Media contacts:
Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU Media Relations Director, 408-924-1748, pat.harris@sjsu.edu
Lawrence Fan, SJSU Athletics Media Relations Director, 408-924-1217, lawrence.fan@sjsu.edu
Brian Hastings, PIVOT Agency VP of Business Development, 650- 576-0332, brian@pivot-agency.com
San Jose, Calif. — San Jose State University and PIVOT Agency, a nationally-known full-service successful sports marketing and sponsorship agency, are teaming up on a sponsorship and naming rights campaign for three highly visible campus facilities.
“The on-campus experience for students, faculty, alumni and visitors is a top priority for SJSU,” said Paul Lanning, vice president for University Advancement and Tower Foundation CEO. “With naming rights partners, we are looking for brands that share our vision for the future of this campus. We have full confidence in PIVOT Agency, with its success in this geographical area and its understanding of the collegiate sponsorship space, to identify such partners.”
PIVOT’s property division will be responsible for identifying naming partners for the soon to be completed $139-million Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center, the Event Center at SJSU, and the 62 acres known as South Campus, home to many of the university’s NCAA Division I athletics programs.
Established track record
“We are looking forward to working with PIVOT Agency as it identifies appropriate partners in the naming opportunities for our facilities. PIVOT has an established track record of successful branding campaigns for college and professional sports organizations,” SJSU Athletics Director Marie Tuite said.
“PIVOT understands the value in the legacy and name of San Jose State University. The current opportunity to brand with San Jose State University and our intercollegiate athletics program is unprecedented and can provide sustaining generational benefits to naming rights partners, our student body and the student-athletes who represent our wonderful university.”
Highly visible campus facilities
The Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center is slated to be one of the country’s premier on-campus university recreation centers. With a December 2018 completion target date, the facility will house a new gymnasium, weight and fitness center, exercise room, sports club organizations, and competitive and recreational pools for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community.
The Event Center is a multipurpose sports and entertainment arena. A popular Northern California venue, the Event Center is fully equipped to accommodate events from full-arena concerts to corporate conferences. With over 25,000 square feet of extended floor space, the Event Center offers flexible seating arrangements for more than 5,000 spectators. The home court for the San Jose State men and women’s basketball teams also hosted popular musical acts Drake, One Direction, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa and Shawn Mendes.
The South Campus is a 62-acre facility that includes CEFCU Stadium, home of the San Jose State football team, a recently completed golf practice facility, new outdoor tennis courts, and new home fields for the Spartan men’s and women’s soccer teams and the softball team. Plans are on the drawing board for a beach volleyball area, an on-campus baseball stadium, a new track and field facility, and a new football operations center envisioned for the east side of CEFCU Stadium.
Key audiences
“We are excited to take on this naming rights campaign for such an iconic and respected institution,” said PIVOT founder and CEO Ben Shapiro. “These unique opportunities are comprehensive across four key audiences: students, faculty, alumni and sports fans. The fact that two facilities are not completed yet positions partners who get in the door early to authentically integrate their product or service into the daily functionality of these properties.”
About San Jose State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
About Spartan Athletics
As of fall 2018, Spartan Athletics consists of 22 programs (nine for men and 13 for women) that compete at the NCAA Division I level within the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Spartans primary conference affiliation is with the Mountain West.
About PIVOT Marketing Agency
PIVOT Marketing Agency is a full-service sports marketing and sponsorship agency located in Walnut Creek, Calif. PIVOT works with brands to develop sponsorship strategies as well as sports, arts, and entertainment properties to generate sponsorship revenue. Within the complex arena of sports and entertainment, PIVOT creates and delivers innovative solutions that channel the emotional energy of fans into profitable and meaningful consumer engagement.