T1B

I missed this story when it ran at the beginning of the month. But IMG is buying Collegiate Licensing. CLC is the concern that handles the vast majority of licensing deals for colleges and universities in this country (ND uses them for some of their licensing needs). A few years back IMG proposed to the power conferences a multibillion dollar deal in which they would stage a college football play-off. At the time IMG was a relative unknown in the college sports world. With their acquisition of CLC, they are a leading player. Does this increase the odds of a college football playoff?

We now have another powerful commercial enterprise with a financial interest in maximizing the exposure of college sports...


Associated Press
IMG Acquires Collegiate Licensing
Associated Press 05.01.07, 3:59 PM ET

Sports and entertainment marketing firm IMG, best known for handling the marketing of high-profile professional athletes, announced a deal Tuesday to acquire Collegiate Licensing Co., the largest college trademark licensing agency in the United States.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Atlanta-based Collegiate Licensing helps colleges and universities develop and manage their brands within a $3 billion merchandising market.

Under the agreement, Collegiate Licensing will operate as a freestanding unit as part of IMG's Sports and Entertainment Group, headed by George Pyne, group president in New York.

Bill Battle, Collegiate Licensing founder and chairman, will continue to lead the company, which will remain headquartered in Atlanta.

Privately owned, New York-based IMG was formerly based in Cleveland, where marketing entrepreneur Mark McCormack founded it and ran it until his death about four years ago. New York buyout firm Forstmann Little & Co. bought IMG in 2004 for $750 million.

Ted Forstmann, IMG's chairman and chief executive, said Tuesday the Collegiate Licensing deal creates a new opportunity for IMG growth.

"You have a kind of a built-in, enthusiastic market with alumni and students," Forstmann said in an interview. "We haven't been in collegiate sports really at all. These guys have built this business over 25 years and they are very good at what they do. It's a very good area of potential growth."

Becoming part of IMG will allow Collegiate Licensing to explore more revenue options in U.S. and international markets for collegiate clients, Battle said.

I'm not exactly thrilled by the increasing corporatization of college football. But then again, anything that puts the wheels in motion for a true playoff can't be all bad. And if it happens without ND being forced into a conference, it's even better imho.

Im all for a playoff as long as scheduling is controled. A team that plays 7-8 home games a year should not be eligible for a playoff

so then you're admitting that SEC schools are buying wins?
Auburn will continue to say that they cant make any money if they fly to Washington State and play the Cougars when in reality they cant win a road game OOC, stats back up my side of the argument and not yours...
USC manages to do just fine playing only 6 home games a year and USC isn't taking a single government or state penny. Keep believing that horseshit about subsidized schools not being able to afford to play road games, I bet your gullible ass still thinks the shit in the bible is true.

if youre not willing to sack up and play another conferences teams on their turf, you forfeit the right to say that you are a better conference. They had the balls to come to your house and play, all you have under your cups are a bunch of hairless cunts

we will see how Tenn does at Kal this season, we all know how Ark did at USC, hell the score board needed to be replaced after that game

SoCalTrjn wrote:USC manages to do just fine playing only 6 home games a year and USC isn't taking a single government or state penny.

Ever hear of student loans? Where do you think that money comes from?

Sudden Sam wrote:

SoCalTrjn wrote:we will see how Tenn does at Kal this season, we all know how Ark did at USC, hell the score board needed to be replaced after that game

Yep. Anxious to see how the Vols fare out there.

Arkansas was an embarrassment in that game. They were a one-trick pony last year. Never impressed me at all. USC was an excellent team and should be better this year.

What are y'all gonna do with Mustain down the road? What's the talk out there about him?

He'll sit out this year and compete with Sanchez the year after. Mark will have 2 years left and Mitch will have 3. There hasnt been much more said about him