Zach Hanood Named General Manager to Oversee On-Campus Team
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State Athletics announced today it has selected Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions for representation of its dedicated ticket sales, customer service and business intelligence strategy.
While the relationship launched remotely in June due to COVID-19, a full-time, on-campus Ticket Solutions’ staff is now in Manhattan servicing the K-State fan base. Zach Hanood, an established Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions leader, will guide the Manhattan-based team as general manager.
“We are pleased to formally announce this dynamic new partnership with Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions, a national leader in creating dedicated outbound ticket sales solutions for college programs,” said K-State Director of Athletics Gene Taylor. “Certainly the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many challenges from a ticketing and revenue standpoint, and we will rely on them to not only assist with our overall ticket inventory and maximizing those opportunities but also to keep our fans engaged during these current challenging times. This will be a partnership that will continue to grow in the coming seasons.”
The priority focus for Hanood and his team is to provide compelling touchpoints with K-State fans to keep them engaged during the pandemic – even if they are unable to attend live events. In future years of the relationship, the team will be tasked with growing revenues and attendance for K-State athletic events.
“As we moved through the process of formalizing our partnership with K-State, it became very apparent the shared vision and philosophy with Gene and his team would yield tremendous opportunities in Manhattan,” said Learfield IMG College Ticket & Seat Solutions Executive Vice President Jake Bye. “Although 2020 produced a challenging environment in which to launch our partnership, working together through adversity and pivoting our focus away from a traditional ticket sales launch will only serve the relationship on an even deeper level long term.”
Hanood began his career with Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions at Northern Iowa in 2012 and was responsible for launching the Western Kentucky relationship in 2017. Additionally, he spent the last 18 months managing Ticket Solutions’ National Sales Center in Indianapolis.
With the addition of K-State, Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions now represents four members of the Big 12 Conference with on-site relationships in place at TCU, Oklahoma and West Virginia. Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions represents collegiate athletic departments, professional sports teams and related industry organizations nationwide, with on-site sales personnel dedicated to serving these respective relationships. The company delivers a total revenue solution through staff development, high-value expertise and engaged fan relationships. As the sports industry and fan behavior continues to evolve, Ticket Solutions remains at the forefront of business intelligence through many of its national relationships, leading to increased revenues for teams across the country.