Big-time SMSU programs attract business sponsors

by Diane Rarick

SBJ Contributing Writer

At Hammons Student Center during basketball season, there are more and more signs that having two NCAA Division I basketball teams at Southwest Missouri State University is expensive.

There are signs on the scorer's table and signs on the electronic message board. From timeouts to entire games, everything is being sponsored by local businesses that want to attract the attention of the nearly 8,000 fans who attend each of 32 Bears men's and women's basketball games per season.

There are 3,000 members of the Bears Fund who contribute $1.5 million per year, plus the companies that pay to sponsor signs, timeouts and games, according to Brent Dunn, director of athletic development and marketing for SMSU.

Sponsorship by the business community is critical to the programs' success, he said.

"The more revenue streams we find, the better we're going to be. It does take money to have a championship-type program in all sports," Dunn said. "Businesses that participate in sponsoring basketball can get good exposure, entertainment for clients or employees and good advertising."

Signage at SMSU sports venues has quadrupled in the last few years, he said. Creative ideas, such as a 14-foot advertising blimp, the Cintas Clean Sweep Halftime and the Auto Magic dirty-car promotion have enhanced the variety of participation possibilities available to companies.

Susan Kirkman, vice president and regional marketing manager for Commerce Bank, said that supporting SMSU basketball programs fits in with the company's quest to be a "super community bank. We live that philosophy by supporting those things that are important and successful in our community," she said.

Commerce has supported SMSU athletic programs for many years, and it has increased its involvement as more opportunities have become available. When Commerce Bank is a game sponsor it receives about 300 bleacher seats for employees and their families. The bank also has given away promotional items to fans, according to Kirkman.

Supporting SMSU basketball is part of other business conducted by Commerce Bank with the university. The bank has a contract for banking services on campus, including four ATMs and a new full-service banking center in the Plaster Student Union.

"The Hammons Student Center drive-up ATM is one of the top-performing ATMs in our company. It's an excellent marketing opportunity for us," Kirkman said.

T.J. Sales Company, a T-shirt screen printer headed by 1980 SMSU graduate T.J. Loudis, supports the teams with money and donations.

T.J. Sales provides practice gear for the Bears and Lady Bears teams.

"I don't do it just for business," Loudis said. "I believe both programs are very well run and I feel the need to support both financially and with my business support. From the business standpoint, we do a lot of business for both the teams and their supporters. Our business goes hand in hand with the sports business, so it's a perfect fit."

One way T.J. Sales helps the SMSU Lady Bears program is by teaming up with a supplier to donate $10,000 worth of T-shirts and giving the sales proceeds to the Lady Bears basketball program.

The company gets business from SMSU by printing practice gear for the teams and summer basketball camp participants.

A newer SMSU basketball supporter is Carl I. Brown Mortgage, a division of F.T. Mortgage.

The company's two signs will be displayed every day for three years at Hammons Student Center and it has sponsored football and basketball games.

The desire for greater name recognition in Springfield's crowded residential-mortgage market and the chance to give back to the community are the company's top motives, according to Tommy Ridenhour, branch manager.

Carl I. Brown opened its Springfield office in 1994 and as it gained market share, it looked for more sports promotion opportunities.

"For us to associate our name with their name has a lot of value," Ridenhour said.

A supporter of all SMSU athletic programs for the past four years, Conoco Inc. has signs on the basketball scorer's table at Hammons.

Conoco also advertises on the back of ticket stubs and posts SMSU signs on gas pumps at its stations.

Having the Conoco logo appear on televised games and on highlight films is a great benefit, said Richard Cain, account manager for Conoco.

"We feel it's a good association with a good, clean university program that is a big part of our community," he said.

Conoco entertains owners of convenience stores and gas stations with the 1,000 tickets it receives as a sponsor for two basketball games and one football game.

Cintas, a 70-year-old national company that provides uniform rental, entrance mats, shop towels and dust mops for businesses, has a half-time promotion called the Cintas Clean Sweep.

Students wearing Cintas uniforms dust mop the basketball court while a 30-second commercial airs on the public-address system.

"It's difficult to measure the name recognition and exposure," said General Manager Cliff Smith.

But the new Springfield resident said he's been impressed with the companies who support SMSU athletics and has followed the lead of his staff when it comes to continuing the company's support of the teams.

The company also uses its ties with SMSU to find new employees through the university's career placement center.

"Our target audience is business owners and managerial personnel that make decisions about uniforms and other products. Our target audience is also sports-oriented people. Our support captures a good audience for people who wear uniforms and buy them," Smith said.