j410 university of oregon ad and pr research project

University of Oregon Baseball

2009 Study on Baseball Marketing at the

University of Oregon

Researched and Written by Ruth Hickok, Chris Jun Yu, Alison Kieley, and Katelyn Thompson

2009 Study on Baseball Marketing at the University of Oregon

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 1 Introduction ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 2 Preliminary Research The College Sports Industry History ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 3 Trends ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 4 Market Size˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 7 University of Oregon's Market Size ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 8 Industry Leaders˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 9 Market Share ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 10 Baseball at the University of Oregon History of Baseball at UO ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 11 The Team˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳12 Price and Sales Figures ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 13 Publicity˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 14 SWOT Analysis˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳15 Competition˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳17 Primary Research In-Depth Interviews Sari Gardner˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳21 Silvia Luu˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 25 Focus Group Research Questions˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 28 Method˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳28 Results˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳29 Conclusions/Recommendations˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 29 Limitations˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 30 Survey Research Questions˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 31 Method˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 31 Results˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 33 Conclusions/Recommendations˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 33 Limitations˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 35 Recommendations˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 36 Works Cited˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ ˳ 40 Appendix A: Interview with Sari Gardner Appendix B: Interview with Silvia Luu Appendix C: Focus Group Results Appendix D: Survey Results, Including Graphs


Executive Summary


This year baseball returned to the University of Oregon after a 28 year hiatus. Although the regular season tickets have already sold out, there is a need for increased student support. Our team sought to research and recommend ways to increase student attendance at baseball games. The potential student market was evaluated by gathering and analyzing secondary research for the UO sports industry, history, market trends and competition. This research was then used to conduct primary research, including in-depth interviews, a focus group, and a student survey. The research findings include the following: • One of the most common trends in college sports is academic institutions becoming

increasingly entrepreneurial through branding. Collegiate sports are acting as businesses, conducting vertical integration. This branding increases awareness and generates support from both students and the surrounding communities.

• According to market trends, the motivations for attending NCAA • Division 1 sports are winning, socializing and tradition. • Promotions have been effective at increasing game attendance. A variety of

promotion types are available. • With 500 student seats available at P.K. Stadium, 2.3% of the student body of the

University of Oregon will fill the student section. An estimated minimum 15,000 students will attend a UO sporting event at one point during their college career.

• The direct competitors facing the UO baseball team include track & field, tennis and softball. The indirect competitors include academics, jobs and drinking. • Primary research found that students regarded baseball games as a socializing event. Students were overwhelming aware of the new baseball team and were curious about about the experience it offered. • In order to be successful, the UO baseball team needs to establish an identity. This

could be accomplished by focusing on a specific team strength or through use of a figurehead.

• Greek Life at the University of Oregon, comprising 9% of the student body, offers a significant opportunity for large attendance numbers. • With spring approaching, students are eager to spend time outside. This creates an

opportunity for baseball marketing.

Introduction



This year the baseball returned to the University of Oregon after a 28-year haitus.

The team has already acquired champsionship-winning coach George Horton, and had

the second best recruiting classes in the nation. However, marketing efforts are needed to

promote student attendance at the baseball games by building both short-term and long-

term loyalty. With 500 student tickets to be given out for each game held at P.K Park,

the baseball team is looking to create a strong student fan base. Student support will be

vital in establishing a solid image for UO baseball

The data collected from the research was analyzed in order to facilitate a

marketing plan that will encourage students to attend UO baseball games. Not only is

there potential for increased in attendance, but effective marketing could establish an

identity for the baseball that would translate into national attention.

To achieve these goals, data was collected through both primary and secondary

research. First, the UO baseball industry was analyzed, including the history, market size

and trends of other teams. In addition, the competition was looked at, including its

possible impact on the future of UO baseball. Primary research was collected to fill the

gaps left by the secondary research. The primary research began with a focus group and

multiple in-depth interview to understand the target audience. A survey was then

constructed based on the qualitative findings. Parallels were then drawn between the

primary and our hypotheses that had been developed before conducting the survey.

Recommendations were then given based on the research.

Preliminary Research


The College Sports Industry

History Sports has become a major part of the college atmosphere, community and

lifestyle. Today the majority of college students will attend at least one sporting event

throughout their college career. With the increasing attention that athletic departments

have received, the impact that sports has on the university experience can only be

expected to increase.

The public perception of a university's athletics has an enormous impact on the

perception of the university itself (Lee). The sports department has historically been a

defining part of the branding of an academic institution. Good public perception can help

a university recruit students and athletes while giving the university opportunities for

development with stakeholders or alumni (Lee). Therefore, the branding of a university's

athletic department has a great influence on the success and awareness level of the

university.

With the growing importance of sports on college campuses, the National College

Athletics Association (NCAA) was created to govern rules, objectives, and standards of

the college sports industry. The NCAA was founded in 1906 with the core purpose to

“govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manor, and to integrate

intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the

student-athlete is paramount” (NCAAstudent.org). Today the NCAA consists of over

1,200 colleges, universities, conferences and non-profit amateur athletic organizations,

aiming to enhance the experience of college sports and guard its integrity

(NCAAstudent.org). The NCAA continues to promote the theory that college athletics

help to create more well-rounded students ready to succeed in the world outside of


college (NCAAstudent.org). The NCAA sees college athletics as a catalyst for the

student athlete to perform well in the rest of his or her life.

The NCAA is divided into divisions, allowing like teams to compete against each

other (NCAAstudent.org). Each division has its own requirements and guidelines

(NCAAstudent.org). Each school decides for itself which division it competes in based

on athletic philosophies, campus enrollment, financial assets and fan support estimates

(NCAAstudent.org).

Trends One of the largest trends in college sports is the use of sports teams for university

branding. While this is not a new trend, academic institutions are becoming increasingly

entrepreneurial (Lee). With the financial wellbeing and academic success of colleges

becoming more dependent on the branding provided by the athletic departments, colleges

are seeking out opportunities to increase sports awareness and exposure in order to

increase revenue (Lee).

A case study was conducted at Troy University in order to assess the

successfulness of various athletic branding techniques. Troy University had gone

through a number of different mascots and titles throughout the years and, after moving

from Division II to Division I, needed to re-brand itself (Lee). Troy University spent

millions of dollars building new athletic and academic facilities (Lee). The university

arranged for its first nationally televised football game and began to produce merchandise

featuring the new look and logo (Lee). Troy University's re-branding process through the

athletic programs was considered a huge success because of the awareness it generated.

Many other universities nationwide have followed this trend, using the athletic

department to re-brand universities in order to increase exposure


Perhaps the most important trend in college sports marketing is creation and use

of the “Sports Fan Motivation Scale.” Marketing researchers created a study to discover

what motivated a college student to go to a division I NCAA game (Bristow).

Researchers found that there are three motivation factors for college students to attend

division I sporting events: Winning, socialization and history/tradition (Bristow). The

specific motivation factor depends on the place, time and student (Bristow). The study

allowed the industry to identify key factors in why students attend games.

By informing the industry of the trends in students' behavior in relation to division

I game attendance, marketers were given more accurate knowledge to reach their

audience. For example, if the fan segment goes to the game to watch their team win, the

marketing strategist should focus on the competitive nature and promising future of the

team (Bristow). However, if the fan goes to the game because of the social aspect of the

sporting event, the marketers should focus on the tailgate parties and other group

activities that take place before, during and after the game (Bristow). Finally, if the fan is

going to the game because of the historical/traditional aspect of the team, game or school,

and the sport is relatively new to the university, the marketing should focus on the

history/tradition of the university itself, or the traditions of other more established sports

at the school (Bristow). The university could also focus on the new team and its growth

and development into a new exciting tradition that the audience can be a part of

(Bristow).

