Bison to grow NIL opportunities through Learfield Impact and addition of on-site NIL Business Manager
FARGO, N.D. – After seeing its powerhouse football program claim a 10th national championship in 14 years, the North Dakota State University athletic department has reached a long-term renewal with Learfield for the locally based Bison Sports Properties team to continue as the exclusive multimedia and sponsorship rights holder of the Bison.
The renewal agreement puts an emphasis on student-athlete marketing opportunities, as Bison Sports Properties will take full advantage of Learfield Impact NIL services and expand the team to include an NIL Business Manager. The new position will be dedicated to maximizing NIL activity and educating Bison student-athletes on NIL, fueling remarkable NIL growth with the ability to leverage authentic storytelling from Learfield content creators and streamlining NIL partnerships through the Compass NIL platform.
“We are excited to build upon our existing relationship with Learfield and continue to drive revenue and exposure for all of Bison Athletics,” said Matt Larsen, North Dakota State Director of Athletics. “The addition of the NIL Business Manager position will greatly enhance opportunities for our student-athletes. When coupled with scholarships, cost of attendance and Alston awards for all student-athletes, we will continue to be leaders in student-athlete support and resources at the FCS and mid-major level.”
Learfield Impact boasts industry-leading NIL expertise and success at its schools with on-site NIL personnel, which have experienced a 350% increase in student-athlete marketing opportunities compared to schools without those resources. At schools outside the Power 4 conferences, NIL Business Managers are generating 400% more NIL-related revenue and a 50% increase in average deal size.
“North Dakota State is an extremely successful athletic program in every aspect, and it is our privilege to extend our partnership,” said Andrew Wheeler, Executive Vice President of Sports Properties at Learfield. “We are fortunate to work with Matt and his team to capitalize on this success across the Learfield enterprise and are excited to enhance NIL opportunities for Bison student-athletes through Learfield Impact.”
NDSU Athletics has been an enterprise-wide client of Learfield since 2020 and continues to maximize Learfield’s digital and data expertise through long-term alignments with licensed merchandise agency CLC, digital ticketing, fundraising and marketing platform provider Paciolan, and digital solutions leader SIDEARM Sports.
Since the multimedia rights partnership began, the Bison have experienced a consistent raising of the bar in sponsorship revenue. Bison Sports Properties has exceeded overall revenue goals with increases in total partnerships and sponsorship revenue for four consecutive years and boasted 4-year revenue growth of more than 120% in traditional sponsorships at the conclusion of the last fiscal year.
Among Learfield’s data and digital tools is Fan365 – its programmatic digital sponsorship and marketing program – which has engaged 80 partners in nearly 200 digital campaigns at NDSU, resulting in 39 million impressions and a click-through rate nearly 250% higher than that of standard display banners.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
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