The Future of Ticketing for Collegiate Sports

For many fans, attending a collegiate sports game is a day-long experience and time-honored tradition. Showing up early to tailgate, watching marching bands lead their teams into the stadium, and joining in the electric roar of other fans when their team brings home the win will always be a part of the main event. While those fan experiences stay the same, the rest of the collegiate sports landscape is rapidly changing, including how revenue is generated, the role of technology in sports, fans’ growing expectations, and more.

Athletic Directors across the U.S. are working alongside university leaders to position their programs for continued growth and success. Read on to learn how vivenu can help you future-proof your ticket sales, build an easy ticketing experience that matches your brand, and ultimately help you increase your revenue.

Changes to the College Sports Industry

The Revenue Model

Before 2019, more than 50% of revenue for Power Five school programs was generated from media rights, donor giving, ticket sales, food and beverages, and other sources. In 2020 and 2021, that number decreased dramatically. Since then, those traditional revenue-generating streams have stabilized, but the fluctuations left their mark: leading programs at all levels are looking for new, varied ways to generate revenue and invest in a business model they can control. They’re looking for new options that can help boost their bottom line.

Rapid Technology Advancement

The rise in digital communications and social media consumption has forever altered how fans expect to interact with their college teams. Essentially, digital ecosystems are evolving, which led to a flood of new tools being released to the market. Universities were drawn to these valuable apps, as they had a wide range of options and could work with the ones that made the most sense to their programs. However, they quickly ran into a universal issue: all of these tools need to be connected somehow. What they really need is an API- first platform that allows them to use any tools they want and to adapt to the evolving demands of their fan base.

Social Influencers & Sponsorships

A college athlete is no longer just a player or a student – they’re influencers. They have a notable following on social and are monetizing their personal brand. As a result, they’re also redefining how athletic programs and their partners sell sponsorships. Because of the direct communication athletes have with fans, the value of their relationships has grown exponentially and brands are willing to pay a premium for it. Universities are looking for more ways to capitalize on that eagerness by increasing their sponsorship packages and including more opportunities to highlight their sponsors.

Data-Driven Decisions

It's no secret that different demographics respond best to unique messaging and curated content. That means colleges need to rely on their customer data more than ever to determine exactly what they should be promoting to their audience and on what medium. But if they’re using multiple, disjointed technology platforms, they won’t be able to get a full picture of their customers and their preferences. Plus, they won’t own all of their data, so key insights will be lost. That’s why the top programs are looking for a ticketing platform that can seamlessly connect all their data with the rest of their tech ecosystem.

Fan Expectations

First and foremost, sports fans want easy access to their favorite teams, which means being able to quickly buy tickets and have a great experience at every game. Ticket shops that are hard to navigate, under-branded, or have a long checkout process can be confusing to fans and deter them from spending as much as they planned to (or from making a purchase at all). Universities spend so much time and resources constantly engaging their audiences, they can’t afford to lose conversions at the last minute.

vivenu’s Future-Proof Solution

Revenue-Focused

The most important part of your business strategy is getting as many fans as possible into your stadium for every game. To do that, you need a platform that turns ticketing into a revenue-generating center, not a cost center. vivenu’s platform will make ticketing one of your team’s most important business assets. You can build a fully branded ticket shop, set up custom fees, create a unique seat map that matches the layout of your stadium, and increase conversions with a fast purchase flow tailored to your needs. We even offer flexible upselling and donation opportunities at checkout to help increase the value of your fans’ orders!

An Open API

The continuous advancement of technology will require athletic departments to work with API-first platforms to keep up with the pace of change. Utilizing an open API, our platform allows you to rapidly adapt to new technology trends and meet the sophisticated needs of your ticket buyers. We make it easier than ever to design your ticket experience exactly the way you want it, scale your operations, and connect with your fans now and in the future. Plus, with over 50 native ticket platform integrations and thousands more that we can connect to through Zapier, you’ll have access to all the leading communications, payment processing, fundraising, and access control apps on the market.

Full Data Ownership

When you work with vivenu, you’ll own 100% of your ticketing data, full stop. We don't leverage your data for our needs or sell your customer list to competitors. Take advantage of our reporting tools to dive into real-time analytics, visualize your most important data, learn about every ticket holder, and keep your finger on the pulse of your sporting events. This increase in data will allow you to make informed decisions that support the overall goals of your athletics programs.

More Sponsorship Opportunities

The best way to increase the value of your sponsorship packages is by including guaranteed real estate in a highly-viewed location. Our fully customizable ticket shops are the perfect way to get your sponsors in front of all your customers. Because you have full control over the structure and design of your shop, you can highlight your sponsors in any way you want, including visual ads, “sponsored by” text in the event title, and even naming one of your VIP ticket price levels after them. Plus, as the sole owner of your data, you’ll secure your spot as the top connector between your fans and sponsors.

Seamless Fan Experience

Fans want to have an overall great experience at your event. That experience starts during the ticket purchase process. With our easy-to-use platform, you’ll impress them by providing an intuitive flow, fast checkout process, and easy way to transfer tickets to their friends. Then follow that up with personalized content that makes them feel like VIPs while keeping your brand top of mind. By the time fans get to your stadium, they’ll be happier, more willing to purchase merchandise and concessions, and ready to cheer on your team.

Interested in learning more about how we can future-proof ticketing for your university?

Contact our college partnerships team today or feel free to reach out to us directly on LinkedIn: Darby Roggow and Bob Capewell.