Promotions have become another popular means of increasing attendance at

football games. Promotions can include freebies, themes such as “Black Outs,” cause-

based publicity, or corporate sponsorships. Theme days, particularly when combined


with freebies, have been effective at drawing large crowds to games. The University of

Oregon's football “Black Out” is an example of such a success (GoDucks). On

November 15th, 2008 students attending the game against Arizona were encouraged to

wear all black (GoDucks). Black hats were provided by the football team (GoDucks). A

Facebook group was created to spread the word (GoDucks). Not only did it generate

school spirit, but it also encouraged excitement about the game (GoDucks). Other

schools, including Oregon State University, have hosted such events.

With the popular emphasis on “Green Living” and wellness, more sports teams

are turning to cause-based promotions. One particularly effective example was the

Oregon State University gymnastics team's “Pink Meet” to support breast and cervical

cancer awareness (Burnett). At this event the team changed their uniforms to pink for

one competition, and the first 1,000 fans through the door were given “Pink Out” t-shirts

(Burnett). The event was able to increase student attendance and resulted in a season high

of 3,527 fans (Burnett).

Finally, another major trend in the industry is the continued growth that is taking

place nationally. Since 1989 there have been a net increase of 194 mens sports teams to

the NCAA and 2288 women’s teams (DeHass). An NCAA found that 2006-07

participation for both men and women in college sports were at an all time high,

surpassing 400,000 participants (DeHass).

Market Size: The vast majority of U.S. colleges and universities have affiliated sports

programs. One of the most profitable sports is football, but colleges have expanded

athletic programs to include sports such as tennis, sailing, lacrosse, and rugby. These


college sports programs aim to target three primary groups: students, alumni, and the

surrounding communities.

According to the U.S. Census, there are currently over 12 ½ million full time

college students (US Census). The number of students in college has grown

astronomically and is expected to increase over the next decade (US Census). American

colleges have developed to include sports as a fundamental aspect of the college

experience, which means that more students are being encouraged to attend sporting

events during their college careers.

With the increased number of students in college, the number of alumni continues

to grow as well. Approximately 2 million students will graduate each year from a 4-year

program, resulting in approximately 20 million new alumni in a decade (US Census).

With many of these alumni continuing to support their alma mater, both financially and

by cheering for the sports teams, colleges can expect an increased number of alumni

sports fans in the near future.

Finally, the communities surrounding an education institution typically support

that college or university. Due to the broad definition of what the surrounding

community many include, there is no effective way of measuring it. It could include fans

from the immediate neighborhood to those living in neighboring states.

With the increasingly growing student bodies and alumni bases, along with the

broad definition of what a surrounding community might involve, the market size for

each college sports programs is truly unlimited.

University of Oregon's Market Size: In the fall of 2008, the University of Oregon had 21,507 full-time enrolled

students (Oregon University System). Based on the research findings that will be


discussed later, it can be estimated that a minimum of 15,000 of these students, will

attend a University of Oregon sporting event at some point during their college career.

This is enough students to fill two and a half MacArthur Courts (GoDucks). This is

based on the conservative estimate that at least 75% of the student body attends at least

one game while a student at the university.

With the increase in enrollment comes an increase in alumni. It can be estimated

that at least 3,500 students will graduate from the University of Oregon this year, adding

to the alumni base (Oregon University System). With enrollment expected to increase

and the natural passage of time, the alumni for the University of Oregon will continue to

grow rapidly.

The University of Oregon's surrounding community continues to grow as well.

There has been an increase in the population of Oregon. As of 2008, Eugene has a

population of 154,690 (Portland State University Population Research Center). Corvallis,

due to its proximity to the University of Oregon and despite the rivalry with Oregon State

University, can also be expected to contribute at least some supporters. Corvallis

currently has a population of 54,890 citizens (City of Corvallis). Portland can also be

expected to have strong fans; many University of Oregon alumni move to Portland,

creating a strong fan base. As of 2008, Portland held a population of 575,930 citizens

(Portland State University Population Research Center). With the increase in population

expected to continue over the next few years, it can be assumed that these surrounding

communities will continue to grow.

Industry Leaders: The sports team that consistently attracts the most viewers is Michigan's football

team. Michigan Stadium has an official capacity of 106,201 viewers, nearly double that


of Autzen Stadium (GoDucks, University of Michigan Athletics Department). Crowds

often exceed 111,000 fans per game (Bentley Historic Library, University of Michigan

Athletics Department). Michigan holds the NCAA record for largest number of fans in

football game history, when on November 22, 2003 112,118 people attended the game

against rival Ohio State (Bentley Historic Library, NCAA, University of Michigan

Athletics Department).

The college baseball field that attracts the most viewers is Dudy Noble Field and

Polk-DeMent Stadium at Mississippi State University (Mississippi State University

Bulldogs Official Athletics Department). The stadium seats approximately 7,200, more

than three and a half times greater than the current capacity of PK Park (Mississippi State

University Bulldogs Official Athletics Department). The stadium holds the NCAA for the

largest crowd at a baseball game when 14,991 fans attended the April 22, 1987 game

again Florida (Mississippi State University Bulldogs Official Athletics Department,

NCAA).

In 2008, Fresno State beat Georgia to win the College Baseball National

Championship. Oregon State had won the championship the previous two years

(NCAA). Arizona was ranked as having the #1 recruitment class for 2008, with Oregon

ranked as #2; rival Oregon State was ranked as having only the 12th best recruitment

class (NCAA).

Currently North Carolina is ranked as having the #1 baseball team in the county

by the USA Today/ESPN poll (NCAA). Oregon State is ranked as #27 (NCAA). The

University of Oregon is currently unranked (NCAA).

Market Share:


For its starting season, PK Stadium is designed to seat 2,000 fans (GoDucks).

Five hundred students seats are reserved, or enough for 2.325% of the student body

(GoDucks, Oregon University System).

This is comparable to the University of Oregon's biggest rival, Oregon State

University's Goss Stadium at Coleman Field (Oregon State Official Athletics Site). Goss

stadium can seat 2,789, though can be expanded to allow for crowds exceeding 3,000

(NCAA, Oregon State Official Athletics Site). However, Oregon State University has a

more established program and has won two national championships in the past decade,

which makes it more likely to attract fans (NCAA). Like PK Park, Goss Stadium has 500

reserved student seats reserved for students, making it able to hold 2.461% of the student

population each game (Oregon State Official Athletics Site).

Preliminary Research

Baseball at the University of Oregon

The History of Baseball at UO: The University of Oregon immediately recognized the importance of sports. The

first University of Oregon baseball team was created in 1876, the year the university was

founded. The first game was played against Monmouth College in February of 1877,

officially establishing the University of Oregon as a competitive baseball team (Scott et


al.). Though UO had maintained baseball team since the onset, it has faded in and out

obscurity, falling off the map until the mid-1890s. By the 1905, the UO had once again

established itself as a fierce baseball competitor, winning the first international

intercollegiate contest held in Oregon against Waseda University of Tokyo, Japan. This

championship led to 12 others from 1935 to 1974 within the PCC-North Division (Scott

et al.).

While baseball was hard to sustain at the university, it continued to produce

figureheads within the baseball community. UO has produced 22 professional baseball

players that have made it to the major leagues, the latest being Tom Dodd in 1979

(Baseball-Almanac).

The UO baseball program has also produced several prominent coaches that

standout in Oregon baseball history. Coach William Reinhart, 1924-1935, was the first

coach to establish Oregon baseball as a fierce competitor within the PCC-North Division.

