News Release

December 21, 2006

FIESTA FEVER: In anticipation of the upcoming Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Boise State University’s Office of Communications has identified story ideas that would be of interest to the community. Following is one of these stories. Feel free to use as written, or contact the sources listed at the bottom for more information.

Boise State Marketing Professors to Study Impact of Broncos' Football Success

Grasping exactly what the Broncos’ appearance in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 — and the accompanying national spotlight — will mean to the university and the Boise community down the road is difficult. But some Boise State University marketing professors are attempting to discern just that.

Research has been done by other universities on what large-scale athletic success means to larger schools, but little to nothing exists on what it might mean for a school of Boise State’s size.

Jason MacDonald, a Boise State professor of marketing, said he expects to find a strong and lasting impact on the university.

Boise State Bronco merchandise sales already have risen dramatically with purchases being made throughout the country. The Fiesta Bowl also has been tagged as one of the top three bowl games to watch by national media. And about 5.5 million people saw the recent front-page USA Today story on the football team’s success.

“For large schools that are older and well-established, they don’t change much with this kind of attention,” MacDonald said. “But for a school like Boise State that has a lower awareness nationally I would expect a tremendous impact.”

MacDonald and fellow marketing professor Shikhar Sarin point to Gonzaga University’s basketball program as an example of how exceptional sports performance can help a school and give the school visibility beyond its region. Sarin also cited the University of Louisville’s football program.

MacDonald plans to look at the rise of other athletic programs comparable to Boise State’s as well as monitor the changes that the Bronco football team’s success brings to the university.

-30-

Contact: Shikhar Sarin, College of Business and Economics, (208) 426-2721, ssarin@boisestate.edu
Media contact: Sherry Squires, University Communications, (208) 426-1563, ssquires@boisestate.edu

We’re proud to be the home of the undefeated, Fiesta Bowl‑bound Broncos, the national champion student speech and debate team, and the nation's 12th‑ranked engineering program among public, comprehensive universities.
 

The Office of Communications and Marketing - Boise State University
1910 University Drive - Boise Idaho 83725-1030
Located in Capitol Village, 2225 W. University Drive

208-426-1577
(fax)208-426-4001

email communications@boisestate.edu

Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 03, 2007