Governing body of Canadian university sport rebrands as U Sports

The logo was designed by the Vancouver-based Hulse & Durrell, which also did the rebranding for the Canadian Olympic Committee, Swimming Canada, Curling Canada and Equestrian Canada.

The rebrand is part of Brown’s plan to leverage the university sports product — and its attractive young market for sponsors.

The 18-24 audience is “a demographic incredibly hard to access,” according to Brown. It requires a different strategy which he hopes the new brand will facilitate.

Brown says it was a challenge to get everyone to buy into a rebrand aimed at the next generation — including high schoolers making the transition to student-athletes.

“Our next campaign is totally focused on high school athletics,” he said.

He believes Canadian universities can deliver the young audience, from rural campuses to big cities. Research shows that 916,000 people, mostly students, go through athletic facilities every week at the 56 schools, be it to work out, play intramural sports or to watch varsity sports.

There is also the alumni component.

Brown has targeted the banking, telecom, auto, professional services, and technology sectors for national sponsorship, while leaving plenty of room for regional deals.

The national sponsorship money will be reinvested in league and championships.

“We’ve worked really hard to try to get in front of corporate Canada and done a really good job,” he said. “And corporate Canada, they’re passionate, I believe, about university sport. We just have to convince them that we’re a good opportunity for marketing, for promotion, promotional opportunities.

“But more importantly there has to be some return.”

Schools are working on just that, he said, hiring marketing staff to promote the game and generate new revenue.

“I think when corporate Canada finds an opportunity to work with university sport, they’ll be really surprised at how viable it will be as a corporate opportunity for them,” Brown said.

Glen Grunwald, McMaster’s director of athletics and recreation and a former executive with the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, likes the rebrand.

“It’s a great start for us,” he said. “Hopefully we can build on it.”

Former Canadian university athletes Vaughn Martin and Tera Van Beilen were at Thursday’s announcement in Toronto, and spoke of their decision to stay in Canada rather than going the NCAA route south of the border.

Martin was set to play football at Michigan State before issues with his transcript squelched that opportunity. He instead went to the University of Western Ontario.

“I thought ‘What am I going to do? Am I going to sit around for another year and try to qualify to go to Akron or another school, or am I going to get on with my life?’” Martin said. “And then Western stepped up, and I just knew going there I could get that NCAA experience, as far as support, funding, facilities. I was never without. It worked out well. I ended up making a decent career out of it.”

He became the first Canadian university underclassman to be drafted by the NFL — 113th overall by San Diego — and played seven seasons in the league.

Van Beilen, who recently retired from swimming, called choosing which college route to take was “was one of the hardest decisions of my life.” She decided on UBC.

“And looking back, I have absolutely no regrets,” she said. “Being at UBC was the best five years of my life, I just graduated and it’s so bittersweet. It really is special to see so many athletes stay in Canada.

“I’ve seen success both routes, and the decision for me was the best I could have chosen.”

Neil Davidson and Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Governing body of Canadian university sport rebrands as U Sports

Our Community