After a three year losing streak Reinhart led the Ducks to a North Division title three

times before his retirement in 1935. Don Kirsch, 1948-1970, made Oregon Baseball

history after leading the UO “Webfoots” to 23 straight winning seasons, five Northern

Division titles, and 7th place in the NCAA tournament in 1954. In 1970 he was elected

into the American Association of College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. Mel Krause

took Kirsch’s place from 1971 to 1981, leading the Ducks to its last Northern Division

title. He was the last coach for the UO Varsity Team before it was dismantled (Oregon

Stadium Campaign).

The end of baseball at UO came in 1981 when University President Paul Olum

announced that baseball, along with men’s gymnastics, women’s golf and soccer, was


being cut. There were several factors to this decision. The university stated that funding

issues arose because of inflation, making equipment, travel, food and lodging too

expensive to provide. Budget cuts also meant that baseball scholarships were being cut,

which would make recruiting efforts unsuccessful. The main reason baseball was

removed from the university’s athletic program was because Title IX was put into effect.

Title IX was created to give women’s sports more funding in order to place them at an

equal level with men’s sports. Once athletic budgets had to be reprioritized, those sports

that could not compete nationally were the first to go (Scott et al.).

The Team: Within the past two years the UO Athletic Department has made a big push to

bring back baseball. For the first time since 1981, the University of Oregon now has its

own team, led by a group of all-star coaches. This year’s team is made of 35 players,

including 17 freshmen, 3 sophomores, 12 juniors and 2 seniors. The athletic department

has put forth a tremendous effort to find the best coach to jump start baseball at UO,

allowing UO to once again assert itself as a fierce competitor (GoDucks).

On September 1, 2007 it was announced that George Horton would be the new

coach for the UO baseball team. Horton, a former College World Series champion and

two-time National Coach of the Year, spent 11 seasons coaching one of the best teams in

the nation, Cal State Fullerton, before agreeing to take the position in Eugene. During

Horton’s time coaching the Titans he steered them to six appearances in the College

World Series (GoDucks). The athletic department is hoping that he can lead the new UO

team to similar success.

Assistant Coaches Andrew Checketts and Mike Kirby, Director of Baseball

Operations Luke Emanuel, and Volunteer Assistant Bryson LeBlanc will accompany


Horton. Checketts is the team's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, and has already

made headway by recruiting two top-10 rankings from Collegiate Baseball’s and

Baseball America’s pre-season publications. Checkett has an outstanding record of

picking 29 pitchers who have gone on to the pros, seven of whom were chosen in 2007.

Mike Kirby was Horton’s assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton for eight years before

coming to Eugene. Kirby coached the 1995 College World Championship squad and

made four College World Series while working with the Titans. Emanuel has experience

working with youth sports teams and interned for a year at a sports agency in Washington

D.C. (GoDucks).

Price and Sales Figures: To accompany the new team, the university has spent $15 million building a new

stadium. From 1936 to 1981 the university held its baseball games at Howe Field, but

when the baseball team was dismantled it was converted to a women’s softball field. The

goal was to have the stadium completed in time to welcome the 2009 baseball team.

Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny, along with other donors, made substantial contributions

to raise funds for the new field. To honor the athletic director’s efforts, the stadium was

named P.K. Park (May).

The new stadium will be used jointly by the UO varsity team and the Emeralds

minor league team, which will be invited to play there in the summer. The new stadium is

a significant upgrade from Civic Stadium, the Emeralds current home stadium. Neither

team will have to worry rained outs because of the stadium design’s incorporation of

artificial turf. The turf, which covers the entire field except for the pitcher’s mound, will

drain water more effectively than traditional baseball fields and prevent the dangerous

water accumulation that can cancel games. In addition to preventing games from being


canceled due to rain, the field will be a unique selling point when recruiting new players.

Once completed, the new stadium will seat about 5,000 people, about 1,000 less people

than the Civic Stadium (May).

In order for the team to be self-sustainable, advertising and ticket sales will cover

the cost of recruiting the best players, provided scholarships, paying staff, supplying

equipment and running the facility. While student tickets are free, general admission

tickets are $6-8. Season passes are $180 for adults with staff, children and senior citizens

receiving discounted prices. The seat that overlooks home plate will cost $205 for a

season ticket. Ticket sales for the civil war games in PGE Park will be $14-25 for general

admission (GoDucks).

Publicity: The athletic department has already made significant efforts to publicize the

university’s efforts and generate buzz about the new team. Jerry Allen and Brian Prawitz

will be the radio broadcast team that will announce this year’s games. Several radio

stations have signed on to broadcast the games, including those in the surrounding areas

of Portland, Roseburg, Coos Bay and Brookings. Oregon Sports Network has also agreed

to televise 15 games throughout the season (GoDucks).

A lot of buzz has been generated about the new stadium, including its new

features and design. To keep the public involved and able to follow its progress, the

athletic department set up a web cam that lets people see what is happening in real time.

This allows fans to track the stadium’s progress, be involved in its creation and keep

undated reports on its features.

The athletic department is also using O-Zone, a live video feed that can be viewed

online, to show the games. This new technology allows viewers to watch On-Demand


replays, revisit historical moments in sports, watch press conferences and interviews, and

get players’ reactions after the game. While most of the university’s sports are shown on

O-Zone, only select baseball games will be aired. This will help fans stay involved in the

away games but not give them an excuse to skip the home games (GoDucks).

SWOT Analysis A variety of factors will influence thesuccess of the new baseball team.

The following is a SWOT analysis of the factors that will influence the business aspects

of the UO baseball team:

Internal Novelty and Interest

Strong Coach Excellent Recruiting

Class Socialization Aspect

New Facility

Internal No Established Team

Identity Inexperienced Players

Lack of Game Awareness

Location


External Less popular

Competitors Spring Weather

American Tradition Student Procrastination

External Other Spring Sports

successes, including Track & Field Rainy weather

Under-aged Drinking Academic demands

Job schedules Perceived as “Boring”

The greatest strength of the UO baseball team is its novelty. Students are eager to

attend the game and become a part of the new tradition. The games offer something that

they have yet to experience during their college careers. This is also aided by the

socialization aspect of baseball games.

The greatest weakness facing the baseball team is it's lack of experience. Because

of the strong influence a winning or losing season can have on fan loyalty, an

inexperienced team could have a drastic impact on fan loyalty.

The greatest opportunity for the team is the spring weather. Especially in Oregon,

where most of the school year is filled with rain and cloudy weather, any opportunity to

spend time in the sun is utilized. Students are eager to to procrastinate on their work in

favor of spending time outdoors.

The greatest threat is the possibility of bad weather. With Oregon's constantly

fluctuating weather patterns, the possibility for rain is present at all times of the year.

Students will not want to spend their time outside if it is raining, even if the baseball team

does not face the threat of rain-outs. Additionally, the team faces a threat from the

university's track & field program. Track & field competes at the same time as baseball,

and has a long history of success. If the track & field team does particularly well, it may


draw away a substantial number of fans.

Competition The University of Oregon baseball team faces two types of competition: direct

and indirect. Direct competition exists within the industry. For the UO baseball, the

direct competition includes other spring sports, including track & field, tennis, softball,

all of which are seeking student attendance at the games and meets.

Since its founding 1895, the track & field team has been the premier sport in the

University of Oregon (GoDucks). One of the UO's Track & Field programs greatest

strengths is its longstanding tradition, through which Eugene earned the nickname of

“Tracktown, USA” (GoDucks). Not only does the team have a tradition of winning, but

it also has a history of legendary figures including Prefontaine and former middle-

distance runner and Nike-founder Phil Knight. Through its history of success the team

has developed a loyal body of fans, which the UO baseball team will have difficulty

competing for.

