations/SWA (Sacred Heart University / Fairfield, CT): Provides operational leadership for Athletics' business functions. Oversees financial management, budgeting, purchasing, contracts, revenue and expense tracking to ensure fiscal responsibility. More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Creative Services (Revenue and Supportive Content) (University of San Diego / San Diego, CA): The Assistant Director of Creative Services (Revenue Content) serves as the department's primary creative producer focused on revenue-generating initiatives. More details HERE.

Assistant Director for Business Services (University of Connecticut / Storrs Mansfield, CT): The University of Connecticut is seeking applications for the full-time position of Assistant Director for Business Services. More details HERE.

Sr. Manager, Engagement (Hurricane Club) (University of Miami / Miami, FL): The Senior Manager, Engagement of Hurricane Club collaborates on the strategy, operations, donor engagement, and member experience for the Hurricane Club. More details HERE.

Manager, Digital Strategy (University of Miami) (Legends / Coral Gables, FL): Lead the creation and management of highly effective digital campaigns for assigned sport(s) and channels with the goal of enhancing brand awareness, increasing engagement and driving revenue. More details HERE.

Assistant Director/Associate Director - Athletic Communications (Auburn University / Auburn, AL): Amplify Auburn Athletics through impactful storytelling, media relations, and communications strategies that spotlight student-athletes and program success. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director, Development (Butler University / Indianapolis, IN): The Assistant Athletic Director/Development position will serve as a gift officer on behalf of the Athletic Department. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Sports Communications (Boise State University / Boise, ID): The ideal candidate will have experience managing sports information for softball/ volleyball programs & a demonstrated ability to prepare student-athletes for media appearances & press opportunities. More details HERE.

Director / Digital Marketing & Revenue (Virginia Tech / Blacksburg, VA): Oversee digital initiatives that drive ticket sales, retention, fan engagement, donor engagement and other revenue-generating opportunities across Virginia Tech Athletics. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Marketing (University of Texas – Austin / Austin, TX): An essential member of the external affairs staff with an emphasis on coordination of tasks necessary to support the fan experience, promotional activities and sponsor integration for assigned sports. More details HERE.

Director of Athletics (Campbell University / Buies Creek, NC): Lead a growing NCAA Division I athletics program in the CAA, advancing competitive excellence, student-athlete success and community impact in North Carolina's Research Triangle. More details HERE What would it cost to move to Buies Creek? Click HERE.

Assistant Director of Motion Graphics - Creative Services (University Athletic Association, Inc. at the University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): Lead the creative direction, design, and production of high-impact motion graphics and animated video board content. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director, Revenue Generation (Southern Methodist University – SMU / Dallas, TX): Lead SMU Athletics' revenue generation team, driving ticket sales, donor growth, and premium seating strategies while maximizing fan engagement and revenue. More details HERE.

Associate VP & Chief Commercial Officer/Chief Revenue Officer (Ohio State University / Columbus, OH): Responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive revenue growth strategy for the Department of Athletics and Buckeye Enterprises at The Ohio State University. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Strategic Communications (University of Nevada – Reno / Reno, NV): Responsible for the Intercollegiate Athletics Department's publicity and external communications efforts through the department's media services and video efforts, as well as its official website. More details HERE.

Fulfillment Manager (Corporate Sponsorships) (University of Denver / Denver, CO): The Fulfillment Manager is responsible for the activation, execution, and relationship management of every corporate partnership at University of Denver Athletics. More details HERE.

Sports Media Content Specialist (University of Texas – Arlington / Arlington, TX): Creates digital content for UTA Athletics social media, recruiting, marketing and promotions, including video, photography and graphics, while supporting assigned sports and following brand standards. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Strategic Communications (University of Central Florida / Orlando, FL): UCFAA at the University of Central Florida, an NCAA Division I institution and Big XII Conference member, is seeking applications for the position of Assistant Director, Strategic Communications. More details HERE.

Director, Business Office (Spartan Ventures / East Lansing, MI): This role, in conjunction with the Spartan Ventures CFO, will manage all financial activity related to the organization and contribute directly to the success of Michigan State University Athletics. More details HERE.