Monday there was a huge article in the New York Times with Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott making an “unprecedented” trip to China to look at opportunities for the league there. While Scott has done a yeoman’s job raising the level of respect and interest in his run as commish, the thought of “unprecedented” was great buzz for the conference at a time when coverage was a bit of a lull, but having those outside of the U.S. understand and adapt to the college system, even for small projects, is a large risk.
Now Universities have had foreign campuses and programs for years, and college teams have traveled abroad for games to Europe, the Far East and all around the world for just as long. One of the most memorable was when Army and Navy, led by David Robinson, squared off in Japan in the mid-1980’s. So to talk of this program as new and different is a great ploy. The problem is in the culture of sport in the rest of the world vs. the American system. The club system, where young people play sport, has always worked well outside of the United States, making colleges a place for study, not as much for athletics. Even in Canada, the college system for athletics is changing but is nowhere near what goes on in the U.S. To try and change that system would take years and millions and in the end probably would not do much for good will or sport business. In reality, the best efforts being made by schools, especially those with large non-American populations, is to look to assimilate sport on the club level for students to enjoy while they are in the States, and then make sure students enjoy the experience of overall college life, while they study here, not really vice versa.
As a result, club sports like rugby and cricket are on the rise at colleges across the United States, as students take the time to enjoy their own cultural athletic events, much like those students from U.S. schools studying abroad might enjoy a game of catch while away from the country. The experience of U.S. student-athletes playing abroad should be part of their culture of learning what the rest of the world is, not trying to impose American collegiate sport on those in the country. Is there a market for college sports television off the American soil? Maybe, but that market will probably grow faster in a digital space than on broadcast TV, where most fans of sport will probably look to the NFL or NBA as their choice of fill for non-native events. Can that digital exposure help Universities looking to recruit larger student groups to America? Sure thing, although the exposure to academic programs will probably attract more visitors than a one off football game.
Another interesting opportunity for a brand like the Pac 12 is following in the footsteps of its professional counterparts in bringing new brands to market in the U.S. Like many Asian companies, the exposure to a West Coast market as an entree into the U.S. could come at less cost and even more local or regional impact than through the NBA or NFL, especially at schools with a strong population who may already be aware of the brands through their time in their native land. The combo of a large non-American student population combined with an economy of scale to enter makes the most sense, and probably would be the crux of Scott’s visit to China, versus planning for a large scale invasion of the Oregon Ducks into Beijing.
is the trip a worthwhile one for the ever-entreprenurial conference? You bet. Their aggressive push east in the last few years has probably raised more eyes and opened some additional doors on Madison Avenue, so this trip could accomplish much of the same in terms of awareness, if not games for the Pac 12 in another market prime with dollars and interested in sport.