Another advantage enjoyed by the track & field team is its location. The team's

practice and meets are held on Hayward Field, located near the dorms on the UO campus.

Hayward Field is located directly across from the freshmen dorms. The close vicinity

makes it easy for freshmen to attend the games, especially as they are admitted free of

charge. This allows new students to easily establish a loyalty that will likely continue

throughout the remainder of their college careers.

The following is a SWOT analysis of the of UO's Track & Field program:


Internal Tradition Location

Nike History Winning History Multiple Events Local Support

Internal Time Commitment Student Interested

Parking

External Student Giveaways Nike Promotions

Olympic Influence Increased Television

Coverage Internet Website

External UO Baseball Team

Softball Tennis

Weather Academics

Social Activities The tradition and history is the track & field program's greatest strength.

However, it's weakness is the fact that a track meet has multiple events, making it a

large time commitment.

The UO baseball team is also facing indirect competition from outside of the

sports industry. Academics are an indirect competitor, especially with seniors working to

complete thesis papers before graduation. Yet although the primary reason students

come to college is their education, students still have various activities that fill their spare

time. According to a survey of 162 students at College of Wooster on the activities that

take up most of their time, the number one response was, “hanging out with friends,”

followed by studying.

Although the survey asserts that spending time with friends is how students spend

their time, it fails to specify what college students are doing with their friends. However,

the mindset of an average college student is easily discernible. Alcohol is viewed as a

right of passage for a college student. “Students who said they had at least one drink in

the past 14 days spent an average 10.2 hours a week drinking, and averaged about 8.4


hours a week studying” (Marklein). It was also found that, “nearly 70% of respondents

(20,801 students) said they drank. Of those, 49.4% spent more time drinking than

studying.” Nearly half the students who drank considered studying a secondary priority.

Additionally, not all students who drink are 21, so they will not be take advantage of the

alcohol that will be provided at P.K. Park. Students may thus be deterred from attending a

UO baseball game for fear of ejection and citation for underage drinking.

The following SWOT analyses are for the two main indirect competitors:

academics and drinking:

Academics

Internal Priority

Tuition Cost Incentives Passion

Learning

Internal Stressful

Time Consuming Boring

Unappealing External

Jobs Internships

External Procrastination

Breaks Sleep

Socializing with Friends

Drinking


Internal Fun

Popularity Taste

Internal Binge-Drinking

Cost Danger/Legality

External Parties/Social Events

Dinners

External Police

Academics Jobs/Internships

The advantage that academics have over UO baseball that it is seen as a more

responsible choice, with most students regarding academics has being a higher priority

than spending time at leisurely sporting events. However, most students would rather do

anything other than study. Drinking is one such activity, but carries grave consequences

if done illegally or in excess.

Primary Research


In-Depth Interview

Sari Gardner, Eugene Emeralds Stadium Employee

Research Questions: The purpose of this interview was to find out the type crowd that baseball draws

in, as well as the type of events and/or promotions that are successful. In addition, it

sought to find out motivations for attending games.

Method An in-depth interview with Sari Gardner, an employee the Eugene Emeralds

Stadium. Gardner takes tickets at every game and observes events at the stadium before,

during and after the game. Gardner is also a University of Oregon student, giving her

further understanding of how events at the Emerald games could be used at University of

Oregon games.

The interview lasted for about an hour and included 12 questions. Most of the

questions asked were open-ended and touched on multiple relating subjects. The

interviewee was very cooperative and said she would be happy to answer any follow-up

questions. This interview took a fair amount of time because Ms. Gardner explained most

of the events that are offered at the Emeralds games with very in-depth detail.

Results For full interview results, see Appendix A.

Conclusions and Recommendations The most important insight that this data provides is that socializing is one of the

most important part of the baseball experience, especially for college students. For the

older crowd, the appeal seems to be the game and the family aspect. However, for the

college crowd, the appeal is the beer and the social scene. College students go to

Emeralds’ games to enjoy the weather and partake in an activity that is very affordable.


Another reason that people come to games is for free giveaways and fun contests.

The Eugene Emeralds team does not market or advertise their promotions well to college

students, with low student attendance likely due to low awareness. This demonstrates the

importance of the UO baseball team ensure that students are aware of not only the game

dates, but also the events, audience games, promotions, and giveaways.

College students are looking for the experience of a fun day, not a baseball game.

They are looking to go to a game, drink beer, socialize with peers and hopefully win

some prizes or eat some good food. Therefore, UO should provide fun events to generate

hype and make the game into an event for the students. However, more importantly, UO

Baseball needs to be sure that all UO students are fully aware of the team, as well as the

promotions and schedule.

Time and time again Gardner reiterated that young people come to the baseball

games for the social aspect of it; they come for more than the game. Many more young

people and students come to Emeralds games on Thursdays when “dollar beers” are

offered. This is partly for the discount on alcohol and partly because of the resulting

crowd, allowing for mingling and socialization with friends and peers.

Gardner emphasized that UO baseball needs to market the social aspect of baseball itself.

The atmosphere at a baseball game is generally very relaxed because the game is long,

slow-paced, and lacks a certain amount of action. This relaxed atmosphere allows people

enjoy an experience rather than just a game, an experience which needs to be marketed to

the students.

Gardner also suggested incorporating the largest social aspect of football,

tailgating, into the baseball experience. This would allow the team to draw a substantial


student population. Incorporating a baseball spin on tailgating would be vital for its

success. The Eugene Emerald games regularly feature barbecues held before the game,

allowing people to rent picnic tables and barbecue pits. UO baseball could further adopt

this idea by hosting a cookouts before the game, encompassing the mellow atmosphere of

baseball.

In addition to tailgating, Gardner suggests that the baseball team offer in-game

promotions. Pre- and mid-game giveaways and mini-games keep fans entertained

throughout the game. This includes featuring the beer garden, which has a natural appeal

to students. Overall, UO needs to be sure that the average student is aware of the

experience that could be had if they were to attend a UO baseball game, which is much

more than just the game.

Limitations The conclusions from this interview assume that roughly the same amount of

students will attend an Emeralds game as will attend a UO game. Therefore, the largest

imperfection is the differences between UO baseball and Emerald baseball. The Eugene

Emeralds is a minor league baseball team and not a college team. Therefore, the

Emeralds’ games take place during the summer when many university students are out of

town, making student attendance at games relatively low. However, it is impossible to

know if attendance is low because the population is lower than usual or because students

are not very interested in Emeralds Baseball. The fact that Eugene Emeralds Baseball is

not a college team could also be the reason why not many students attend. Students may

be more likely to attend a baseball game if they are invested in it or have an emotional tie

to the team through the university. These two variables could be a huge reason why the

Emeralds have a low student attendance and therefore it may not accurately represent the


amount of students who would attend a UO baseball game.

The questions that are being unanswered are the exact statistics of the attendance

at Emeralds games. The information is from a reliable source, who is excellent at

observation, but there could be a bias in the things that she notices vs. the things that get

past her. She was able to provide ballpark figures and estimations about the different

populations that attend Emerald games but she could not give exact statistics.

Primary

In-Depth Interview

Silvia Luu, Social Chair of Gamma Phi Beta, Nu Chapter


Research Questions: The purpose of this interview was to determine the involvement of Greek

members on campus in comparison with non-Greek members. In addition, it sought to

find what motivates Greek member to participate in campus events, including sporting

events. Finally, it sought to find ways that UO baseball could target Greek Life at the

University of Oregon.

Method An interview was conducted with Silvia Luu, Social Chair of Gamma Phi Beta..

