The business side of SLC football

gangrene · December 6, 2006

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...ll.2f5489b.html

Carroll's got spirit, and it sells

Football breathes cash into booster club's coffers and district's bottom line

11:10 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 13, 2006

By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News

SOUTHLAKE – Phil Barber, a 72-year-old member of the Dragon Council, estimates that he owns about 200 Southlake Carroll T-shirts and just as many matching caps.

Barber said it hasn't been too long since people would give him puzzled looks and ask about the origin of his apparel.

"They'd say, 'Where in the world is Southlake, Texas?' " said Barber, one of the six original members of the volunteer fan group. "Well, they dang sure know where Southlake is now. Any kind of sports nut knows."

That's because coach Todd Dodge's football program generates priceless publicity. Fox Sports Net's broadcast of Thursday's home game against Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian will be the third Carroll game in three seasons televised nationally. (The game will be shown on Ch. 21 in Dallas-Fort Worth because of a conflict with a Rangers game.) Five other Carroll games have been televised live regionally since 2002, when Carroll became a Class 5A school.

Carroll had a devoted fan base long before it became a blip on the national radar screen, dating to the days when coach Bob Ledbetter built the Dragons into a 3A powerhouse in the 1980s. And that fan base is located in an affluent, one-high school town.

The combination of pride, publicity and prosperity has created a profit-making storm. A football program that was named the mythical national champion the last two seasons is the centerpiece of the Carroll ISD's marketing strategy.

"I don't think we could create a better marketing scenario for selling, if you will, a product," said Julie Thannum, the district's director of communication and marketing. "I don't consider our kids a product. I consider the reputation and traditions of the district a product."

The trademarked Dragon logo, made famous as Carroll's helmet decal, is sold on everything from trailer hitches to toilet-seat covers.

Most of the district's schools, which all have the Dragon mascot, have spirit shops on campus. The Dragon Den, run by the booster club and located just inside the home entrance of the stadium, sells all kinds of Carroll apparel and trinkets. It does brisk business during the three hours it is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays and on game days.

Fans who attend games at Dragon Stadium are bombarded with advertisements from the moment they park. Light pole banners in the parking lot are among the dozens of spaces available for ads at the venue.

"I don't like all the commercialization and so many people trying to get a piece of pie, so to speak," said Ledbetter, adding that he became tired of arguing the issue before retiring as athletic director in 2002. "I just never thought the game was supposed to be a fundraiser for the district."

Companies can set up kiosks in the parking lot for a fee of $500 per game. The businesses pass out fliers and sell their wares to the thousands of fans who tailgate before games.

The district sells another 39 advertising spaces at the stadium, beginning with banners above the main entrance on the home side. That doesn't include the ads on the cups sold at the concession stands.

Companies can also buy public-address announcements and digital mentions on the scoreboard.

"Do I think it's a little much? Absolutely," said booster club president Jack Luna, whose son, Aaron, starred at running back for Carroll from 2002 to 2004. "It seems that some people just want to make a buck off our kids. That irritates me, but it's a necessary evil."

The naming rights for the stadium, as well as the school's indoor practice facility and aquatics center, are also for sale. TITUS Sports Marketing, a firm that helped the district negotiate the national TV deals, is trying to find corporations to sign contracts with the district. Thannum said the district hopes to get a 10-year, $1 million deal for the naming rights to Dragon Stadium.

District officials cite the Robin Hood system, in which wealthy school districts give money to the state to help fund poor districts, for creating a need to maximize revenue streams. The district formed a Revenue Enhancement Committee, comprised of Southlake residents with marketing and business backgrounds, in 2002.

Tax dollars are subject to the Robin Hood system. Funds from sponsors and other money generated by athletics are not.

"Our district gives millions of dollars to the state each year," said Dodge, whose team has won 64 of its last 65 games and three of the last four 5A Division II titles. "We've got to find ways to make money. The best opportunities to make money in our school district surround the football program."

Carroll football is a lucrative business, even without corporate dollars. Athletic director Ronnie Tipps estimated that the profits from ticket sales and concessions for a home football game, often packed with standing-room-only crowds of 11,000, are between $40,000 and $45,000. Carroll also gets a cut of the gate receipts for playoff games, which often draw crowds of 30,000 or more.

Metro Sports Communications pays Carroll $15,000 for regular-season radio broadcast rights and an additional $1,000 per playoff game.

Carroll and Denton Ryan each received $2,000 in rights fees for their 2004 game televised on ESPN2. Carroll was not paid for Fox Sports Net's national telecast of the 2005 Denton Ryan game or Thursday night's game, although a 30-second Carroll ISD commercial is part of the deal.

Tipps and Thannum said the district, which has agreed to play Concord (Calf.) De La Salle on national TV next season, will be more aggressive in seeking financial benefits in future negotiations with networks. Fox Sports Net Southwest general manager Jon Heidtke said he could see high schools making revenue off of televised games if sponsor support continues to grow.

Funds raised by the booster club, including profits from the Dragon Den and an annual golf tournament, are poured back into the athletic department. Luna said the booster club fulfilled a $41,000 coaches' wish list last year.

Everything else goes into the district's general operating fund, and the district is constantly looking for ways to increase that revenue stream.

"It's just a school district that doesn't want to miss out on any opportunities," Thannum said. "We're in a community where those dollars are available. Why shouldn't it go to the kids?"

