Month: March 2019

San Diego State University today announced a joint JMI Sports and Legends partnership designed to transform the proposed stadium visitor experience.

On behalf of SDSU and in collaboration with SDSU Athletics, JMI Sports and Legends will manage the stadium project as part of the proposed campus expansion at SDSU Mission Valley.

“This is an exciting collaboration, and this joint venture will greatly enhance our capacity to create the types of experiences our students, faculty, staff, regional community and visitors have yet to see,” said SDSU President Adela de la Torre.

“With the proposed stadium, campus and other features, the new neighborhood environment we plan to build will create the types of social, intellectual and economic benefits that will invigorate our entire region,” de la Torre said. “I am proud of our team. I am also grateful for the vision we have defined and will now carry forward with our partners in JMI Sports and Legends.”

JMI Sports and Legends will plan, strategize and execute ticketing, premium sales, naming rights and founding partnerships for the proposed stadium. As proposed, the 35,000 capacity multi-use stadium will serve primarily as the home of SDSU football and will also accommodate professional and collegiate soccer matches, concerts, other events, and can play host to a number of academic and integrated experiences.

“I am very excited for JMI Sports and Legends to continue assisting our stadium team,” said J.D. Wicker, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at SDSU. “SDSU Athletics has a long history of success with these industry leading companies and we are confident that their combined experience and resources will deliver outstanding results for SDSU and the San Diego community.”

To design and build the proposed new stadium, SDSU recently hired Clark Construction and Gensler. As proposed, the new stadium will hold a major footprint at SDSU Mission Valley, a comprehensive campus expansion project proposed to include a world class university research and innovation district, housing, mixed use retail, and more than 80-acres of public open space and a river park. 

“Once we have full project approval, the addition of JMI Sports and Legends will allow us the opportunity to put a shovel in the ground in the first quarter of 2020 and open a stadium in the fall of 2022,” Wicker said.

Since 2017, JMI Sports and Legends have strategically partnered on projects to deliver optimal value for properties in the collegiate space, including the creation of a successful joint venture to manage Notre Dame’s athletics sponsorship, hospitality, multimedia rights and branding services on a local and national level.

“Legends looks forward to partnering with JMI Sports to deliver a world-class venue that showcases the influence of Southern California lifestyle and culture that will serve as a home for San Diego State University, Aztec fans, alumni, and the city of San Diego alike,” said Mike Behan, Legends Vice President, Collegiate Partnerships.

“Along with the leadership of President Adela de la Torre and Athletic Director John David Wicker, we believe this project will transform San Diego State University and position SDSU Athletics for long-term growth opportunities,” added Behan.

JMI Sports was founded in 2006 based upon the vast experience gained in developing Petco Park for the San Diego Padres.  JMI Sports served as owner’s representative for San Diego State University’s state-of-the-art 26,000-square foot Jeff Jacobs JAM Center that opened in 2015. 

“The Mission Valley project, with the inclusion of a truly unique state of the art stadium, is one of the most profoundly important projects in the history of San Diego State University and the City of San Diego,” said Erik Judson, CEO of JMI Sports. “The team of JMI Sports and Legends is privileged to bring our unparalleled experience for delivering the most comprehensive and integrated services available in the industry to assure the success of this stadium project.”

Legends has a wealth of experience in Southern California, having partnered to provide planning; project management; naming rights and founding partnerships; premium and general ticketing solutions on both the Los Angeles Stadium & Entertainment District and Banc of California Stadium projects, along with providing premium sales and marketing solutions on the renovation of the Rose Bowl and L.A. Memorial Coliseum. 

Additionally, Legends is at the forefront in advising university and athletic departments to identify opportunities to enhance fan experience in venue and optimizing new and renovated facility revenues. Their successful partnerships include significant facility projects with Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Louisville, Missouri and Villanova.    

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University of South Carolina Athletics today announced it is partnering with Legends, a leader in global planning, sales and hospitality, to conduct a comprehensive study of Williams-Brice Stadium with a focus on enhancing the fan experience.

Gamecock fans will be receiving a survey via email starting on March 14 that will be asking for feedback to help guide long-term decision-marking for the future of Williams-Brice Stadium. 