The Social Chair is in charge of working with other Greek houses on campus to organize

events and increasing camaraderie. The team chose to interview someone from Greek

life because of the campus of involvement of the Greek houses and the large percentage

of students on campus participating in Greek life.

The interview lasted about 20 minutes and consisted of three main questions. The

questions were open-ended and allowed her to interpret the question and draw on her own

knowledge. The interviewee was very cooperative and eager to share her insight. She

made it clear that she was available for any followup should the need arise. However, the

interview had to remain brief due to her demanding schedule.

Results For full interview results, see Appendix B.

Conclusions and Recommendations Luu assumed that the campus involvement of students involved in Greek life was

higher than that of students who are not involved in the Greek system. The reason she

gave was that Greek members are encouraged daily to participate and attend campus

events. Members are encouraged and often rewarded for participating in sports teams

and organizations on campus. If one member from a house is a member on a team, all


members of that house will be encouraged to attend their games and support them. It is

likely that if one person in a house wants to attend an event, they will be able to find

another house member willing to attend with them, which in turn may convince others to

go. This could create a large groups of people attending an event that few would have

chosen to attend individually. Going as a group makes the event more of a social outing.

For example, large groups from Greek houses attend football games and other sporting

events together, as well as endorsements and speeches held on campus.

The reasons given for high Greek participation levels is a combination of

supporting the school, the house, and other members of Greek house, as wells as getting

the most out of the college experience. There are multiple ways that Greek students

receive information about events on campus, including Monday Night Dinner,

announcements posted throughout the Greek houses, emails, and Facebook.

Several suggestions were given for how the baseball team could encourage

members of Greek life to attend the games. One suggestion was to have a few members

from the baseball team briefly stop by all houses during Monday Night Dinner, which are

commonly used for other Greek houses and campus organizations to make

announcements. Additionally, were members of the team to go to a house, it would be

perceived as a more personal invitation and more likely to produce positive results.

Secondly she suggested that the team host a 'Greek Day' for one the games. This would

having an inter-Greek competition to see which house would have the most members

attend a single game. Some sort of prize could be given to the winning house, such as a

pizza party of a contribution to that house's philanthropy. A 'Greek Day' would also have

the benefit of drawing students to the game, making them more likely to attend a second


game. It would also be particularly effective at getting newer members of the Greek

houses to attend, particularly the freshmen and sophomores, which will make them more

willing to attend games during the rest of their college experience.

Limitations One limitation of the information provided by Luu is the question of bias. As a

member of Greek Life, Luu will be inclined to think positively of both the system and

the members. Also, as she holds a position in a sorority house and was put in a position

where she was informally representing a portion of the Greek Life system, she would feel

obligated to present Greek Life in a positive light, potentially to the point of inaccuracy.

Additionally, much of the information she gave was based on assumption without

statistical backup. Information given was based on her personal perception and had room

for leaps in judgment. For example, just because students are heavily encouraged to

participate in campus events does not directly lead to an increase in involvement.

Primary Research

Focus Group

Research Questions


The primary objective for conducting the focus group was to understand the

motivations and attitudes of the target market. Why do college students attend sporting

events? What do they think about the new baseball team at the UO? Why would they

attend a UO baseball game? Do college students attend baseball games as a socializing

venue rather than sports venue? These are questions this study attempts to answer. In

addition to collecting qualitative answers to these questions, our group was hoping to find

parallels between the information given by the focus group and the secondary research

hypothesis.

Method The sample size was eight college students at the University of Oregon. There

were five males and three females. Amongst these students, seven of the students were

seniors and one was a freshman (T.K). The focus group took place at Chris Yu's house

on a Saturday afternoon.

Before the focus group began, each person was given a piece of paper. They were

then asked to write down the first thing that came to mind when they heard the following:

baseball, UO Basketball, UO Football and George Horton. The purpose of this exercise

was to create dialogue and allow everyone to get comfortable. It was important to note

that nobody shared their answers until the end of the exercise. This was done in order to

prevent answers from being influenced or participants feeling intimidated. Afterwards,

discussion questions were presented to the group.

Results For full focus group results, see Appendix C.

Conclusions/Recommendations The results of the focus group appear to parallel the hypothesis of the secondary


research. It is evident that the students participating in the focus were were excited about

UO baseball because of the opportunity for socialization that it provided. The male

participants appeared to have more excitement and a greater sense of pride about the UO

baseball team. This may be due to a larger sample size of males than females. Despite

this excitement, the consensus amongst the group was that baseball did not compare to

the excitement of basketball and football. As a result, four of the participants labeled it as

“boring”. The females seemed more excited about the weather and the multiple options

of socializing in the sun. These findings were constructed into survey questions in order

to give more validation to these results.

The information collected from this focus group implies that the UO baseball

team is currently on a honey-moon period of excitement. It is also evident that these

college students are excited for spring because of the improved weather, and are eager to

be able to spend time outside. They look at baseball as an event that could potentially be

the new standard sporting event to attend in spring. Spring baseball could become what

fall means to college football in terms of popularity. The focus group also indicates that

the baseball teams needs to create an identity. When asked about the football team, the

participants identify with Dennis Dixon because he was the face of the UO football.

One suggestion drawn from the focus group is that the team needs to establish a

sense of identity. Since the baseball team is new, it is hard to assert a star. Another

suggestion to facilitate student attendance is to take advantage of the laid-back

atmosphere of a baseball game, such as a campaign presenting baseball as a way to

relieve stressed out college students. However, the participants emphasized that it is

important to not to transform baseball into something it is not. For example, baseball


should not be presented as a fast-paced game. Instead, the team should take advantage of

having a sport that allows attendants to have a full conversation with a friend without

missing much of the game. A potentially effective way of enhancing the laid-back

atmosphere would be to add picnic tables near the stadium reserved for students. By

taking advantage of the excitement that already exists for spring term, the UO baseball

games could become a more social environment.

Limitations A weakness of this focus group was the fact that there was not a question about

the direct competitors to UO baseball. Although the participants may not have had strong

opinions about other spring sports, it may have been beneficial to ask about their attitudes

and perceptions of other spring sports on campus, including track & field, softball or

tennis. Additionally, there was an imbalance of seniors. Having a greater balance of

student grade levels may have provided a more accurate portrait of the perceptions of the

average UO students.

Primary Research

Survey

Research Questions A survey was conducted to answer the research question of “Why do students

attend sporting events and which events are they attending?” Additionally, the survey


sought to collected quantitative data that could be compared to the qualitative data that

had been collected during the research process.

Method The research was conducted using an online survey. The survey was created on

www.SurveyMonkey.com. The website was chosen for its ease of use and familiarity

among students. In order to collect the data, a Facebook group was created. In order to

attract students, the group was entitled “Help with My Research Class” in the hope that

students would be more likely to fill out a marketing survey if they knew they were

helping a fellow classmate. One hundred and fifty students from the University of

Oregon were invited to join the group and take the survey, trying to ensure an equal

balance between all years in school. Sixty-four students responded and completed the

survey. Every person who started the survey finished it.

