SOURCE: Legends MADISON and NEW YORK, March 11, 2019—The University of Wisconsin and Legends today announced a first-of-its kind, multi-year partnership between the school’s athletic department and Legends, to streamline initiatives across general ticketing, premium seating, annual fundraising, marketing and business intelligence capabilities into one integrated platform.
Wisconsin engaged Legends through its U.S. research arm, CSL, in 2015 to conduct a comprehensive study incorporating a survey and series of focus groups to solicit direct market feedback from ticket holders, alumni and Badger fans on the future of Camp Randall Stadium.
Legends will continue to assist Wisconsin with planning of the upcoming renovation of Camp Randall Stadium. In addition, Legends will be responsible for all sales and marketing, planning and premium seating strategy. Legends will also implement its robust technology, data and analytics structure to complement and support across every element of the partnership.
"Legends is proud to team with the University of Wisconsin," said, Mike Ondrejko, President, Legends Global Sales. "Through close collaboration with the team at Wisconsin, Legends will leverage its unique partnership development strategy to help position Wisconsin’s program for long-term success."
"There are a lot of opportunities to be embraced by our athletic department," said Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin Deputy Athletics Director. "Legends’ experience and innovative approach make them a great partner for us. We are excited about what lies ahead."
Legends is at the forefront in advising university athletic departments to identify opportunities to enhance fan experiences in venue and maximize initial capital and annual revenues on new and renovated facility projects, having partnered on more than $2B in projects over the last five-years.
"Entering into partnership with Legends will help us to fulfill one of our most sacred duties, which is to ensure that we are building a sustainable financial infrastructure that will allow us to continue to provide educational opportunities for our student-athletes," said Mario Morris, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations and CFO. "I truly believe that this is a transformational moment for Wisconsin Athletics."
"Having had the opportunity to work alongside of and get to know Chris McIntosh, Mario Morris and the entire Wisconsin Athletic Department team, their vision is clear. They are focused on embracing new and innovative strategies both on and off field. This approach is rooted in their unwavering commitment to continue to offer an exceptional experience for Badger student athletes long into the future," said Michael Behan, Vice President, College Partnerships at Legends.
An industry leader in developing and optimizing unique platforms for its clients and partners, Legends represents and manages premier venues across professional sports, events and collegiate partners, including AT&T Stadium, Yankees Stadium, Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles Stadium & Entertainment District, Las Vegas Raiders Stadium, University of Notre Dame, and nearly 40 Live Nation properties.
About University of Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin, a charter member of the Big Ten Conference, provides educational and athletic opportunities to more than 800 student-athletes who participate for the school’s 23 intercollegiate teams. Badger student-athletes currently carry a 3.1 cumulative grade-point average and Wisconsin has played in more combined football bowl games and NCAA men’s basketball tournaments than any school in the nation since 1996. Nearly 650 Wisconsin student-athletes accumulated more than 325 days of community service in 2018. For more information, visit uwbadgers.com and follow Badger Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Legends
Founded in 2008, Legends is a holistic experiential services agency with more than 1,200 full-time and 30,000 seasonal team members globally. Legends has three core divisions operating worldwide: Global Planning, Global Sales and Hospitality, offering clients and partners a 360-degree platform to elevate their brand and execute their vision. Currently, Legends works with marquee clients across business verticals including professional sports; collegiate; attractions; entertainment; and conventions and leisure. We are the industry leaders in designing, planning and realizing exceptional experiences in sports and entertainment. For more information, visit Legends.net and follow Legends at Facebook.com/TheLegendsWay, Twitter and Instagram: @thelegendsway.
