The University of Michigan football program boasts a historic past, but they are only a year removed from major turmoil surrounding leadership and underperformance on the field. Since then they have hired a highly sought after coach and notable alum, Jim Harbaugh, as the head coach in 2015. The Harbaugh hiring is just part of story when it comes to helping turn around the Michigan Football program. The university has pumped new life into the program as well as other sports on campus with a major push into the digital age to help recruit and maintain top talent.
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Recruiting in the digital age has been well documented recently, with much of the conversation surrounding virtual reality. We recently covered this trend and how it is being adopted at the University of Michigan. Potential Michigan student athletes can now immerse themselves in the experiences of Ann Arbor and game day at the Big House without having to step foot on campus. High school recruits cannot visit a campus until their senior year and even then visits are limited, but with virtual tours of campus, athletic buildings, and game day these opportunities are endless.
High school and college students always want to be a part of the next wave of technology trends, and it is not just recruits at Michigan who get to be at the forefront. Current student athletes have become content producers on a website that is quickly gaining clout in the world of sports.
The Players’ Tribune is a website that was started by New York Yankees’ great and Michigan supporter, Derek Jeter, in 2014. It is a platform for professional athletes to share their stories and perspectives directly as writers and content producers. The website which features posts from super stars such as Blake Griffin and Russell Wilson partnered with the University of Michigan for the 2015-16 season, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the school’s athletic department.
A reminder that @PlayersTribune will live stream our Signing of the Stars event.
INFO » https://t.co/gNKOb6VTmx pic.twitter.com/2drFJYRffx
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) January 31, 2016
Student athletes, alumni, and even coach Harbaugh have been writing for the site since the partnership began. Having the opportunity and platform to share their own stories and experiences on a site that features massive names in professional sports is a potentially major selling point for recruits, as well as an amazing experience for their fans.
The nations top high school football talent will sign official letters of intent this Wednesday, February 3rd and The Players’ Tribune will be live streaming the University of Michigan singing day. As a part of their “Our Michigan” section all commits that are headed to Michigan will gain this huge exposure, that many would not get anywhere else; as large broadcasters such as ESPN cover only the very high profile recruits across the country. The live stream is also another way for University of Michigan fans to feel like they are a part of the action.
We’re live streaming Michigan’s #NationalSigningDay this Wednesday including guest John Harbaugh. #NewBlue
Details: https://t.co/WEAfiCzxz7
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 31, 2016
The University of Michigan is pushing the envelope in today’s world of digital recruiting. They are working to stay ahead of the technology curve on all fronts, and their partnership with The Players’ Tribune is one that could certainty elevate their standing with the tech-savvy and media minded millennials they are recruiting.
In a society were many schools look to infringe on their student athletes’ participation on social media and voicing their thoughts, the University of Michigan is giving their football, basketball, and women’s softball athletes the chance to have a unfiltered voice on a cutting edge sports media site. This is a recruiting and athlete retention tool that has staying power. When you give athletes this kind of power you also give the fans a connection with the program that is rarely offered.
Big time college sports are extremely competitive but the chance to publish an article on the same website that Kobe Bryant announced his retirement on is something that no other college program in America can offer, and this has the potential to create even more buzz and recruiting opportunities down the line.