SCC FFL 2024: Sports Marketing Challenge #2 Recap & Scores
SCC FFL 2024: Sports Marketing Challenge #2 Recap & Scores
Here’s a summary of the top-performing schools and an overview of how teams fared in the second sports marketing challenge. This is the first submission where bonus points were awarded based on rankings, and we’ll be recapping the top three entries.
After two challenges, the competition remains tight, with many teams still vying for the top spots. The second challenge required students to demonstrate their understanding of branding, and we saw an impressive display of creativity through team names, logos, merchandise ideas, mascots, and slogans. The submissions truly showcased each team’s ability to build an identity for their expansion franchise.
Points for Challenge #2 have been tallied, and updated standings are available at the bottom of this post. Thanks to opportunities to generate bonus points in this year’s competition with our new rankings system, the competition is wide open!
#1 – Flower Mound High School, Texas (St. Louis Spartans)
Congrats to the St. Louis Spartans front office, the top-ranked team in the second challenge. Flower Mound students earned the highest scores possible in creativity, relevance, and overall presentation, making them the top-ranked team. Their branding strategy successfully connected the team to St. Louis, with team colors derived from the city’s flag and a powerful Spartan warrior logo symbolizing strength and resilience. Their slogan, “From the Arch to the End Zone,” created a strong local connection, enhancing fan engagement and pride in the city.
The stadium design featured a coliseum-style structure with modern amenities, catering to both casual and die-hard fans. Their game day traditions, such as having a special guest ‘gong’ a giant shield to symbolize defense and unity while whipping fans into a frenzy right before kick-off, were both exciting and perfectly aligned with the team’s brand identity. The Spartans also excelled in merchandising, offering creative products like replica armor jerseys and victory coins, which helped to differentiate their brand. The team’s price points reflected the research and attention to detail that defined the Spartans’ response to the second challenge, demonstrating practicality and relevance.
The team’s licensing partners strategy was practical and effective, aligning with well-known retailers like Nike and Fanatics to expand their reach. This strong combination of branding, fan engagement, and merchandising made the Spartans the top-ranked team in this challenge.
#2 – Capital High School, Montana (Utah Yetis)
The Utah Yetis front office impressed with a strong branding strategy that showcased creativity and deep community engagement. Their use of light blue, dark blue, dark gray, and light gray not only highlighted Utah’s natural beauty but also connected the team to the snowy, mountainous landscape that fans in Salt Lake City are proud of. The slogan, “Fear the Frost,” captured the fierce, relentless nature of the team while maintaining the family-friendly tone they emphasized.
Their mascot, Everest, represented the strength and perseverance of a mountain climber, which tied in beautifully with the team’s branding. Game day experiences were designed to be exciting for all ages, with snow guns creating a blizzard-like entrance for players and the “Yeti Yell” engaging fans after every touchdown. The “Icettes” cheer squad represented an excellent extension of the brand.
They also crushed it with their merchandising strategy, offering a range of on-brand licensed products from Nike puffer jackets to Yeti Yell horns, as well as unique items like limited edition Nike Dunks for the inaugural season. Their use of pop-up shops and strong licensing partnerships showed a well-thought-out distribution plan.
Overall, the Utah Yetis’ branding, merchandising, and fan engagement strategies were all highly creative and practical, earning them a well-deserved second-place finish. Great job, Capital High School!
#3 – Wichita East High School, Kansas (Wichita River Riders)
Shoutout to the Wichita River Riders for their third-place finish. Wichita East students did an amazing job of tying their team identity to the city of Wichita. The connection to the Arkansas River gave their name real meaning, and using red and blue from the Wichita flag was a smart way to build community pride. It wasn’t just about having a cool name and colors though—the Riders focused on creating a fun, family-friendly atmosphere, making sure fans of all ages have a reason to support the local franchise.
One of the biggest highlights was their mascot and logo—a frog on a paddleboard! While quirky, it is memorable and totally unique, helping build a brand that fans can really connect with. It also fits perfectly with the target audience they identified in the first challenge, and it’s sure to result in TONS of merch sales. The franchise also offered some great ideas for branding the game day experience, with creative ideas like the “Riverwalk” promenade and river-themed game day traditions. The team’s focus on building brand loyalty through family activities, interactive experiences, and a rewards program showed they’re all about keeping fans engaged and excited. Awesome work, River Riders!
On to the next one…
Good luck to all competitors as they prepare for the third challenge in this competition. In this round, students will submit a communications plan for their franchise, including a community relations strategy and a crisis management plan, create a press release, and prepare for a press conference addressing a preseason contract dispute involving the team’s quarterback.
SCC FFL 2024 STANDINGS AFTER CHALLENGE #2
