MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama athletic director Joel Erdmann announced Thursday that the university is ending its multimedia and sponsorship partnership with IMG College and creating an in-house unit, Jaguar Sports Properties, to handle those duties.
The new division will manage athletic corporate and multimedia sales along with radio and television production, including game broadcasts and coaches’ shows. Associate athletic director for external affairs Travis Toth will oversee Jaguar Sports Properties.
Staff Named
Three staff members have already started work this month. J.D. Byars was named director of broadcasting and corporate sales executive, Ashley Ehlert was named account executive, and Mike Geidlin was named assistant business manager.
Pat Greenwood of Local 15 will join the unit on March 1 as director of multimedia and corporate sales executive. Greenwood has served as the sideline reporter for South Alabama football broadcasts since the program began play and has occasionally provided color commentary on football and men’s basketball broadcasts over the last couple of years.
Erdmann Explains the Move
“These hires reflect well-seasoned and superior professionals in their field of expertise,” Erdmann said. “The mission of Jaguar Sports Properties is to generate revenue through sponsorships which are paid directly to the department while expanding our awareness, growing our fan base and solidifying our brand.”
Erdmann said the department entered into the partnership with IMG College about five years ago, giving the company the rights to manage South Alabama’s sponsorship and multimedia sales.
“That partnership was a prudent decision as working with IMG helped us in navigating the birth of an FBS football program,” Erdmann said. “We deeply appreciate IMG College for that guidance and support. The decision to go in a different direction and create an internal unit was amicable in nature and primarily based on our desire to have complete control of our advertising inventory, our audio and video productions, our sales strategies and stewardship of our sponsors.”
Broadcast Assignments to Come
Erdmann said broadcast assignments for the applicable sports, including those for radio voice Lee Shirvanian, will be announced later this semester. Shirvanian is expected to continue calling baseball and basketball, while the makeup of the football broadcast crew is under review.
“We anticipate a tremendous broadcast team promoting several sports and the department as whole using radio, television and ever-growing on-line content,” Erdmann said.
Erdmann also wants to add affiliate radio stations to extend the reach of Jaguar broadcasts and help grow the fan base. South Alabama competes in the Sun Belt Conference.
