It is not an uncommon sight to see basketball fans leaving Toronto’s Air Canada Centre with the disposition of someone who has just won free food. That is because every time the Raptors score 90 points or more, fans get a free slice of pizza, courtesy of Pizza Pizza. Similarly, one fan of the Ontario Hockey League’s St Mike’s Majors leaves with a free meal coupon if the Majors happen to score on a “Shoeless Joe’s power play,” which lately seems to be the best chance of a St. Mike’s goal.
Given that these teams-one a major North American franchise and the other a local team that attracts around 1,500 spectators a game-have developed sponsorship deals with respected restaurants, it will come as no surprise that Ontario University Athletics (OUA), has a similar pizza deal. There are no prizes for guessing what the official pizza of the OUA is. But I’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with mizza mizza.
The OUA also has an official petroleum, an official consumer electronics supplier, and, like all good sports organizations should, an official financial services supplier. On the surface it would seem that the OUA, like the professional leagues that we see on television every night, take the standpoint that if the cash is available, there is something to be sold.
However, while the legitimacy of possessing an official petroleum is debatable, the benefits of doing so are not-especially in comparison to the professional leagues.
The OUA, like other sports authorities, needs staff, has offices, and requires publicity. The OUA, unlike other sports authorities, does not attract millions of viewers every week via national television programming. Therefore, the OUA and universities themselves depend on advertising deals to keep their head above the water.
Government aid and membership fees throw an inflatable rubber duck ring at the problem; they keep the sports from drowning but don’t allow them to evolve. Sponsorship allows university sport to hop in to a bright orange lifeboat that has blue flashing lights, an FM radio, and a bumper sticker reading “My other boat’s a cruise liner.”
“It is about providing services to our athletes,” says John Bower, the OUA’s head of marketing. “It also allows us to fund the office staff and expand into television and webcasts.”
Mr Bower acknowledges the financial benefits that membership fees and the government supplies, but, like all university sport organisations or teams, is grateful for the room for expansion that sponsorship deals produce.
Mr. Bower is also quick to point out that it is not just the sports that attract the big money deals that produce the benefits: “We look for sponsors that are willing to help us develop all of our sports and we are always looking to build partnerships. We are hoping to bring all championships to the point where they are sponsored.”
The OUA’s dedication to reaching this target is epitomized in its relations with sports equipment supplier Wilson. After successful partnerships involving football and baseball, Wilson is now the organization’s key sponsor for soccer and basketball.
The benefits for both sides are plain to see. Wilson becomes recognized on a grass roots level and associated with the respectability of endorsing young sporting talent, and is able to use the competitions as a testing ground for their new equipment. The OUA-besides picking up a handsome sum of money-receives a partner that is capable and willing to support it in almost everything it suggests.
Mr. Bower enjoys the term “bridge building” when discussing the relationship between universities and sponsors, which works well, as both sides get to take advantage of the crossover.
“When we needed their help and belief,” says Bower in regards to all of the OUA’s partners, “they jumped on board to promote some of our new ideas and other sports.”
The partnerships are viewed as even more important when you consider that the Canadian government does not recognize the OUA’s athletes as being applicable to receive funds for being young, amateur Canadian talent. While sponsorship can be seen as selling the soul of university sport and meaning that every amateur competition is accompanied by the name of your favourite breakfast cereal, it does mean that university athletes receive opportunities that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.
It doesn’t, though, explain why they have an official pizza and also begs the question, “What donut would be the best official donut?”
