Understanding Objectives Can Reveal True Value of College Rights

Partner Irwin Raij contributed an op-ed to the Sports Business Journal, “Understanding Objectives Can Reveal True Value of College Rights,” which appeared on October 27, 2014. In the editorial, Raij encourages university athletic departments to adopt business models and approaches seen in the professional sector to get the most value out of their brands, especially regarding multimedia marketing rights and sponsorships. He says schools should reexamine their media agreements, because the growth of social media and other digital outlets has increased the amount of inventory schools can offer, and the value of cross-vertical content has skyrocketed.

“For the very same reason they chose to delegate advertising sales in the first place, universities have difficulty vetting the value of what they’re giving away; they’re rightfully preoccupied with the education of their students,” Raij writes. “But without a real understanding of the assets they’re selling, schools will continue to find themselves in a feeble negotiating position.