Women's Basketball Chosen for NCAA Advanced Marketing Program

NCAA Release

Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball program has been selected by the NCAA as one of 30 universities to participate in its second-year Advanced Program that aims to provide continuous contact with industry professionals to develop marketing efforts and increase attendance.
 
After a successful inaugural marketing pilot program that contributed to an increase in women's basketball attendance at 20 participating schools a year ago, Fordham has been chosen to partake in this year's iteration. The program provides all 30 school's women's basketball's marketing contacts access to industry professionals who are experts in several key sports disciplines, including marketing plans, fan engagement, and branding.
 
"Our selection as one of 30 Division I universities for this second-year program of working hand-in-hand with the NCAA in our marketing efforts is a great step forward for our women's basketball program and institution," Director of Athletics Dave Roach said, "Credit goes to [Director of Women's Basketball Administration] Clare Berenato for successfully applying for the program. We look forward to working with the NCAA and seeing the benefits firsthand of participating in this program."
 
Others chosen to participate in the program are the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Arizona, UC Davis, UCLA, Canisius, Colorado, Dartmouth, Dayton, Denver, Florida International University, Georgetown, James Madison, Louisville, Marquette, UMass Lowell, Miami (Florida), Mississippi State, Missouri, University of Missouri-Kansas City, UNLV, University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC State, Oregon State, Penn State, Purdue, Quinnipiac, Rider, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.
 
"We found in year one of the program that providing immediate feedback on marketing plans, event operations and fan engagement on a daily, weekly and/or monthly basis paid significant dividends," said Tracie Hitz, former director with the NCAA women's basketball staff who will continue to manage the NCAA Women's Basketball Advancement Program in 2018-19. "We know the challenges faced by our schools in building successful marketing plans for women's basketball, and those schools chosen to participate serve as the models in building best practices that can then be shared nationally."