Leveraging DIII Football Success

How has on-field success helped elevate the exposure of the institution and athletics? How are you tracking the impact it has on your brand, fundraising, ticket sales, enrollment, etc?

Kim Blum (University of Wisconsin – La Crosse) - The most noticeable difference about success with the football program is attendance at our home games. This has increased significantly in the past 3 years. There is additional engagement with the football-specific social media platforms as well. There is a tangible excitement surrounding the football program when they are winning – most notably amongst alumni and community members. Enrollment at our institution is strong and stable, so football success is not a variable in that regard. 

Sarah Dehring (Alma) - No matter the size of an institution, there will be a large impact when a football program is successful. After we upset Mount Union last season in the 2nd round of NCAA playoffs, I was in California visiting a colleague at another NCAA DII institution. My colleague invited me to speak to one of her classes. When I told the class that I was from Alma College, several students gasped and said, "You just beat Mount Union!" Alma College Football has made its mark on NCAA DIII football, which has directly correlated to Alma College receiving more national exposure.

Alma College Athletics works very closely with every department across campus, including but not limited to marketing, advancement, financial services, and admissions. This connection with these departments helps maximize the impact while staying consistent with our promotion of our other athletics programs. The athletics administrative team tracks our ticket sales for each game and monitors our social media and livestream engagement on a regular basis. When a team succeeds in their field of competition, it helps massively to gain exposure for the department. Simply put, people like to be associated with winning and celebrate the success of those around them in all aspects of life. Our Sports Information staff keeps tabs on Alma’s social media and livestream metrics throughout the year, with the goal on social media being a rolling growth of 2-5% in total following and general engagement.

Mike Urtz (SUNY Cortland) - The outcry of support from so many high school and college administrators and coaches has been unbelievable. It’s been coming from nearly everywhere in the Northeast. It’s been very flattering, to say the least. Our alumni have been over the top with excitement and pride…and giving for that matter. Our fundraising has seen a positive spike, to say the least. We also had an additional 2,500 applications to attend college here at Cortland this past year.

I wouldn’t say we have specific tracking in place, but some examples would be the amount of national championship gear that was sold in the weeks and months after the championship. We generated over $250K in sales. Additionally, we sold out season tickets for this fall in about 45 minutes.

Walk us through your schedule on a home football game day. Who are you meeting with? How much of the game do you watch? Where are you looking to prevent "fires?”

Blum (University of Wisconsin – La Crosse) - The operation of football requires “all hands on deck.” Several of our administrators, myself included, arrive at 8:00 a.m. for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. Oftentimes we have cars already lined up to get into the tailgate lots before us. We utilize sport management students to assist throughout the day, from set-up to tear-down and everything to make the game happen. We utilize our own athletic teams to provide the manpower for parking attendants, ticket sellers, ticket takers, and security, which requires a lot of instruction. I also greet guests who are coming to the suites. Throughout the day, I am assisting our staff with any and all needs. Typically once the game starts, I am able to spend time with our guests and alumni in between helping our staff with whatever needs to be done. I feel as though I watch very little of the game itself. Our main focus throughout a game is ensuring a safe environment for players, coaches, and fans. 

Dehring (Alma) - We are an all-hands-on deck operation on game days. I arrive early, meet with alumni or board members first thing in the morning, and then report to the front gate of Bahlke Field to assist with security and gameday flow. Two of my favorite parts of the day are being at the front gate as the football team is led by a bagpiper for their Scotsmen Walk through campus to their locker room and being there to open the front gates as the marching band enters the facility. Coach Couch and I are not superstitious, but he and I always fist bump as the team enters the field for the National Anthem.

Once things settle down at the front gates, I am in the south endzone with our students, alumni and friends watching the game. 

Occasionally, I get pulled from where I stand in the south endzone to deal with “fires,” but most of the incidents on game day happen in the south endzone anyway. One of the main reasons I stand in that space is so I can assist our security team in monitoring the crowd. At the start of our first home game a few seasons ago, we did have an actual fire in our main athletics building. That was the first and only time since Jason Couch has been our coach that we did not fist bump as the team entered the field. We made up for it at halftime though!

