Photo by: Mitchell Layton
Conference Announces BIG EAST Road Trip Schedule
1/3/2024 3:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
In partnership with Playfly Sports, the BIG EAST Road Trip will welcome men’s and women’s basketball fans for pre-game pop-ups complete with entertainment and activities, mascot appearances, and a chance to take photos alongside the BIG EAST championship trophy.
NEW YORK (January 3, 2024) – As the college basketball season heats up, the BIG EAST Conference announced today its plans for a 13-stop mobile tour to expand the gameday celebrations for its member school fanbases. Developed and executed in partnership with Playfly Sports, the 'BIG EAST Road Trip,' will be an interactive pop-up that will roll into each city for upcoming men's and women's basketball games culminating with stops at both the men's and women's conference tournaments in March.
The BIG EAST Tournament trophy comes to Omaha prior to Creighton's January 13th men's basketball game vs. St. John's, which tips at Noon Central. The BIG EAST Road Trip festivities will take place inside Hall B of the Convention Center of CHI Health Center Omaha between 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Central.
"We are immensely excited to collaborate with Playfly Sports in creating the BIG EAST Road Trip, an unparalleled interactive opportunity for our passionate basketball supporters across all eleven of our member schools. This experiential event will not only bring an exciting pre-game atmosphere to each city but reinforces the strong connection between our conference, our schools and our dedicated fans. We are very grateful to our colleagues at Playfly for taking the lead in developing this unique engagement platform," said BIG EAST Commissioner, Val Ackerman.
"The BIG EAST Road Trip reflects our commitment to the BIG EAST and its member schools to further engage their fanbases in innovative ways. This initiative draws upon capabilities from across our company including our Sports Properties and Global Partnerships groups," added Playfly Sports Properties President, Christy Hedgpeth. "Most importantly, the trust and collaboration between the BIG EAST and Playfly brought this fan platform to fruition, and we look forward to rolling into town to engage fans at every stop."
Each tour stop will host basketball fans for two hours of pre-game entertainment and activities including BIG EAST Shootaround shows, free throw challenges, spirit squad and mascot appearances, a chance to take photos alongside the BIG EAST championship trophy, and more school-specific additions unique to each stop. All activities within the BIG EAST Road Trip footprint will be open to students, alumni, and fans.
"BIG EAST basketball fans have unmatched passion. This tour opens the door to create an engaging, fan-focused experience right on campus," said Emily Behncke, Vice President of Experiential at Playfly Sports. "What we've built alongside the great leaders at the BIG EAST is a direct reflection of the beloved brand they've cultivated and is sure to be a showcase of the excellence fans have come to expect and celebrate from its basketball programs."
The fan-fest-style road trip kicks off with a visit to Cincinnati ahead of Xavier's tip off against UConn on Wednesday, January 10. The full schedule of stops will be released on Twitter/X beginning on January 3, and fans can follow along at @BIGEAST. More information on individual stops along the 'BIG EAST Road Trip' will be shared by home team schools ahead of their respective games. For complete details and scheduling information visit https://www.bigeast.com/roadtrip.
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About The BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The BIG EAST-sponsored athletic programs of our institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,800 student-athletes on over 200 men's and women's teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in eight of the country's top 38 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
ABOUT PLAYFLY SPORTS
Playfly Sports is a sports media, marketing and technology business centered around the team, league, brand, and network. Believing in 'Fandom as a Service'? and focusing on a consultative, data driven approach to REACH, ENGAGE, MONETIZE AND MEASURE FANDOM gives the company's partners and brands a competitive advantage.? Playfly connects more than 2,000 brand partners with approximately 83% of all U.S. sports fans. Through the proprietary platform the business delivers scalable, data-oriented marketing, technology, and media solutions with capabilities including exclusive MMR management, sponsorship sales and activation, streaming, consulting, ticket/premium sales, all along with new revenue-driving platforms and technologies. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. Follow Playfly Sports on social media @PlayflySports or visit www.playfly.com.
