Winston Salem, N.C. – As schools nationwide continue to embrace outsourced ticket solutions to increase attendance and revenue generated from athletic events while enhancing customer service and fan interaction, four additional universities have announced partnerships with IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions (IMGLTS).

Additionally, following a successful season including the sale of more than 2,500 new basketball season tickets, University of Nevada-Las Vegas has renewed its partnership agreement with IMGLTS for two additional years.

The Air Force Academy, University of Florida, University of South Carolina, and The University of Tulsa are the latest schools to join forces with the leader in outsourced ticket services for intercollegiate athletics. Now with 26 partners, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions sells more tickets to university athletic events than any other outbound ticket sales company. In 2012, the ticket business generated $54 million in total revenues to schools. Of this total, $15 million was related to new tickets, and the business is projecting $30 million in new revenue in 2013, or a 100% increase in new revenue to its partners year over year.

In 2012, the ticket business generated $54 million in revenues to schools and has added an additional $47 million thus far in 2013.

“We’re deeply invested in our ticket sales and service model to help our university partners to enhance and build their brands,” said Matt DiFebio, VP and Managing Director of IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions. “Our innovative and fan-centric approach helps athletic departments to engage their fan base to maximize revenue opportunities, increase attendance and provide a higher level of customer service. We’ve seen a tremendous shift in the number of athletic departments adopting a more sophisticated approach to ticket sales and service, including a number of elite programs that have made the commitment. Our level of performance and execution is unsurpassed, and we’re very proud of that.”

Air Force Academy

The IMG Learfield ticket operation at the Air Force Academy began on July 1, led by General Manager Eric Vasquez who has, for the past five years, been the Premium Seating and Season Ticket Manager at the University of Denver. IMG Learfield will sell football, hockey, men’s and women’s basketball tickets, with an emphasis on increasing football season and group tickets and increasing the fan base for basketball and hockey.

“The Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation is excited to partner with IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions and the opportunity to increase the fan base and support for our cadet-athletes” said Dermot Coll, Chief Executive Officer of the Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation. “IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions is a leader in outbound ticket sales and will help the Air Force Academy reach deeper in the local community and develop long-time Air Force fans.”

The Air Force Academy is an IMG College multimedia rights partner.

University of Florida

Under the direction of General Manager Matt Sanchez, the operation at Florida will be focused on selling all sports with an emphasis on football and men’s basketball, including group and premium seating sales for football. Sanchez had been on the IMGLTS staff at Auburn University and most recently served as Manager of Premium Seating for the Florida Panthers.

“IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions has delivered strong results to some very significant, successful athletic programs,” said Mike Hill, Executive Associate Athletics Director, University of Florida.
“We look forward to partnering with them here at the University of Florida.”

University of Florida is represented by IMG College in multimedia rights and licensing.

University of South Carolina

At University of South Carolina, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions will align its expertise with a large and famously loyal fan base under General Manager Daniel Stahl, aiming to make a major impact on men’s basketball tickets as well as filling the remaining seats in Williams-Brice stadium for Gamecock football. IMGLTS has already assisted in the sale of 51,500 football season tickets.

With Frank Martin entering his second year coaching men’s basketball, fans are expecting a very exciting product. Softball has a new facility, Dawn Staley’s women’s basketball program is coming off back to back 25 win seasons, and USC baseball is a perennial powerhouse, including back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2010 and 2011, setting the stage for the ultimate goal of filling Carolina Stadium to capacity all season long.

“The addition of IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions will help us increase ticket sales in addition to what we have sold from our Gamecock Club Playbook for our home football and basketball contests,” said Charles Bloom, Senior Associate Athletics Director-External Affairs. “Their track record of success in increasing ticket sales and customer service will benefit us in expanding our brand to fans who want to experience Gamecock athletics and had not previously bought tickets.”

South Carolina’s multimedia rights are handled through an IMG-Learfield Sports joint partnership.

The University of Tulsa

At The University of Tulsa, IMG Learfield began selling all sports in early August. The school’s football team has experienced success (11 wins in 2012 tied the most in team history) and is primed to attract more fans to Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. In men’s basketball, Danny Manning enters his second year as head coach, providing strong potential for fan base growth.

Joe Kronander will lead the Tulsa sales operation as the General Manager. Kronander previously served as the Director of Ticket Sales for the Albany Devils where he was responsible for creating and implementing sales strategies. While with Albany, he helped to increase season ticket revenue by over 70%.

“Partnering with IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions gives The University of Tulsa an outbound ticket sales group dedicated to increasing sales of tickets, primarily for football and men’s and women’s basketball,” said Tulsa’s Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Derrick Gragg. “With the football team coming off a Conference USA Championship, women’s basketball advancing to the NCAA Tournament and men’s basketball coach Danny Manning in his second season, we believe IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions provides an important piece in our continued effort to increase attendance, while also enhancing the fan experience.”

Tulsa, which is in its last year competing in Conference USA, will move to the American Athletic Conference next season. Their multimedia rights are represented by Learfield Sports.

ABOUT IMG LEARFIELD TICKET SOLUTIONS

Initially launched in January, 2011 as IMG College Ticket Solutions, and strengthened by a merger in April 2012, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions provides schools a professional sales force to increase ticket sales. Either working from within the athletic department or from the national sales center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this privatized tickets solution is designed to increase attendance and revenues generated from athletic events as well as choice and convenience when fans purchase tickets.

IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions, which is led by VP and Managing Director Matt DiFebo, offers schools complete ticket sales and customized revenue solutions ranging from consulting to comprehensive outsourcing.

Current partners include: University of Akron, University of Arkansas, Auburn University, University of Colorado, Duke University, Georgia State University, University of Northern Iowa, North Carolina State University, University of Oklahoma, Penn State University, University of Richmond, San Jose State University, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, University of California-Davis, University of South Florida, Temple University, University of Tennessee, University of Texas-San Antonio, University of Texas at El Paso, Troy University, and Utah State University. For more information, please visit www.imglearfieldticketsolutions.com.