Crimson Tide Athletics, LEARFIELD Ink 15-Year Extension

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The University of Alabama Department of Athletics on Tuesday announced a new 15-year multimedia rights relationship with longtime partner LEARFIELD, which has been the university's multimedia partner since 1998.

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UA Athletics says the move will aim to deliver elevated service offerings and customized programs to Crimson Tide fans and student-athletes.

UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said LEARFIELD is the industry leader in cutting-edge fan engagement and brand connectivity, with the partnership providing UA Athletics with the resources and solutions to provide the best student-athlete and fan experiences possible."

The new agreement will feature several new strategic initiatives, including an original content platform in collaboration with LEARFIELD Studios, along with access to data and analytics enhancements via the company's Fanbase infrastructure.

Another highlight of the new agreement is a first-of-its-kind, dedicated NIL hub called The Advantage Center. This will serve as the epicenter of support for name, image and likeness (NIL) endeavors for the more than 600 Crimson Tide student-athletes.

What's more, LEARFIELD and Alabama Athletics will collaborate on the development of the center to provide a physical home and team of staff to provide education and resources for student-athletes with respect to NIL opportunities, as well as a location to showcase successful local and national NIL relationships.

"The new NIL center and plans for exciting new content for our fans are just a few examples of the ways in which LEARFIELD will continue to help us be the leader in college athletics for years to come," Byrne.

The Advantage Center — which will be located in Bryant-Denny Stadium — will aim to build on the initiative started by Alabama Athletics in May 2021 to educate and provide the tools necessary for Crimson Tide student-athletes to build and elevate their personal brands.

Apart from the multimedia partnership, LEARFIELD-owned companies Paciolan and SIDEARM Sports also represent UA for ticketing and the official athletics website RollTide.com/app, respectively.

LEARFIELD's licensing division, CLC, has also been the exclusive licensing agent for Alabama since 1981.

"We thank Cole (Gahagan) and the entire LEARFIELD team, including Jim (Carabin) and everyone at our local property, Crimson Tide Sports Marketing," Byrne said. "Our solid relationships at both the local and national level have been instrumental in our success, and we look forward to the continued collaboration as we expand and lead in this space. Also, we thank LEONA for its work in serving as a consultant throughout the process that helped lead to this landmark deal."

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