The BIG EAST Tournament trophy comes to Omaha prior to Creighton's January 13th men's basketball game vs. St. John's, which tips at Noon Central. The BIG EAST Road Trip festivities will take place inside Hall B of the Convention Center of CHI Health Center Omaha between 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Central.
"We are immensely excited to collaborate with Playfly Sports in creating the BIG EAST Road Trip, an unparalleled interactive opportunity for our passionate basketball supporters across all eleven of our member schools. This experiential event will not only bring an exciting pre-game atmosphere to each city but reinforces the strong connection between our conference, our schools and our dedicated fans. We are very grateful to our colleagues at Playfly for taking the lead in developing this unique engagement platform," said BIG EAST Commissioner, Val Ackerman.
"The BIG EAST Road Trip reflects our commitment to the BIG EAST and its member schools to further engage their fanbases in innovative ways. This initiative draws upon capabilities from across our company including our Sports Properties and Global Partnerships groups," added Playfly Sports Properties President, Christy Hedgpeth. "Most importantly, the trust and collaboration between the BIG EAST and Playfly brought this fan platform to fruition, and we look forward to rolling into town to engage fans at every stop."
Each tour stop will host basketball fans for two hours of pre-game entertainment and activities including BIG EAST Shootaround shows, free throw challenges, spirit squad and mascot appearances, a chance to take photos alongside the BIG EAST championship trophy, and more school-specific additions unique to each stop. All activities within the BIG EAST Road Trip footprint will be open to students, alumni, and fans.
"BIG EAST basketball fans have unmatched passion. This tour opens the door to create an engaging, fan-focused experience right on campus," said Emily Behncke, Vice President of Experiential at Playfly Sports. "What we've built alongside the great leaders at the BIG EAST is a direct reflection of the beloved brand they've cultivated and is sure to be a showcase of the excellence fans have come to expect and celebrate from its basketball programs."
The fan-fest-style road trip kicks off with a visit to Cincinnati ahead of Xavier's tip off against UConn on Wednesday, January 10. The full schedule of stops will be released on Twitter/X beginning on January 3, and fans can follow along at @BIGEAST. More information on individual stops along the 'BIG EAST Road Trip' will be shared by home team schools ahead of their respective games. For complete details and scheduling information visit https://www.bigeast.com/roadtrip.
###
About The BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The BIG EAST-sponsored athletic programs of our institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,800 student-athletes on over 200 men's and women's teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in eight of the country's top 38 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
ABOUT PLAYFLY SPORTS
Playfly Sports is a sports media, marketing and technology business centered around the team, league, brand, and network. Believing in 'Fandom as a Service'? and focusing on a consultative, data driven approach to REACH, ENGAGE, MONETIZE AND MEASURE FANDOM gives the company's partners and brands a competitive advantage.? Playfly connects more than 2,000 brand partners with approximately 83% of all U.S. sports fans. Through the proprietary platform the business delivers scalable, data-oriented marketing, technology, and media solutions with capabilities including exclusive MMR management, sponsorship sales and activation, streaming, consulting, ticket/premium sales, all along with new revenue-driving platforms and technologies. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. Follow Playfly Sports on social media @PlayflySports or visit www.playfly.com.
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JANUARY 2024 BIG EAST MOBILE TOUR SCHEDULE |
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|
DATE |
VISITOR |
HOME |
TIME (ET) |
TV |
|
1/10/24 |
UCONN |
XAVIER MBB |
8:30 PM |
FS1 |
|
1/13/24 |
ST JOHNS |
CREIGHTON MBB |
1:00 PM |
FOX |
|
1/15/24 |
VILLANOVA |
MARQUETTE MBB |
2:30 PM |
FOX |
|
1/21/24 |
PROVIDENCE |
BUTLER WBB |
12:00 PM |
BEDN |
|
1/24/24 |
MARQUETTE |
DEPAUL MBB |
9:00 PM |
CBSSN |
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