Boise State Moves Into Media and Other Experiences

Boise State Athletics is embarking on a daring and revolutionary expansion into the hospitality and media fields. Campus leadership has determined the athletics department must create experiences in addition to football games on the Blue.

The move last week to hire Channel 7's sports director may not get the attention of the average fan, but it's a move that shows the future of Bronco Nation. Gone are the days when athletic departments depended on earned media and their paid media partners to distribute their messages.

Boise State will now have its own media operation, complete with the ability to reach the modern consumer through videos, blogs, streaming shows, and podcasts. Distribution has become easier since the days of the printing press, and transmitters limited media operations to radio, TV, and newspapers.

Today, one can rule the world with a laptop and WIFI. By creating its content, Boise State will not only provide exclusive content to its fans but also generate additional revenue opportunities for sponsors to purchase advertising in those programs.

It will be interesting to see how many exclusives the university's official media organ receives compared to paid media partners and other media outlets. If the college limits its content to its platforms, it runs the risk of reduced coverage from different media outlets.

The expansion is not limited to the new media operation. An article in the Boise Dev details the possibilities of more hospitality programs attached to the athletics department.

Boise State recognizes the need for expansion into media and hospitality to support the newly created athletic payroll. Colleges can now pay their players directly. Boise State isn't waiting around trying to figure out how to pay for them.