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Welcome to Beyond The Sideline, the community resource for the next generation of sports business leaders.
Happy Early Thanksgiving from Beyond the Sideline!
The team didn’t want to leave any of our readers high and dry heading into the holiday, so we’re coming at you with an early, abbreviated newsletter today, with some light holiday theming.
In a week where we're all focused on family, food, and football, we just wanted to send a thank you for being part of the Beyond the Sideline community. We’re truly grateful for the opportunity to explore the intersection of sports and business with all of you each week.
This holiday is a great reminder that behind all the contracts, ratings, and revenue numbers, sports are about community and shared moments. Thank you for being a part of this one.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.
(Sorry to our international readers for the shorter newsletter, but the message applies to you too!)
Big Idea
Universities are following the real estate model of their professional sport counterparts.
The Big House. The Swamp. Death Valley. All iconic names for classic stadiums that add to the legend of college football. But in the current era, these large facilities have to drive more than memories to meet the increasing revenue demands of Division I athletics. Having such a large chunk of real estate that depends on six home games a year for the bulk of its revenue is an underperforming asset. That’s why universities are taking a page from their professional sport counterparts in exploring new ways to monetize their facilities.
Taking up the model set by The Battery in Atlanta, universities are quickly transforming single-use sports venues to multi-purpose event sites, and even to entertainment districts that can generate revenue every day of the year.
The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it. That’s what The Marketing Millennials delivers: real insights, fresh takes, and no fluff. Written by Daniel Murray, a marketer who knows what works, this newsletter cuts through the noise so you can stop guessing and start winning. Subscribe and level up your marketing game.
By The Numbers
Numbers That Jumped Off the Page: Thanksgiving Football Edition
91- It’s been 91 years since Lions owner G.A. Richards added the holiday game to the schedule. The first matchup featured the Lions and the Bears. The defending back-to-back world champion Bears beat the Lions 19-16 in front of 26,000 at the University of Detroit Stadium. Ever since, Thanksgiving Day football has stayed in Detroit, with the Lions playing every year except 1939-1944 (with a 37-45-2 record in the annual tradition).
.520- While homefield advantage is always preferred, the holiday classic’s historical record for home teams is only 122-114-12, for a .520 winning percentage. Compare that to the league's historical average of an estimated .570-.600, and maybe the idea of being the host on Turkey Day doesn’t sound so appealing.
1- Only 1 loser of the Turkey Bowl has gone on to win the Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys in 1993. While it’s not too often teams that play on Thanksgiving even make the Super Bowl, losing on the 4th Thursday in November has proven to be a massive obstacle to overcome.
The Highlight Reel
Catch up on our most-read articles from previous weeks
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