Pac-10 Rebrands with New Logo, Media Strategy in NYC
This year, officials at the Pac-10 decided to move towards a more aggressive media outreach plan and it appears to have paid off.
It started with a new brand for the conference in the shape of a redesigned, sleeker, logo that encompasses a wave inside a mountain.
Ted Miller, Pac-10 blogger for ESPN, writes:
As I am typing this, Stewart Mandel and Andy Staples are to my left doing video for SI.com, giving their summary of the Pac-10 press conference from the W Hotel in Manhattan.
They are talking about the wide-open Pac-10 race, how the conference isn't afraid to schedule tough nonconference games, how the Pac-10 -- top-to-bottom -- might be as good as any conference in the country and how the conference seems certain to produce a leading Heisman Trophy contender.
The reason I note what these two national, non-ESPN.com writers are doing is this: Both are based on the East Coast. And both would not be doing this video together (and in coats and ties!) if the Pac-10 were again holding media day on a single afternoon inside a business-traveler hotel by LAX.
It is no accident that the conference's rebranding effort begins just a few short months before negotiating a new television contract.
The rebranding of the Pac-10 comes months before Scott and his team will sit down with television executives to hammer out the conference's new media deals. There, Scott hopes to correct an imbalance that left the Pac-10 last among the six BCS automatic-qualifying conferences in revenue. In fiscal 2009, the Pac-10 made $96.8 million. The same year, the Big Ten made $220 million. This year, the SEC distributed $209 million to its 12 member schools.
The trip out east opened the door to more national coverage but also provided four of the conference's elite quarterbacks, including Arizona's Nick Foles, an opportunity to travel to Bristol, Connecticut and visit ESPN's headquarters.
Foles to Tour ESPN HQ with Pac-10 QBs
Nick Foles will join three other Pac-10 quarterbacks at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut today as part of the conference's media push to garner more national attention.
The ESPN cycle, referred to as "the car wash," is part of a Pac-10 media push designed to get the conference more national attention. The four quarterbacks will do interviews on "SportsCenter," "First Take" and "College Football Live" and make appearances on the ESPNews and ESPNU channels. They'll meet with writers from ESPN Rise, a prep sports magazine, and take part in a podcast. [...]
Meet Rob Hankins, 4-Star LB Commit from Dallas
Check out this must-read story from the Arizona Daily Star about Rob Hankins, four star linebacker commit from Dallas.
Could Vince Young Retroactively Receive The Heisman?
This is crazy. They are completely disassociating themselves from Reggie and O.J. Mayo.
Where I Come From: EA Sports NCAA Football 2011 Available Now
This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.
I hope all of you have enjoyed this "Where I Come From" sponsorship from EA Sports. I have enjoyed writing on it and it has made me get even more excited about Arizona sports and the upcoming 2010 football season. Below is a message from EA Sports regarding the last week's worth of posts. We'll be back soon with some more updates on the 2010 season and recruiting 2010 highlights.
EA Sports:
When you go to a particular school or grow up around college football, you are more than just a fan. It’s who you are. We thought we could leverage this pride in your roots and show that "where you come from" is more than just a statement about geography. By positioning NCAA Football 11 as a game that understands this pride and is authentic to these traditions, the takeaway should be that anything that is in college football is in NCAA Football 11.
And this doesn’t just include game play (though that’s a huge part of it). It’s rivals and mascots; it’s legends and stories. It’s those things that are at the very fabric of the game itself. Of course the game is great this year as well. With authentic entrances, mascots and specific offenses for each team, the term "where I come from" takes on a much larger meaning. While playing NCAA Football 11 is ultimately a great sports sim, it should also give you a sense of the pride and emotion one has for being a fan of a team they will never not be a part of.
Upgrade the NCAA 11 Cover
July 13 marks the return of college football video games. I'm not just talking about the yearly release that's basically just a roster update and minor tweaking. The EA franchise is back and back in a big way.
For the last few years, the general consensus among hardcore sports gamers was that the franchise languished into mediocrity. But folks up and down will tell you NCAA 11 feels like a whole new game in many respects -- with flawless ESPN presentation integration, improved gameplay, more animations, online management integrated into dynasties, and so much more.
One major letdown of this year's game? The cover athlete. Just when we thought we finally got rid of Tim Tebow, he's immortalized on the front cover of NCAA 11. My initial reaction was to try to Photoshop the Tebow Tears from last year's SEC title game into the cover. No dice.
However, courtesy of Operation Sports' commenter, miami2005734, NCAA 11's cover received an upgrade in the form of Arizona corner, Trevin Wade. (Click here for full hi-res version.)
Where I Come From: Expectations for the 2010 Season
This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.
Thanks to EA Sports for sponsoring this last week's worth of posts. Football season is gearing up and expectations for the 2011 football season are high after the Cats have put together two excellent seasons. The Cats bring back plenty of returning starters on offense and defense.
Where I Come From: All Time Favorite Wildcats
This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011
I will list a few of my favorite Wildcats here but the list is longer than these three:
1. Ortege Jenkins
2. Eugene Edgerson
3. Jennie Finch







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