(Snapchat) Although the rules vary by Division and sport, recruiting new players through social media is now the accepted and likely the preferred norm. Coaches are allowed to privately message students through Facebook and/or Twitter accounts, and have become increasingly reliant on Instagram and YouTube to highlight campus perks. Since many of the up-and-coming high school athletes have been raised in a social media bubble, it is a wise move on the part of coaches and recruiters alike to reach out to athletes through their preferred communication platform. Additionally, contact through a Twitter or Facebook message has the potential to feel more personal than a generic “we want you” mailer. Forging this connection is smart, and it just makes...
“From the day a child is born in Kentucky, they are a fan.” “Kentucky basketball is so much of how I identify myself as an American.” “It can’t put in words what Kentucky fans are, they are the best fans in college basketball and in basketball history” “I love Kentucky basketball better than I do […]
Jabari Parker (Left) and Andrew Wiggins (Right) were the consensus top two players in the Class of 2013 and look to be high picks in the 2014 NBA Draft. (USA Today Sports) In 2003, a high school senior from Ohio signed an endorsement deal with Nike worth $90 million over seven years. Although he was projected to be the number one pick in that year’s NBA Draft, he hadn’t played a minute of professional basketball at the time of the deal. Yet, something about him convinced Nike to take a huge risk and give him the largest initial contract ever to an unproven professional. That high school senior was LeBron James, and for Nike, the risk paid off. James is...
Collegiate athletics’ reach and interest is at an all-time high. Fans support their alma maters no matter where their careers take them. Just last year, UCLA Bruins fans flocked the new Pauley Pavilion by 3,196 more than their average attendance during basketball season. In football, nearly 49 million people attended games across the 644 NCAA […]
Basketball, like any sport, is a shared experience. It isn’t just about watching and playing the game. It’s about imparting this passion to all those who also share the same love for it . Tonight, the NBA opens a new season filled with compelling storylines abound. Will LeBron James complete a three-peat? Can Derrick Rose […]
