INDIANAPOLIS – UCSB was one of 18 institutions or conferences which was selected by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to receive a women’s basketball grant as part of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Grant Program, which is in its second year.
The 2009-10 NCAA grant program dedicated approximately $750,000 nationally to increase awareness, exposure and increase attendance of women’s basketball.
UCSB will use the grant to institute a marketing initiative that will increase attendance at women’s basketball games over the next five years. Three target audiences – families in the community, female leaders in the community and UCSB students – will be the focus of gaining larger attendance figures. UCSB will also hold a season ticket campaign engaging families in various programs as well as beginning Thunder R.O.W. (Raising Outstanding Women), a mentoring program for community youth. UCSB students will be targeted with an affinity program and a Greek competition.
“We are very pleased to have received grant money from the NCAA to help us promote our women’s basketball program,” said Executive Associate Athletics Director Diane O’Brien, who was instrumental in helping UCSB attain the grant. “Now we’ll be able to do some of the things we’ve always wanted to do to increase attendance and awareness. It’s great that the NCAA offers assistance to schools for a focused effort to advance women’s basketball. We’re excited to be a part of it.”
A total of 75 member schools and conferences submitted proposals in the second year of the pilot program. National office staff and representatives from the NCAA women’s basketball marketing consultant firm, Hawkeye Sports and Entertainment, evaluated the proposals.
“We are pleased with the success of many of last year’s grant recipients and are excited to see what these new recipients are able to achieve with this assistance,” said NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Vice President Sue Donohoe. “When resources are allocated and efforts are focused to promote women’s basketball, it can provide a meaningful return on the investment.”
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