The scope of work developed from this project will expand into the future beyond the $21 million slate of work that is currently proposed for Williams-Brice Stadium in 2020. 

“The investment we are about to make into Williams-Brice Stadium is another step in improving the fan experience and maximise quality seating,” said Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “In working with Legends, we are looking at a long-term plan that will make Williams-Brice a quality fan experience for many years to come.  This will take a large investment, but we know there is competition for the entertainment dollar, and we want to give our fans the best experience possible when attending events at Williams-Brice Stadium.”

The upcoming investment in Williams-Brice Stadium for 2020 focuses on maximising the use of spaces vacated by the Gamecock football program’s move to the $50 million Long Family Football Operations Center.  The project should result in providing new access to air-conditioned spaces to approximately 9,000 patrons.

“The goal of our work with Legends is to take a fan-first approach,” added Tanner. “We will be able to get feedback from our fans and then have Legends take the information to help us create options for that will positively impact fan experience at Williams-Brice Stadium for years to come.”

“Legends is excited to partner with South Carolina Athletics to leverage our collaborative, data-driven research capabilities to engage loyal alumni and Gamecock supporters, to help identify future opportunities to enhance the overall experience for those attending football games at Williams-Brice Stadium,” said Mike Behan, Legends Vice President of Collegiate Partnerships. “Coach Tanner has created a culture within the Athletic Department that both understands the responsibility to their fans to provide a world-class entertainment experience and embraces innovation.  This will be integral to our approach to help reimagine fan experience at Williams-Brice Stadium to meet the challenges of today’s environment.”

Legends brings a wealth of experience to the table, working with premier venues across professional sports, events and collegiate partners, including, AT&T Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Banc of California Stadium, University of Notre Dame and the University of Oklahoma, in addition to international teams including Liverpool and Manchester City soccer clubs.

 

The University of Wisconsin and Legends today announced a first-of-its kind, multi-year partnership between the school’s athletic department and Legends, to streamline initiatives across general ticketing, premium seating, annual fundraising, marketing and business intelligence capabilities into one integrated platform. 

Wisconsin engaged Legends through its U.S. research arm, CSL, in 2015 to conduct a comprehensive study incorporating a survey and series of focus groups to solicit direct market feedback from ticket holders, alumni and Badger fans on the future of Camp Randall Stadium.

Legends will continue to assist Wisconsin with planning of the upcoming renovation of Camp Randall Stadium. In addition, Legends will be responsible for all sales and marketing, planning and premium seating strategy. Legends will also implement its robust technology, data and analytics structure to complement and support across every element of the partnership.

“Legends is proud to team with the University of Wisconsin,” said, Mike Ondrejko, President, Legends Global Sales. “Through close collaboration with the team at Wisconsin, Legends will leverage its unique partnership development strategy to help position Wisconsin’s program for long-term success.”

“There are a lot of opportunities to be embraced by our athletic department,” said Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin Deputy Athletics Director. “Legends’ experience and innovative approach make them a great partner for us. We are excited about what lies ahead.”

Legends is at the forefront in advising university athletic departments to identify opportunities to enhance fan experiences in venue and maximize initial capital and annual revenues on new and renovated facility projects, having partnered on more than $2B in projects over the last five-years.

“Entering into partnership with Legends will help us to fulfill one of our most sacred duties, which is to ensure that we are building a sustainable financial infrastructure that will allow us to continue to provide educational opportunities for our student-athletes,” said Mario Morris, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations and CFO. “I truly believe that this is a transformational moment for Wisconsin Athletics.”

“Having had the opportunity to work alongside of and get to know Chris McIntosh, Mario Morris and the entire Wisconsin Athletic Department team, their vision is clear. They are focused on embracing new and innovative strategies both on and off field. This approach is rooted in their unwavering commitment to continue to offer an exceptional experience for Badger student athletes long into the future,” said Michael Behan, Vice President, College Partnerships at Legends.

An industry leader in developing and optimizing unique platforms for its clients and partners, Legends represents and manages premier venues across professional sports, events and collegiate partners, including AT&T Stadium, Yankees Stadium, Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles Stadium & Entertainment District, Las Vegas Raiders Stadium, University of Notre Dame, and nearly 40 Live Nation properties.