Urtz (SUNY Cortland) - I am blessed with a wonderful team and staff that help deliver on each and every home game. I really can’t take any of the credit as two of my associate athletic directors handle all of the game day management. We also have a fantastic team within Facilities that plays a role in this. Then you add on our Sports Information team to assist in delivering the game to so many. Finally, we have a Development Team, led by our VP, here at each game looking to entertain guests and alums. It’s quite a process, to be honest. Too much to write. I typically meet with donors and friends of football early in the game, then hope to make my way to the sidelines for the second half.

While your current coach has had success, how are you thinking about the future of the program to either keep your current coach, plan for succession, etc.?

Blum (University of Wisconsin – La Crosse) - Whether it is the football coach or the coach of any other program, if they are providing an experience for our student-athletes that is impactful, then we want to do our best to retain that person. I always advocate for that person to stay based on what is important to them in their decision-making process. Being in the state system makes that a complex thing to navigate, and sometimes that is not possible. It is always a fear of mine that a good coach I care about very much will be offered new opportunities to further their career. We understand and support this, even though it might not be best for UWL in the moment. We have a strong university and a historical athletic tradition that is attractive to coaches, so I try to stay confident that we will continue to move our programs forward even though we may be turning the page. That being said, I always remain hopeful that our coaches will stay here and continue to build on the tradition we have here and keep providing amazing experiences for our student-athletes. Coach Janus does an excellent job in all aspects of the program – success on the field, shaping culture, helping men grow, and graduating students.

Dehring (Alma) - Consistency in coaching is critical for a program's success. Jason Couch has done an unbelievable job creating the KILTstyle culture within the team, staff, alumni, and friends of the program. The institution is committed to keeping good people that have a strong, positive influence on Alma College. With that said, as an alum, Jason Couch is very committed to the current and future successes of Alma College. If Jason were to leave Alma College, he is committed to leaving it in a place where the next head coach can continue the success of the program.

Urtz (SUNY Cortland) - Every AD is constantly thinking of this, or should be anyway. Let’s just say I will do everything I can to keep who we have here, but I also need to keep my eyes open on who’s doing what at other campuses and keep my ear to the ground in the event we encounter a change here.

What is your communication or meeting schedule with your head coach in-season? How are those conversations structured?

Blum (University of Wisconsin – La Crosse) - I meet with our head football coach formally once a week during the season, and perhaps a little less in the off-season. Our coaches can track me down at any time if they need something. Our conversations are very informal in our set meetings. Coaches have the chance to let me know what’s happening on and off the field. I might have some questions about the team or the players as well. We strategize issues and concerns as they arise. The post-season evaluation meeting has a formal structure to it.

Dehring (Alma) - We have regularly scheduled one-on-ones throughout the entire year. During the season, we meet quite a bit more, on an as-needed basis. On average, we are connecting informally every day, but more formally around once a week.

I believe it is important to meet a coach or staff member in their space, so I go to Jason's office. He prepares a list of items to discuss with me, and I follow up with a list of items to discuss with him. If anything needs follow-up, we try to follow up within 24 to 48 hours. As things come up, we text to see when the other is available or swing by each other's office. Once we are through both of our lists, we talk casually about things like family, travel, etc. Our relationship is not all work. I believe it is important to know the people you are working with to build and grow trust and a consistent culture.

Urtz (SUNY Cortland) - Informal and a few times a week. It’s more about a check-in and giving support. I like to check in with coaches on their time, not mine.

How do you incorporate your coach into plans to leverage success without distracting from the program?

Blum (University of Wisconsin – La Crosse) - Our coach lets me know what he needs to help him make the experience for the football team the best they can be. I feel that I have a handle on what those needs are and advocate accordingly. I’m not sure that I would specifically leverage wins and losses to advance our program, but rather advocate for the needs of the student-athletes to be able to continue to compete at the national level (i.e., extended travel). I respect the strong vision that Coach Janus has for the program while honoring the long history of football at UWL.

Dehring (Alma) - Jason Couch is one of a kind. He has so much care and love for the players on the team and the institution. He is always reaching out to discuss ways to improve the success of Alma College overall. During the season, I think it is a welcomed distraction to discuss other things. With that said, at the end of the day, his number one goal is to win games. He does not allow outside events, campus commitments, etc. to distract from that goal.

Urtz (SUNY Cortland) - We are blessed here with a coach that truly gets the big picture and is always willing to provide extra time where he’s wanted. He is a true team player for the entire college and community when it comes to that. He does so much more than just coach football for Cortland. We are blessed to have him on our team.