Publication date: October 4, 2024
Ilitch Sports+Entertainment, a division of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, and Wayne State University Athletics today announced a partnership in which IS+E will become the Warriors’ exclusive sports marketing agency. Through the multi-year partnership, IS+E’s Corporate Partnerships team will manage sponsorship sales on behalf of Wayne State Athletics in addition to strategic planning for partner activation.
Similar models are prevalent throughout the worlds of intercollegiate athletics and professional sports, with athletic departments, teams, and venues partnering with third-party brand management agencies to market and activate services such as corporate partnerships. I am. By working with IS+E’s experienced team, Wayne State College of Athletics will have access to innovative approaches and best practices that maximize brand exposure and revenue opportunities for the athletic department, while also providing corporate partners with Deliver dynamic experiences and high-value visibility.
“We are excited to announce this innovative partnership with Wayne State Athletics,” said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment. “Our Corporate Partnerships team, under the leadership of Chief Commercial Officer Chris Coffman, will continue to grow Wayne State Athletics’ brand presence throughout Metro Detroit in a new and dynamic era for intercollegiate athletics. I am doing my best to make it happen.โ
โWe are very excited about our partnership with Ilitch Sports and Entertainment,โ said WSU Director of Athletics Erica Wallace. “Together, we will support our student-athletes and athletic programs by creating unique branding opportunities for our corporate partners across Detroit. Wayne State University is located just down the street from Little Caesars Arena and Comerica Park. Leveraging our combined collegiate sports and professional sports platforms in the city we all call home, we have seen many partners in the past. We can provide unprecedented opportunities and enhance the fan experience.โ
WSU Athletics attracts the best students locally and from around the world to Wayne State. Athletic scholarships are an important source of financial support, enabling the department’s more than 400 student-athletes to pursue higher education degrees from among 375 academic programs.
Wayne State University’s athletic campus at Warren Avenue and Trumbull Avenue includes Tom Adams Field, home of the Warriors football team, and the three-year-old, $28 million Wayne State Fieldhouse, which serves as the home of Wayne State men’s and women’s basketball. Included. The Motor City Cruise is a G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. Since 2010, six new buildings have been added to WSU’s athletics campus.
Wayne State University sponsors 18 collegiate sports, most of which compete at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The fencing program participates in the Central University Fencing Conference along with Ohio State University and Northwestern University. The Warriors have won 44 conference titles over the past 17 years, produced 11 national championship teams, and produced two Olympians (saber fencer Ziad El-Sisi and epilist Mahmoud Saleh) in Paris this summer. are.
The success of WSU’s student-athletes is evidenced by each team boasting a GPA of at least 3.11, with a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.45. WSU’s student-athlete Academic Success Rate (ASR) is 78%. The Athletic Department recently received the GLIAC Community Service Award for its contributions to the community.
The Ilitch organization and Wayne State University have a long-standing relationship, including the opening of the Mike Ilitch School of Business in 2018, made possible by a $40 million gift from Mike and Marian Ilitch. The gift remains the largest in the school’s history and highlights the Ilitch family’s lifelong dedication to promoting entrepreneurship, education and the revitalization of Detroit.
Since announcing this gift, Wayne State University’s School of Business has launched new programs in Sports and Entertainment Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and created even more opportunities for students to immerse themselves in Detroit’s business community.
The IS+E Corporate Partnerships team builds partnerships with companies and leverages the Red Wings and Tigers’ iconic brands to advance their business goals. The division includes Sales, Activation and Solutions, and the team manages sponsorship relationships at Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, the historic Fox Theater, Pine Knob Music Theater and other entertainment venues throughout Metro Detroit. I am.