Pandemic Has Forced the Mountaineer Athletic Club to Go Virtual
February 17, 2021 11:10 AM | General, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Jamie Hall is the first to admit that she can't wait to see everyone at the next Mountaineer Athletic Club event whenever that is permissible.
In the meantime, she is mastering the nuances of operating what is a very social business virtually.
Last Saturday's Virtual Baseball Leadoff Dinner exceeded everyone's wildest expectations, netting the second-most revenue since Randy Mazey began doing Leadoff Dinners after taking over the Mountaineer program in 2013.
This year's event raised more than $90,000 for the baseball program, after expenses, which is about $10,000 shy of what last year's dinner netted with 600 people at the Marriott Waterfront Place hotel.
Both virtual events Hall organized last fall - the Ladies Huddle for football and Basketball Ladies Night for men's basketball - also had great participation, as did the Virtual 5K last summer that sold out all 1,000 available slots.
In normal times, your No. 1 objective is to have as many supporters as possible on campus to meet the coaches and athletes and to have them see all of the great things going on here.
So virtual events can only accomplish so much in that regard, but they are inexpensive, convenient and can open up other parts of the country and the world to WVU athletics.
"We've noticed with the surveys we've sent out, people say, 'please do this again' or 'at least include a virtual component because I would never be able to get to Morgantown to attend in person,'" Hall, WVU's assistant athletics director for donor relations and administration, said. "With the 5K, we had people from all over the country and all over the world.
"For the Ladies Huddle and Baseball Leadoff Dinner we had people from Illinois, California and all parts of the country that participated that would otherwise not be able to do so in person," she noted.
Since last March, when the pandemic closed down the country, Hall estimates the Mountaineer Athletic Club has done about a dozen or so virtual events. With the help of Grant Dovey, West Virginia's director of digital media, and WVU's IT department, these events are becoming much more efficient.
Hall said more than 400 people have already registered for this year's Virtual 5K with registration ending on March 5. She's is hopeful of exceeding last year's total of 1,000. A Virtual Pet Dash has also been added this year and she is still seeking title sponsorships for both.
"The 400 includes people and pets," she laughed. "We did not have a presenting sponsor for this last year and it's a great opportunity for a business to put their logo on the back of 1,000-plus t-shirts that will be going out all over the country."
She said there is also room for a title sponsor logo on the bandanas being distributed for the Pet Dash, as well.
Registrants are encouraged to log on to https://wvuf.wufoo.com/forms/virtual-wvu5k/ to sign up for this year's Virtual 5K.
Hall mentioned a one-day Virtual Coaches Caravan is being planned for later this spring with details coming soon.
The pandemic has forced athletics departments everywhere to rethink how they do business, and incorporating virtual events has been one of the Mountaineer Athletic Club's solutions to remain up and running.
Hall anticipates keeping some of these virtual events intact once the country opens up fully again.
"I do think we also need to have a supplemental virtual component that can include everyone that can't make it to Morgantown," she said, adding, "I think we will all be excited to getting back to seeing everyone in person again.
"Our MAC staff is trying to raise some money for student-athletes, and it's definitely been a team effort. Our donors have stepped up as event sponsors, and we'll continue to rely on their support." she concluded.
In the meantime, she is mastering the nuances of operating what is a very social business virtually.
Last Saturday's Virtual Baseball Leadoff Dinner exceeded everyone's wildest expectations, netting the second-most revenue since Randy Mazey began doing Leadoff Dinners after taking over the Mountaineer program in 2013.
This year's event raised more than $90,000 for the baseball program, after expenses, which is about $10,000 shy of what last year's dinner netted with 600 people at the Marriott Waterfront Place hotel.
Both virtual events Hall organized last fall - the Ladies Huddle for football and Basketball Ladies Night for men's basketball - also had great participation, as did the Virtual 5K last summer that sold out all 1,000 available slots.
In normal times, your No. 1 objective is to have as many supporters as possible on campus to meet the coaches and athletes and to have them see all of the great things going on here.
So virtual events can only accomplish so much in that regard, but they are inexpensive, convenient and can open up other parts of the country and the world to WVU athletics.
"We've noticed with the surveys we've sent out, people say, 'please do this again' or 'at least include a virtual component because I would never be able to get to Morgantown to attend in person,'" Hall, WVU's assistant athletics director for donor relations and administration, said. "With the 5K, we had people from all over the country and all over the world.
"For the Ladies Huddle and Baseball Leadoff Dinner we had people from Illinois, California and all parts of the country that participated that would otherwise not be able to do so in person," she noted.
Since last March, when the pandemic closed down the country, Hall estimates the Mountaineer Athletic Club has done about a dozen or so virtual events. With the help of Grant Dovey, West Virginia's director of digital media, and WVU's IT department, these events are becoming much more efficient.
Hall said more than 400 people have already registered for this year's Virtual 5K with registration ending on March 5. She's is hopeful of exceeding last year's total of 1,000. A Virtual Pet Dash has also been added this year and she is still seeking title sponsorships for both.
"The 400 includes people and pets," she laughed. "We did not have a presenting sponsor for this last year and it's a great opportunity for a business to put their logo on the back of 1,000-plus t-shirts that will be going out all over the country."
She said there is also room for a title sponsor logo on the bandanas being distributed for the Pet Dash, as well.
Registrants are encouraged to log on to https://wvuf.wufoo.com/forms/virtual-wvu5k/ to sign up for this year's Virtual 5K.
Hall mentioned a one-day Virtual Coaches Caravan is being planned for later this spring with details coming soon.
The pandemic has forced athletics departments everywhere to rethink how they do business, and incorporating virtual events has been one of the Mountaineer Athletic Club's solutions to remain up and running.
Hall anticipates keeping some of these virtual events intact once the country opens up fully again.
"I do think we also need to have a supplemental virtual component that can include everyone that can't make it to Morgantown," she said, adding, "I think we will all be excited to getting back to seeing everyone in person again.
"Our MAC staff is trying to raise some money for student-athletes, and it's definitely been a team effort. Our donors have stepped up as event sponsors, and we'll continue to rely on their support." she concluded.
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