There was a time a few years ago when the Big 12 held a one-off basketball media day in New York City. The league wasn’t playing their postseason tournament there for men’s basketball, like the ACC and Big Ten were doing, nor did they add any schools who were in the area. They used it as a day long information session about their elite coaches and athletes and their athletic directors to literally bring the presence of the schools to New York.
Why? Simple. Make it easy for brands to learn and touch and feel, give simple exposure to their coaches and athletes with media who may not make it to Kansas City for their annual tournament, and time it with targeted alumni gatherings to make sure that you were driving interest in all the goings on and not take an assumption that those casual supporters or potential partners actually knew what was going on in and around the personalities of the conference.
They did it once, pre-Pandemic, and for reasons unknown, they did not come back. Maybe it was a combination of risk vs. reward, timing of schools changing or lack of interest. Until now.
Anyone who knows current Commissioner Brett Yormark knows of his desire and drive to think big, execute big and disrupt the status quo. If it is good for exposure and bold storytelling, he and his staff are in. Case in point was this past week when the Big 12 men’s and women’s coaches and their national partners came to New York to participate in clinics at iconic Rucker Park. The one-day event, which had lots of side meetings and social engagement tied to it, put the basketball leadership of the league front and center with one of the historic centerpieces of basketball past, current, and future. It wasn’t overstated, it wasn’t all flash and dash, it was a simple, executable next step in building a bridge from the Big 12 to the business and media center of the world, and to the grassroots history of basketball with amazing visuals and storytelling.
In short, make the Big 12 and its basketball history bigger and closer tied to influencers and others in the sport by coming directly to the source, and not hoping for a chance encounter just because basketball is the best. Cut through the clutter in a unique setting and deliver the message.
Our guess is this is the first but certainly not the last time we will see a Big 12 presence coming to New York. While almost all of the power five conferences have some presence in New York, creating memorable moments away from the game, in a quieter time of year, with university brands that are recognizable but not always top of mind in the professional environment of New York sports, media and entertainment.