The Survey was as follows: 1. Are you a current student at the University of Oregon?

a) Yes – Freshman b) Yes – Sophomore c) Yes – Junior d) Yes – Senior e) Yes – Graduate f) Not at student at the University of Oregon 2. Are you involved in Greek Life?

a) Yes b) No

3. Were you aware that the University of Oregon now has a baseball team? a) Yes

b) No 4. Have you ever attended a UO sporting event?

a) Yes b) No 5. Which of the falling UO sporting events have you attended?

a) Football b) Basketball – Mens c) Basketball – Womens d) Track & Field e) Cross Country


f) Golf g) Lacrosse h) Gymnastics i) Tennis j) Volleyball k) Other (please specify) 6. What were some of the reasons you attended a UO sporting event?

a) A fan of the sport/team b) Friends were attending c) Special promotions d) Ideal weather e) Other (please specify) 7. How interested are you in baseball, 1 being not at all interested and 7 being very interested?

a) 1 b) 2

c) 3 d) 4 e) 5 f) 6 g) 7 8. Have you ever attended a baseball game?

a) Yes – High School b) Yes – College

c) Yes – Minor League d) Yes – Major League e) No, I have never attended 9. How would you rate your experience, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest?

a) 1 b) 2

c) 3 d) 4 e) 5 f) Never attended one 10. Would the availability of prizes, food, or alcohol affect your decision to attend a UO baseball game?

a) Yes – Food b) Yes – Prizes

c) Yes – Alcohol d) Yes – Other e) No Results For full survey results, see Appendix D.


Conclusions/Recommendations: Everyone who began the survey completed it. This high completion rate is

probably due to the short length of the quiz.

Most of the research collected fit in with the qualitative research conducted prior

to the survey. 90% of the students surveyed had attended at least one University of

Oregon sporting event during their college years, indicating that sporting events are a

major part of the college experience. Based on this high rate of attendance, a conservative

estimate can be made that at least 75% of students at the University of Oregon will attend

at least one sporting event during their college career. The sports that students most

commonly attend were football and men's basketball, which had been expected.

However more people than hypothesized had attended non-traditional sporting events,

such as golf, lacrosse, tennis, and rugby, indicating a high willingness to attend even

comparatively small sporting events.

Another finding that matched the qualitative research was the reasoning that

students gave for their attendance. The most common reason given was that other friends

were attending. This indicates that sporting events are primarily a social function;

students attend sporting events to hang out with their friends more often than they attend

to watch the sport. The next most common reason give was that students were a fan of

the sport and team (the University of Oregon). This indicates that as long as the games

are presented as a social opportunity and enough viewers have some interest in the sport,

students will be willing to attend the games.

One of the most notable pieces of data collected through the research was the high

level of awareness. Of the students who participated in the survey, over 93% of them

were aware that the University of Oregon had a Baseball team. This indicated that our


team's efforts need not focus on raising awareness, but should instead put effort into

encouraging students to take action and attend the games.

In addition, most students indicated at least a moderate interest in baseball. Over

90% of the surveyed students had attended at least one baseball game, and of those over

62% rated their experience as a 3 out of 5 or higher. An even more positive finding was

that none of the students ranked their experience a 1 out of 5. This shows that most

people are not only willing to attend a game, but enjoy themselves while they are there.

This would indicate that students would be open to attending at least one game, and even

more likely to attend a second game if they enjoy themselves.

One of the research findings did not align with either our secondary research or

our focus groups; of the students surveyed, only 3.4% said that they had been influenced

to attend a game because of special promotions. Despite our research and focus studies

showing that promotions can be effective means of drastically increasing crowd size, the

survey sample appeared unresponsive to the idea of promotions. Part of this may be due

to uncertainty in what a promotion entailed; one person may regard promotions as a

marketing ploy for a product that has little or no relevance to them, while another may

regard a promotion as an all stadium “Black Outs” done at football stadiums nationwide.

However, students did seem responsive to prizes, with 40.6% responding that the

availability of prizes would influence their decision to attend a game. Due to the

inconsistency of the findings with all other research, the team has decided to disregard

the negative findings on the effectiveness of promotions.

Limitations One limitation of the survey is randomization. There were limitations in place

that prevented an entirely balanced selection of invited participants. Facebook has


imposed new rules that, in an effort to prevent spam and automated friend-adding,

prevent one user from adding too many other users at any given time. This meant that

most of the participants had to be selected from the list of friends that groups members

already had. Additionally, very few graduate students were invited to participate.

Another problem was randomization. Despite the efforts to select a variety of

people, the participants in the survey still choose whether or not they participated,

making them at least partially self-selected. There could be differences in attitudes and

perceptions between the types of student that chooses to participate in surveys compared

to a student who chooses not to participate.

Recommendations

Our primary and secondary research suggests that additional efforts will need to

be made in order to sustain student attendance after the honeymoon period.

Team Identity Currently the key figurehead of the team is coach George Horton, but students

are not familiar with any of the players on the field. Students will not develop a

relationship with the team if they do not have team players to rally behind. To unify the

team and connect it to its fans, the players’ strengths need to be identified and publicized.

If the team’s identity is to be based on its offensive approach, a campaign should


highlight the team’s homerun percentages; if the teams excels at preventing players from

getting past first base, media coverage should focus on strike-outs. In addition, the team

needs a true figurehead. The UO Football team was able to rally behind Dennis Dixon,

who was so popular and recognizable that he is still featured on billboards in Eugene

despite having graduated in 2008. The UO Baseball team needs to have a similar

figurehead that students and community members will recognize and easily identify with

the team.

Creating team loyalty beyond the fact that it’s apart of the university will help sustain

students’ drive to attend games past the initial excitement.

Promotions Promotions come in various forms. One type of promotion that would be

effective in drawing students to baseball games are mid-game activities that incorporate

the crowds. This type of game involvement would be valuable in creating a crowd

connection with the team. The Emeralds have a variety of game-time entertainment that

involves the crowd in the game. These close the gap between the two main reasons for

attending a game: socializing and watching the game. These games could include

throwing tennis balls on the field, being invited onto the field, and giving audience

members the chance to hit a homerun and receive personal advice from the coach. Any

interaction between the crowd and the players will help create unity in the sport.

Another type of promotion that has been particularly effective in recent years is

cause-based promotions. Our research found that people are more willing to participate

in an event if the proceeds go to a worthwhile cause. Our secondary research showed that

blackout games where everyone, including the team, wears a certain color are wildly

popular. These types of events promote unity between the crowd and the players in a


strong effort to support a charitable organization. While a “blackout” game would be too

closely associated with football, a “Green-out” or “Pink-out” event would achieve the

same effect while being associated solely with baseball.

Another promotion that our findings showed that students were profoundly

interested in was food discounts. Our findings showed a high level of interest in the food

and beer provided at sporting events. Even though student tickets for sporting events are

free, student perceive food at games to be a costly, though appreciated, addition.

Publicizing discounts on hotdogs and/or selling discounted beers will attract students.

Part of this includes advertising the beer garden, which will not only intrigue and invite in

students, but will likely keep them entertained through the game.

Tailgating

Having a baseball-specific spin on tailgating will be valuable in creating a

tradition within baseball community of Eugene. One of the most popular parts of football

is tailgating before the game. This allows sports fans the opportunity to drink and

socialize before the game, generating team excitement and hype. To start this tradition,

the stadium could rent out free picnic tables and provide hotdogs and condiments. Fans

would arrive before the game begins to celebrate the team, and would create a highly

enjoyable tradition that the team can use to define itself.

Greek Life The Greek community on campus is steadily growing and makes up a substantial

portion of the student population. Getting even 20% of the Greek community to attend a

game would fill the student section. Creating promotional events that target Greek

students would help create a following and generate buzz about the games. Greek


students also serve as fantastic billboards because of their astounding willingness to wear

promotional t-shirts around campus and throughout the community. Some suggestions for

getting Greek Life involved are creating an All Greek Day, where all Greek members are

asked to attend, having Greek House competitions, including a contribution to the

philanthropy to the house with the most members in attendance, or having team players

go around to Monday Night Dinners so that house members can get to know the players

personally.

Take Advantage of the Natural Appeal The team need only take advantage of the natural appeal of baseball in order to

attract crowds. Sell the idea of picnic tables with good food, beer, and team merchandise.

