Source: opendorse
C-USA and all 14 athletic departments engage with opendorse to help build the brand of their sports programs, student-athletes and athlete alumni
(LINCOLN, Ne., and Irving, Tx. January 16, 2018) Conference USA (C-USA) and opendorse, the leading athlete marketing platform that helps the biggest brands in sports share content on social, today announced a groundbreaking partnership that makes C-USA the first conference to invest in building the brands of its players and partner universities on social media.
“We’re passionate about helping the college space grow, as that is where our roots are, and are very pleased to welcome Conference USA into the fold”, said opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence. “With the rise of athlete-driven media, properties and brands are realizing the power of athletes as priority distribution channels on social. I’m thrilled that Conference USA and its partner schools have embraced this massive opportunity to amplify their message while helping their student-athletes and alumni build their brands on social.
“We fully realize the power of the social space for all involved, and the high engagement opportunities presented by our coaches, administrators, student-athletes and alumni,” said C-USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod. “opendorse is at the forefront of social space mobilization, and we are proud to create this landmark partnership with them for our member schools.”
This first-ever partnership with opendorse will allow C-USA and member universities to share content on social with their entire athletic ecosystem —through the social channels of current student-athletes, athlete alumni, coaches, sports administrators, and university athletics accounts creating access and opportunities no other NCAA conference has been able to offer before.
Conference USA will launch the partnership by using the opendorse platform to promote the 2018 C-USA Basketball Championships presented by Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. Partner schools will use the opendorse content sharing tools with all interested parties to amplify their messages for tentpole events like postseason appearances, National Signing Day activities, March Madness, as well as for all on-campus and messaging events throughout the course of the year.
Prior to partnering with Conference USA, opendorse had partnered with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to distribute content through its network of athlete alumni including Jordan Howard, Roddy White and Joe Webb. UAB actively worked with opendorse to amplify the promotion of the return of the UAB football program.
"Partnering with opendorse provides C-USA schools with access to a genuinely innovative platform" said Ted Feeley, Associate Athletics Director for Communications at UAB. "opendorse has been an incredible asset for UAB as we re-launched our football program this past season. Their platform makes it incredibly easy for our former and current athletes to share content on social, simultaneously building the UAB brand and their own."
Conference USA consists of 14 members: Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU.
About opendorse
opendorse is an athlete marketing platform that helps the biggest brands in sports share content on social. Founded by two former major college athletes, opendorse was built seeking to make it easy for athletes and brands to work together to engage their fans. Today, more than 2,500 athletes rely on opendorse to access content to share with their 850mm social media followers.
More than 1,500 brands partner with opendorse to send content to athletes to share through their social media channels. Top advertisers including Coca-Cola, Head & Shoulders and Courtyard Marriott, and properties including the NFLPA, PGA Tour, New Jersey Devils, Clemson Athletics and Nebraska Athletics all use opendorse to engage athletes and their audience.
About C-USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Irving, Texas, that services 14 institutions of higher education – Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Now in its third decade, Conference USA has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community.
