Sponsors reach out to community

With funding from the University and a variety of donor organizations, it may seem that Princeton athletics would be more than able to run successfully. But a small though significant proportion of athletic funding comes from a third financing pool: corporate sponsors — who play an important role in supporting special opportunities for University teams and helping to tie Princeton athletics to the community.

"Our corporate partners are companies who want to align themselves with Princeton . . . athletics," Associate Director of Athletics James Zaninovich said. "They help to underwrite my office [the Office of Athletic Relations & Marketing] as well as some Office of Athletic Communications expenses."

In exchange, Zaninovich said, "We offer them a presence at our games and elsewhere via tasteful exposure elements such as orange and black banners and signs, program ads [and] web placement."

Corporate partners can also sponsor individual games, radio broadcasts of games or in-game promotions like contests and giveaways.

Partner donations range from about 2,500 dollars to more than 50,000 dollars annually.

Depending on the amount donated, sponsors are classified as a "Tiger," "Varsity," "Captain," "Coach," "Director," "President" or "Trustee." With each level come additional benefits ranging from ad space to free tickets for various games and events.

Currently, the three corporate sponsors at the "Trustee" level are Bank of America, Clear Channel Worldwide and the Trentonian.

Bank of America and the Trentonian are also among the leading online donors, along with Princeton University Federal Credit Union, Stout's and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

In addition, Bank of America sponsors a program called "Go Free with Bank of America" that provides complimentary game tickets for community groups. In August, Tyco International signed a three-year partnership for similar program, called "Tiger Tickets on Tyco."

Tyco has also founded "Reading with the Tigers," a program that encourages summer reading among area elementary and middle school students, and the University's National Girls and Women in Sports Day program.

"We make no profit from our corporate partnership program because nearly all of those funds are plowed back into efforts to attract fans, strengthen 'town-gown' relations and fund publications that celebrate Princeton athletics and our student-athletes," Zaninovich said.

"The goal is not to 'turn a profit' but instead to support a function integral to both our department and the University: strengthening community relations," he said.

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That, Zaninovich said, is a central goal as much for the corporate partners as for the athletics department.

Indeed, it seems to be a common theme in Princeton's athletic funding.

"From the Princeton Varsity Club . . . to our corporate partnership program," Zaninovich explained, "our mandate is to generate interest in our teams and student-athletes as a means of reaching out to our community of fans, alums and other supporters of Princeton athletics."