How to Gain Fans for Pro Sports on College Campuses

Advertise on campus, but do not limit your efforts to brand identification or merchandising. Set up a table at campus events to garner interest in your professional sports team. Have managers, players or team scouts stationed there to greet students or discuss career opportunities. Most of the students will never become professional athletes, but if they feel connected to a team or close to its players, they are more likely to support them. For instance, meeting a professional tennis player might not inspire many tennis recruits, but it might get students interested in the sport for the first time.

Schedule scrimmages or training camps at college stadiums. This is a strategy that the National Football League employs for nearly all of its off-season training camps. For example, in 2010, the Minnesota Vikings held their training camp at Minnesota State University. Likewise, the Arizona Cardinals practiced at Northern Arizona University. This strategy can be applied to any professional sports team, as long as the college campus has the proper facilities to accommodate it.

Involve your players in campus activities. Much of the enthusiasm for college sports stems from the familiarity of local players with fans. They may encounter star collegiate players in class or at campus events, but many fans feel distant from professional athletes. The more your players visit a campus, the more familiar they appear to fans. For instance, the Milwaukee Bucks regularly visit Marquette University to support their Sam's Hope program, which encourages young children to read.

Show support of a local college by having staff members or players wear hats or T-shirts with its logo. If students on campus see their favorite player supporting their college team, they may be inspired to support your team in exchange.