POCATELLO, Idaho – (June 17, 2025) Idaho State Athletics and Learfield, the media and technology company powering college athletics, have agreed to a multi-year renewal of their longstanding relationship to solidify Learfield’s position as the multimedia rights partner through Bengals Sports Properties. Learfield has facilitated corporate and multimedia rights partnerships for Idaho State since 2013, helping to enhance the university’s athletic programs with a focus on revenue generation.
“With Bengals Sports Properties focused on revenue growth, we’ve been able to continue to reinvest in our athletic programs in a meaningful way,” said Pauline Semons Thiros, Director of Athletics at Idaho State. “Our partnership has delivered real, measurable impact over the years by strengthening the value of our brand, improving our facilities, and expanding opportunities we can offer our student-athletes.”
Since partnering with Learfield, Idaho State Athletics has seen strong and sustained growth in its sponsorship program. Over the past five years, the university has recorded a notable increase in both the number and value of partnerships, doubling total sponsorship revenue while driving 273% growth in digital sponsorship revenue. Moreover, Idaho State Athletics’ commitment to marquee capital renovations across several Bengals’ athletic stadiums and facilities has unlocked new sponsorship opportunities, boosting incremental revenue for the university while elevating the experience for both athletes and fans.
“Our more than decade-long partnership with Idaho State reflects a shared focus on driving meaningful revenue, and it’s been energizing to align with Pauline and her vision for facility enhancements that are elevating both the fan experience and the value we bring to sponsors,” said Kim Damron, President of Learfield Sports Properties. “With a strategic emphasis on innovative sponsorship opportunities and additional on-campus resources, we’re committed to helping Idaho State maximize long-term value across all facets of the athletics enterprise.”
Idaho State continues to harness Learfield’s integrated enterprise solutions to engage fans and drive revenue growth by partnering with licensed merchandise agency CLC, digital sports solutions provider SIDEARM Sports, and ticketing, fundraising, and marketing provider Paciolan in addition to the flagship multimedia rights division. The Bengals also partner with Learfield College Rodeo to leverage its extensive experience in sports and cross-campus marketing to bring new opportunities to rodeo programs, athletes, and brand partners.
Through a parallel extension with SIDEARM Sports, Idaho State will enhance its use of Fanbase, the most comprehensive fan data infrastructure in college athletics, and Fan365, Learfield’s programmatic digital sponsorship and marketing platform, by enabling greater data accessibility through industry-leading websites, mobile apps, and streaming services. The multimedia rights team and the Idaho State Athletics staff will tap into demographic, geographic, and profile data metrics to better target Bengal fans and maximize brand partnership opportunities.
About Learfield
Learfield is the media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.