“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
At the end of any NCAA athletic season, coaches, media, fans and most importantly potential recruits have a pretty good sense for which programs are better and, generally, who’s going to win from night to night. Despite that, the games do not cease to go on, no matter how tough of a season a program is in the midst of. In the final weeks of the college football campaign, for example, many programs will have already been eliminated from bowl contention and yet the sports gods will not relent. Despite it all, the heartache, the struggle, the two wins compared to eight losses, teams are still required to lace ‘em up and hit the field against a typically bigger, stronger and more talented opponent.
Under the circumstances, many could look at this as a wasted Saturday of football. Not me. I see opportunity. Opportunity to take advantage while your competition is focused on finishing the season, heading into a bowl game. I see opportunity to redirect your attention as an athletic department to recruiting. I’m not talking after the game; I’m talking about during the game.
The primary objective on game day transitions to convincing each official visitor that this particular team is the team for him. Redirect your fanbase to focus on THAT objective and watch them come to life, channeling their passion towards supporting your recruiting efforts. Point to the future, literally, and you’ll give fans a reason to attend a game that has little bearing on the outcome of the season, with new life and ready to work.
Tens of thousands of fans chanting a young man’s name is going to leave an impression. Thousands of fans sitting behind your sideline, the same sideline these kids watch the game from, each wearing (home made) shirts encouraging him to play at your school, is going to leave an impression. Thousands of fans holding up signs with his name on them, showing him love through written word and carefully crafted visuals, is going to leave an impression. Seeing hundreds of homes and businesses with signs in their windows showing him love, as you drive him to his residence for the night and ultimately to the airport on his final day of visiting, will leave an impression.
Going from a two-win season, to a three-win season will not leave an impression and it will not change the trajectory of your program or your brand. Take a hard look at where you stand and be brave enough to redirect your attention to the future, where you can make an impact. Lydon B. Johnson said it all. “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”
“I Have An Idea…” is a series written for College AD by the author of Brands Win Championships, Jeremy Darlow.
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