Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, in a letter sent to Michigan fans Thursday, broached the subject of Michigan Stadium advertising, and said his department is exploring “highly visible” but “thoughtfully integrated” revenue streams from jersey patches, on-field and on-court logos, digital scoreboard advertising and in-game sponsorships, among other opportunities.
The objective is to sustain robust Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) support across all 29 varsity sports, and while understanding that Michigan Stadium, specifically, has been mostly advertisement-free, times are quickly changing across the college athletics landscape.
Last year, the Allstate “Good Hands” field goal nets made their debut at Michigan Stadium. They rise and fall during kicks, and Allstate donates $1,500 for every extra point scored and $500 for every field goal to the Michigan athletic scholarship fund. As for jersey patches, the NCAA approved commercial uniform patches beginning Aug. 1. About a dozen schools, including Michigan State, which recently announced a 10-year deal, have revealed patch deals as programs continue to find ways to fund NIL.
“For generations, the bowl of Michigan Stadium has been a sacred space,” Manuel wrote in the letter to fans. “We have intentionally protected the Big House from the commercialization seen elsewhere, limiting on-field and in-stadium visuals to the Big Ten Conference logo, the Allstate field goal nets, and our partnerships with Nike/Jordan and Gatorade. Given my history as a football player, I have great respect for Michigan Stadium’s long, storied, and distinguished history. We will work to ensure that any advertising is implemented strategically, tastefully, and in a manner consistent with the values of the University of Michigan.
“However, to support our student-athletes in this new era without compromising their competitive edge, we must carefully expand our corporate sponsorships into venues where we have previously held back. To that end, our partners at Michigan Sports Properties and Learfield are currently in discussions with potential sponsors about our new Leaders and Best Champion Partner Program.”
In an interview with The Detroit News last December, Manuel said it was imperative to find other ways to drive revenue to avoid solely relying on donors to increase support, as well as the season-ticket base and the fan base. Manuel said in that interview that he and his staff have been looking at potential revenue streams like permanent signage for a long time.
“We’ve always looked at it,” Manuel said last December. “I know the number. I know what we could get if we did it. I know what we can get if we do a little bit or a lot.”
Manuel was asked potential earnings.
“If we did everything that other people do, it’s tens of millions of dollars,” he said in the interview. “Listen, fans go to Lions games, you go to Tigers games, it’s all )(advertising) there. Many of our fans are also season-ticket holders for professional sports and some of the same fans who are at Michigan football games in Michigan Stadium are there in Crisler and Yost and they recognize that advertising is something that is done. We have not had to lean on that at Michigan Stadium, so we’ve kept it clean from advertising as best we can. We’ll continue to look at it and make the best decisions that we can to support all 29 programs.”
In the letter Thursday to fans, Manuel assured the revenue generated would be invested in scholarships, NIL, upgrading facilities and for retaining coaches.
“While these initiatives represent a new era in revenue generation, please know that we remain fiercely committed to upholding Michigan’s core values,” Manuel said. “We will preserve the look, feel, and soul of the Michigan Stadium experience that makes Saturdays in Ann Arbor so special.”
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: UM exploring in-stadium advertising, jersey patches to bolster NIL, AD Manuel says
Reporting by Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