Support and pitch the social aspect of baseball to students. Use the channels of

communication already established on campus to create awareness and keep students

informed of when the games are, including Duck-U, The Daily Emerald, and Facebook.

And lastly, exploit the sunny weather; when sunshine and spring term come around,

students are eager for a means of putting aside academic pursuits in order to just hangout.

These aspects are readily available and just have to be utilized.


Works Cited “A History of Baseball in Oregon.” Oregon Stadium Campaign. 10 February 2009. <www.oregonstadiumcampaign.com>. Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. University of Michigan Athletics. 06 Mar. 2009. <bentley.umich.edu>. Boyd, Josh, and Melissa Stahley. "Communitas/Corporatas Tensions in Organizational Rhetoric: Finding a Balance in Sports Public Relations." Journal of Public Relations Research20 (2008): 251-70. Business Source Premier. 20 Feb. 2009. Bristow, Dennis, and Kenneth Schneider. "Sports Fan Motivation Scale: Development and Testing." Marketing Management Journal13 (2003): 115-21. Ebsco. Burnett, Denny. "Gymnastics Ready for Home Confrontation." Daily Barometer [Oregon State University] 9 Feb. 2006. 19 Feb. 2009. City of Corvallis, Oregon. 06 Mar. 2009. <www.ci.corvallis.or.us>. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. 06 Mar. 2009. <www.baseballnews.com>.


DeHass, Denise M. NCAA Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report. NCAA.org. Apr. 2008. NCAA. 20 Feb. 2009 <www.ncaapublications.com>. Higgins, Jessie. "Greek Life: Record Number Rushin." Oregon Daily Emerald. 3 Oct. 2008. 23 Feb. 2009. <www.dailyemerald.com>. Kontzer, Tony. "Marketing Baseball Turns Tech." Information Week. 5 July 2004. 12 Feb. 2009. <www.informationweek.com>. Kyle, Bobette. "Target Marketing: Six Lessons From Major League Baseball." Marketing Profs. 26 Aug. 2003. 17 Feb. 2009. <www.marketingprofs.com>. Lee, Jason W., Kimberly S. Miloch, Patrick Kraft, and Lance Tatum. "Building the Brand: A Case Study of Troy University." Sports Marketing quaterly17 (2008): 178-82. Business Source Premier. Marklein, Mary Beth. "College Freshman Study Booze More Than Books." Weblog post. USA Today. 11 Mar. 2009. 11 Mar. 2009. <www.usatoday.com>. Marklein, Mary Beth. "NSSE: Assessing the Undergraduate Experience." Weblog post. USA Today. 10 Nov. 2008. 16 Feb. 2009. <.usatoday.com>. May, Jacob. "Oregon Unveils Duck Baseball's Field of Dreams". Oregon Daily Emerald. 31 January 2008. 12 February 2009. www.dailyemerald.com. Mississippi State University Bulldogs Official Athletics Site - MStateAthletics.com. Mississippi State University. 06 Mar. 2009. <www.mstateathletics.com>. NCAAStudent.org. NCAA. 04 Feb. 2009. <www.ncaastudent.org>. Oregon Ducks. 2009. Oregon Athletics. 5 March, 2009. <www.goducks.com>. Oregon State - Official Athletic Site. 2 Mar. 2009. <www.osubeavers.com>. Oregon University System. 06 Mar. 2009. <www.ous.edu>. "Portland State Population Research Center | Home." Portland State University | Home. 06 Mar. 2009. <www.pdx.edu/prc>. Scott, Blake, Ted Smith, and Mark Watson. “Baseball: Research the National Pastime.” April 27, 2004. University of Oregon Libraries.1 February 2009. Scott et al. Track Town USA Olympic Trials Hayward TrackTown USA Eugene Oregon Visitor. 06


Mar. 2009. <www.tracktownusa.com>. United States of America. US Census Bureau. Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, Education & Social Stratification Branch. Table 5. Type of College and Year Enrolled for College Students 15 Years Old and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, Attendance Status, Control of School, and Enrollment Status: October 2007. 4 Mar. 2009. 6 Mar. 2009 <www.census.gov>. University of Michigan Athletics Department. University of Michigan. 6 Mar. 2009 <www.mgoblue.com>. “University of Oregon ‘Ducks’ Major League Baseball Player Alumnus.” Baseball Almanac. 10 February 2009. < www.baseball-almanac.com>.

Appendix A Interview with Sari Gardner

The interview went as allows:

What type of a crowd does baseball in Eugene draw? Many college students? In Eugene, during the summer, baseball draws mostly families and older

gentlemen looking to watch a baseball game or have a fun family outing. The average

baseball fan is very mellow and chill. They don’t get rowdy like football fans do. There

are generally college students who attend, but much fewer than the amount of families

who attend. This could have to do with the fact that minor league ball takes place during

the summer when there are a lot of college students out of town. More college students


will attend if there is a promotion that draws them in, such as dollar beers.

What type of events and/or promotions are successful to this specific community?

The promotions and events that are successful include activities that involve the

crowd. People like to play games in hopes of winning silly little prizes. It makes the entire

experience of a baseball game much more fun for everyone. The promotions that draw

the biggest crowds include three separate promotions. First, the fireworks after the

baseball game on the Fourth of July are guaranteed to sell out the stadium every year.

Second, dollar beers help to draw in a much younger crowd. Dollar beers are on

Thursdays and there are always a lot more people in general and especially college

students. Third, the emeralds host a barbeque before certain games where you can come

and eat and drink before the game. There are even incentives provided, such as, if you

pay to barbeque, you do not have to pay to get into the actual game. This is a good time

to socialize before the game with friends and/or family.

Why do people in Eugene attend baseball games? What are their motivations?

People in Eugene attend baseball games for several different reasons. One is that

they are season ticket holders and they love to come and simply watch the game. The

other is that they want to go on a fun and relaxed outing with family or with friends.

Baseball games are a good excuse to get outside and enjoy the nice weather while

socializing with people you care about, kicking back, letting loose and maybe having a

beer or two. The relaxed environment of the baseball game allows people to just hang out

with one-another while feeling like they are doing something. It is just a simple past time

that is perfect for a sunny day and that is why people are motivated to see the game.

What are the general habits of people in this community when at a baseball game?


People are very mellow. They like to participate in fun games and bring family

and friends to socialize with. People like to sit and enjoy the weather, friends and the

game simultaneously. Socializing is a huge part of baseball games because there is so

much down-time in the game. People in this community tend to arrive at the game just as

it is beginning or just after it has begun. However, if there is a door giveaway, it will

draw a larger crowd and motivate people to arrive before the game starts.

