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March 21, 2002 FOOTBALL LEAGUE A ‘TOUCHDOWN’ FOR BSU BUSINESS STUDENT Turf is in his blood. Evan Huntsman, a nontraditional student at Boise State University majoring in entrepreneurship, plans to run his own landscaping company after he graduates in 2003. Until then, he’s running the Idaho Contact Football League, a group of seven teams consisting of a mix of recreational and semi-professional-level players. The league, which evolved out of a class assignment, is proving to be fertile training ground for his future business aspirations. He’s getting first-hand experience in marketing, accounting and finance, as well as logistical issues such as "staffing" teams with players, refs and coaches. "I’ve learned a lot preparing to launch my own business. [Football] is a hobby, really — I don’t make much off of it. But I’ve sure learned a lot, especially on the accounting end," said Huntsman, who spent 13 years in aircraft maintenance with the Air Force before enrolling in school. The league grew out of an assignment in his entrepreneurial skills class to create a viable business plan. Huntsman and two partners decided to focus on his idea to launch a community league so it would be a real-life experience rather than just an exercise on paper. With 16 years of experience as a referee in high school and city leagues, Huntsman was familiar with the business, but lacking hard data he had to estimate costs and charges. Now in his second year owning and running the league, he said the business plan has been invaluable. He used the plan’s marketing section as a tool when originally launching the business, then referred back to it when interest waned before the current season’s recruitment. "I was struggling with how to grow the league without having to drop out of school, so I went back and read my business plan. In it we talked about using mixed media for marketing, so I priced out ad rates and found the best buy," he said. He ended up purchasing several radio ads and was able to add an additional team to the line-up. Huntsman is a strong advocate of entrepreneurial education. "If the league is successful, the entrepreneurial approach will have been the key," he said. "I’ve approached this from the business aspect, beginning with securing a name and developing a logo. My business classes have given me a good base." He hopes to see the league eventually grow to 10-12 teams — the maximum he thinks the area can support. Ten years down the road, he hopes it will still be going strong, although he’d like to have a less-active role as he gets more involved in his proposed landscaping business. "I want to see it succeed," he said. "I can see myself being involved at the officiating level for quite a few years, but I’m not sure about being a commissioner. It’s taking a lot of time — I’ve already talked to more than 400 people on the phone." Huntsman is a native of Montana. After retiring from the Air Force, he decided to enroll in college to prepare to launch his own business. After three years at Ricks College, where he earned a degree in landscaping, he was attracted to Boise State by its strong entrepreneurial program. "When I saw that Boise State had an entrepreneurship option, I decided that’s what I was really looking for," he said. For more information on the league or how to sign up, contact Huntsman at (208) 429-0072. Contact: Media Contact:
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