Learfield’s Tiger Sports Properties to unlock innovative revenue generation strategies and leverage industry-leading Learfield Impact NIL services
MEMPHIS – Memphis Athletics and Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics, announced today a long-term renewal to their 25-year relationship which sees Learfield’s Tiger Sports Properties continue representing the Tigers’ multimedia and sponsorship rights.
The renewal, which carries the long-time partners through the 2031-32 athletics season, focuses on strategic revenue generation and enhanced student-athlete deal-making opportunities to solidify Memphis Athletics as a national leader in innovation and modernization in college athletics.
“Great partnerships are built on shared vision, and that’s exactly what we’ve found with Learfield,” said Senior Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Ed Scott. “As we’ve reimagined the future of Memphis Athletics, we’ve challenged Learfield to think differently and align with our bold vision. They’ve embraced that challenge at every turn, demonstrating a commitment to innovation, collaboration and delivering meaningful value for our department, our student-athletes and our fans. We’re grateful for their partnership and excited to build on this momentum together in the years ahead.”
Under the renewed partnership, Memphis Athletics and Tiger Sports Properties will further capitalize on the long-time home of Memphis Football, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Now university-owned and having undergone substantial renovations, the upgraded facility unlocks ample revenue generation opportunities, both in-season through premium asset entitlement rights and on-field logo sponsorship, and year-round through other events. Additionally, the Tigers continue to experience incremental sponsorship revenue growth annually through activations at Memphis Basketball home games held in FedEx Forum.
In addition to new premium assets and in-venue signage opportunities, Memphis and Tiger Sports Properties will continue to drive new revenue by leveraging Learfield’s industry-leading data and digital expertise. Utilizing the combination of Fanbase, the largest fan data platform in college athletics, and Fan365, Learfield’s programmatic digital marketing and sponsorship tool, branded content will reach targeted audiences with impactful messaging to create authentic connections and enhance sponsorship impact.
“It has been another record-setting year for the Tiger Sports Properties team,” said Cooper Jones, Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Revenue Officer. “Under the leadership of General Manager Greg Gaston, Jr., and his team of hard-working professionals, our office shattered a lofty set of revenue generation goals in 2026. A key component of Dr. Scott’s vision for the Revenue Generation team was a more relational approach with our corporate partners and because of our client-centric approach, the TSP team created significant impact and brand awareness for companies throughout the Mid-South region as well as across the country.”
Tiger Sports Properties also adds a pair of new NIL-dedicated staff members as part of the renewed partnership, allowing Memphis Athletics and Tiger student-athletes to fully maximize Learfield Impact, the industry-leading NIL service driven by people, content, and technology solutions. The on-site NIL experts along with Learfield Studios content creators and the Compass NIL platform provide a powerful combination of NIL dealmaking, student-athlete storytelling, and integrated technology to optimize NIL opportunities.
“Ed is an innovator that has done nothing but elevate Memphis Athletics in his time with the Tigers,” said Kim Damron, President of Sports Properties at Learfield. “We’re thrilled with the success we’ve enjoyed together by leveraging the full suite of Learfield revenue generation and NIL solutions, and look forward to even greater growth for Memphis for many years to come.”
As Memphis’ already powerful brand continues growing from coast to coast, Learfield’s corporate partnership team – which has relationships with the world’s most prominent brands and agencies – will continue to provide global brand partnerships and next-level sponsorship opportunities to accompany the Tigers’ existing relationships with Fortune 500 companies such as FedEx, State Farm and AutoZone.
To complement the strategic multimedia rights partnership, Memphis also taps into Learfield’s enterprise-wide solutions by aligning with merchandise licensing agency CLC, ticketing and fundraising technology provider Paciolan, and digital solutions leader SIDEARM Sports. These partnerships have led to incremental boosts in revenue and fan engagement through initiatives such as the co-branded 1 Cent Program merchandise line featuring Memphis logos alongside Head Men’s Basketball Coach Penny Hardaway’s signature marks, the modernization of the fan ticketing experience for future events inside the newly renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium and all other on-campus athletic facilities, and the launch of updated web and mobile platforms to build a connected fan experience linking content, ticketing and brand engagement.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading 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.