Appendix A Interview with Silvia Luu

The interview with Silvia Luu went as follows:

How do you feel that the level of campus involvement in Greek members compares to that of students who are not involved in Greek life? My guess would by that Greek members are more actively involved in campus. Part of that reason is just because of the amount of information we receive about the events on campus. For our house endorsements everyone in the chapter has to attend at least one sponsored speech or presentation on campus; when you consider that all the sororities have to do that, it's a lot of people. We also have a bunch of campus organizations come around to Monday Night Dinners to encourage us to participate and attend in their events. There's also other houses, with each house hosting its own philanthropy. Occasionally they host other events too. There are noticeboards located throughout the house that showcase the events on campus, and we walk past those so much that I think it really encourages us to attend. Also, our chapter rewards campus involvement. Points are given to girls for participating in clubs, groups, and teams on


campus. If there's event an event that one of our members is in, a bunch of us will go to support her. And I know that type of support is not unique to our chapter. What do you think motivates Greek members to be so involved on campus? There are a lot of reasons for that. It mostly boils down to support. You're either supporting your house, supporting the school, supporting Greek Life in general, or supporting one of your house members. A huge factor for it is just showing spirit. One of our members is on the rugby team, and a lot of the girls in the house have gone to the rugby games to cheer her on. We also have girls on the running and the tennis team, and there are always girls to cheer for them. A lot of going to events, especially for sports, is also demonstrating school spirit, which is just fun. How would you recommend that the baseball team reach out to members of Greek Life? I would start by having them stop by during Monday Night Dinner. That's one of the only times where the entire house is together, so they'd be able to talk to the most people. It always helps when we get to see who is offering us the information instead of just receiving a flier. Also, All-Greek Days are really effective. Inter-Greek competitions are always popular. The baseball team could single out one game to be “Greek Day,” and offer a prize to the house with the most members who attend. The prize could be something small, like a pizza party or a $50 contribution to the house's philanthropy. T-shirts are also always popular, everyone in our house owns a ton of t-shirts from different events.

Appendix C Focus Group

The results from the focus group were as follows:

Baseball UO Basketball UO football George Horton

Mallory: Boring Marty Leunen Loud Goofy Adel: Boring Mac Court Fun Dr. Seuss Lily: Homerun Bad Dixon Who Jeff: Red Sox Terrible Tight Dunno Tyler: Boring Damn Autzen Who T.K: Boring Sucks Blount Who Willie: Yankees Defeated Dixon baseball Shaun: Dodgers Horrible Autzen Best 1) How many of you guys would consider yourselves as a “fan” of baseball? By fan, I mean you know which teams in the MLB are the best, who the best players are, who won


the college national championship, etc. Willie and Shaun are the only fans 2) For those of you that did not answer, do you enjoy baseball? In terms of enjoying the game from time to time. TK and Jeff enjoy baseball Adel, Mallory, Lily and Tyler do not enjoy baseball 3) Were you guys aware of the new baseball team here at UO? If so how did you hear about it? Everyone was aware of the new baseball team Shuan, Jeff, Willie and Tyler found out about it in their business and journalism classes. T.K, Adel, Mallory and Lily found out from other people via word of mouth. 4) How likely are you to support a baseball team if they have a losing record? By support I mean attending a few games, watching them on TV, buying apparel, knowing their actual win/loss totals, etc. Willie, Jeff and Shaun would support the baseball team regardless of their record. They even bought UO baseball caps for fashion and in support of the team. They would do their best to go to the baseball games if they are not busy with other things. Even if the team had a losing record, they would at least try and watch it on TV. TK, Tyler, Lily, Mallory and Adel would probably attend and go to the games depending on their schedule and how busy they are. They would attend games simply because it is new. 5.) What makes you guys go to UO sporting events? Why and why not? Everyone said they go for the excitement, fun, drinking , the sun, and just to hang out with friends. Everyone put particular emphasis on enjoying the sun during spring sports. In addition, all of the participating guys and Mallory said they go to UO and professional sporting events because they follow the games and consider themselves to be fans. Lily and Adel follow sports through word of mouth. They know that the basketball team is not doing well this year by hearing people talk about it. They go to games if their friends want to go, which typically only occurs when the team is performing well. 6.) If you do not attend any UO sporting events, do you watch them on TV? Depends on what they are all doing.


7.) Do you guys look forward to spring term because of the potential weather? These is a strong consensus about this. Everyone in the group is looking forward to spring team weather. As a result of the weather and general atmosphere it brings, all focus group participants feel that spring term is the best term. Shaun, “That’s when all the honeys come out and go tanning” Jeff, “It’s the perfect time just to bro out.” 8.) Would you say that you enjoy spending time out on the sun? Yes, although baseball may be boring to watch. They all enjoy playing softball or wiffleball if it is sunny outside. Everyone loves barbecue. Everyone is in a better mood during spring term. The Parties seem better. All of the girls, Shaun and Jeff enjoy going tanning. 9.) Do you guys like beer? If you enjoy a single brand then that means you guys like beer. Everyone in the focus group except for Lily and Jeff likes beer. 10.) How much are you willing to spend on beer at the stadium if you were to attend? Tyler, Shaun and Willie would be willing to spend up to $5 for beer. The rest of the focus group would not spend any money beer; They would prefer to pre-funk before the game. 11.) How serious do you guys take the UO/OSU rivalry. Willie and TK take the rivalry very seriously because their parents were UO alums and they were raised to as Duck fans.. Other answers included,“We are the better school and Corvallis sucks”; “We do not take it that seriously because we understand that we are a better school in every single aspect”; “So what if they win a couple games against us…they still have to live in Corvallis!” 12.) What will make you guys go to the UO baseball games? Everyone said they are curious and interested because baseball is new at UO. They said that they would at least attend one game to get the general feel. Deals and promotions are not big factors of going to a baseball game. If the deals and promotions are more attractive than the game itself, this sends the message that UO baseball itself is not worth going to. If the team has a good record then it could be a factor influencing them to attend games. Also, if there is a star player on the team, it might help put a face on the


team, such as what Dixon served as the figurehead for UO football. T.K said that, since he is a Freshman, he does not feel that it would be a big deal if he does not attend any games this year; he still has 3 more years to attend in the future. However, he is still curious and would probably go to the game just because its new. Jeff, Willie, and Shaun will a sense of obligation to attend at least one game since they will be graduating in the spring. Tyler, Adel, Mallory and Lily said they would attend a game if their friends were going and if the weather was sunny. 13.) If baseball where a singer/band who would it be? Coldplay because they are boring. Frank Sinatra because he represents an old school vibe, like the game of baseball.

Appendix D Survey

The results from the survey were as follows:

Number of Respondents Percentage Are you a current student at the UO? Freshmen 6 9.4 Sophomore 12 18.8 Junior 15 25 Senior 21 32.8 Graduate 1 1.6 Not a UO student 8 12.5 Are you involved in Greek Life? Yes 33 51.6 No 30 48.4 Were you aware that the University of Oregon now has a baseball team? Yes 59 93.8


No 4 6.3 Have you ever attended a UO Sporting Event? Yes 56 90.5 No 6 9.5 Which of the following UO sporting events have you attended? Football 57 98.3 Basketball – M 40 67.8 Basketball – W 12 22 Track & Field 18 30.5 Cross Country 3 5.1 Golf 1 1.7 Lacrosse 4 6.8 Gymnastics 1 1.7 Tennis 5 8.5 Volleyball 17 28.8 Other 9 15.3 Did not answer 5 7.8 What were some of the reasons you attended a UO sporting event? A fan of the sport/team 50 84.7 Friends were attending 52 88.1 Special promotions 2 3.4 Ideal Weather 15 25.4 Other 8 15.3 Did not answer 5 7.8 How interested are you in baseball, 1 being not at all interested and 7 being very interested?

1 6 10.9 2 9 14.1 3 11 17.2 4 6 9.4 5 14 21.9 6 10 15.6 7 7 10.9


Have you ever attended a baseball game? Yes - High School 42 65.6 Yes - College 13 20.3 Yes - Minor League 35 54.7 Yes - Major League 43 67.2 No, I have never attended 4 7.8 How would you rate your experience, 1 being the highest and 5 being the lowest?

1 0 0 2 2 32.3 3 16 25.8 4 23 37.1 5 17 27.4

Never attended a game 3 6.5 Did not answer 2 3.2 Would the availability of prizes, food, or alcohol affect your decision to attend a UO baseball game? Yes - Food 36 56.3 Yes - Prizes 26 40.6 Yes - Alcohol 29 45.3 Yes - Other 4 6.3 No 20 32.8

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