E-mail tmacmahon@dallasnews.com

FOR SALE AT DRAGON STADIUM

Some of the sponsorship opportunities at Dragon Stadium:

Item Cost

Light pole banner $1,000

3 x 9 sideline signature fixture $2,500 (season), $750 (game)

3 x 4 sign $675

4 x 5 sign $1,250

5 x 4 sign $1,250

3 x 5'6" sign $1,000

3 x 9'10" sign $1,500

3'10" x 12 sign $2,000

4 x 18 sign $3,000

2'4" x 15'1" sign $2,500

2'4" x 16'9" $2,500

Scoreboard sign $7,500

PA announcement or $1,000 (per quarter), $600 (per half),

digital scoreboard mention $350 (per game)

Promotional night $750 (per game)

Kiosk $2,000 (season), $500 (game)

Naming rights $1 million for 10 years (negotiable)

Evangel Christian Academy of Shreveport, La. (0-1) at Southlake Carroll (1-0), 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Ch. 21 in D-FW, FSN nationally; KKGM-AM 1630)

SOUTHLAKE CARROLL FOOTBALL ON TELEVISION

2002: Def. Smithson Valley, 45-14 (FSNSW)

2003: Lost to Katy, 16-15 (FSNSW)

2004: Def. Denton Ryan*, 52-27 (ESPN2)

2004: Def. Smithson Valley, 27-24 (FSNSW)

2005: Def. Midland Lee, 48-25 (Ch. 21)

2005: Def. Denton Ryan*, 41-0 (FSN)

2005: Def. Katy, 34-20 (FSNSW)

THURSDAY: vs. Evangel Christian Academy* (Ch. 21,FSN)**

*National broadcast

**A show on Carroll's dynasty starts at 7 p.m. Thursday on Ch. 21 in D-FW and FSN nationally

PlummMeanGreen · December 6, 2006

So if we hire Todd Dodge and he recommends some of SLC's mover and shakers and those of the "gitter done" dept. who deal with business and promotions do we listen? Do we have more that needs to be accomplished in all those areas written about above even at the collegiate level?

I'd bet Rick V would be open to interviewing some of those kind of athletic employees, too. Might it be that Todd Dodge could bring more to the table than we could ever expect? Can't we assume that with such a successful program as Dragon football and the part Dodge had with all that, that there'd be a lot of SLC fans (who also wear green and white) who would want to come to Fouts Field as curiou$ity $eeker$ ? ? ?

Interesting days ahead to say the least....

Edited December 6, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

sports88guy · December 6, 2006

i agree if we could get some of thsoe boosters people up here at UNT we could make the MEAN GREEN seen all over the country. This slogan is unique to this university and would be great to get it out on the national stage

FirefightnRick · December 6, 2006

Not sure why but the De La Salle game has been canceled for now.

Rick

Eagle1855 · December 6, 2006

i agree if we could get some of thsoe boosters people up here at UNT we could make the MEAN GREEN seen all over the country. This slogan is unique to this university and would be great to get it out on the national stage
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If we won as many games as SLC has in the past 5 years, you wouldnt be able to BUY a general admission ticket to Fouts Field and a new stadium would already underway. Dont underestimate the power of winning.

KBJ · December 6, 2006

9and 3 and 8 and 4 got us 15,200

Eagle1855 · December 6, 2006

9and 3 and 8 and 4 got us 15,200
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is that supposed to be a point? 9-3 and 8-4 against the worst competition in D1 college football, while still getting your ass kicked in every non conference game (sans BAYLOR) isnt really anything to write home about. Has Southlake even lost 7 games in the past 5 years?

My point is, relatively speaking, we have come no where near achieving the success of Southlake. We'd have to go undefeated a couple times to even consider comparing our success on the D-1 level to their's on the highschool level.

Go 11-1 next season and I assure you the attendance average will be higher than 15k

Edited December 6, 2006 by Eagle1855

adman · December 6, 2006

9and 3 and 8 and 4 got us 15,200
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64 straight wins against both conf. and out of conf. foes does more than 9-3, 8-4.

untbowler · December 6, 2006

64 straight wins against both conf. and out of conf. foes does more than 9-3, 8-4.
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Don't forget having a fan and media friendly coach will bring new fans in.

shaft · December 7, 2006

Didn't South Lake hire the same guy that inked the deal between Colleyville & Dr. Pepper?

Green Lantern · December 7, 2006

9and 3 and 8 and 4 got us 15,200
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Yeah...and when 25,000 ish fans actually show up for a home opener we get our asses handed to us by Tulsa (the worst home loss in Fouts history I believe). Getting our asses kicked in the NO Bowl on a yearly basis didn't do any wonders for us either. Air Force, La Tech, Arizona on and on and on...enough examples of attendace momentum killers?

Winning solves a lot of the problems we are having. People show up at the games at Fouts when we are winning/actually playing an opponent the casual fan gives a crap about.

EagleD · December 7, 2006

Winning solves a lot of the problems we are having. People show up at the games at Fouts when we are winning/actually playing an opponent the casual fan gives a crap about.
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We have to beat an occasional OOC opponent. We have to play and beat SMU, TCU, Regional 1A opponents, etc. We can't just play them, we have to beat them. We have to earn some respect b/c it's not going to be given to us.

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!!