This March, Bowl Season and Sportradar announced an official partnership beginning in 2022-2023.
Bowl Season hopes the sports tech company will smooth the organization’s transition into the sports betting scene, along with other partnership benefits.
To get in on the action with Bowl Season, there are three sports betting operators in CT. But, if you’re looking for convenience FanDuel Sportsbook and SugarHouse CT offer online betting platforms.
Bowl Season’s 2020 full brand overhaul
Back in October of 2020, Bowl Season, previously known as the Football Bowl Association (FBA) rebranded under the leadership of Executive Director Nick Carparelli. The organization changed their name to Bowl Season and updated the logo, tagline, and website for a full brand overhaul.
Carparelli planned and executed Bowl Season’s new branding, working with:
- Stakeholders
- Media partners
- Bowl game leaders
- FBS conferences
He said, “for four decades, the Football Bowl Association has served as a staunch advocate of the bowl system. But until now, it’s been a behind-the-scenes organization designed to facilitate conversation among bowl leadership and stakeholders.”
Bowl season’s new tagline is “A Celebration of College Football”. The tagline encompasses not only player athletes, but also student staff, marching bands, spirit squads, and fans. Carparelli spoke of his intention to make the association more public-facing with the overhaul.
“Since joining the organization last spring,” he said in October of 2021. “I’ve listened to our membership’s clear desire for a new identity – to rebrand the FBA to speak directly to those who love this sport.”
The association’s new name and logo were created by 1919 Productions, a Connecticut-based company, and Joe Bosack & Co. Dallas-based company, Tony Fay Public Relations, handled the organization’s communications regarding the rebranding.
“Our goal was to create a new brand that is distinctive, ownable and clearly defines what Bowl Season is,” said 1919 Productions owner, Marc Jacobson. “The new name and logo taps into the passion and emotion of college football, which we think will resonate well with all parties involved.”
What does Bowl Season’s agreement with Sportradar entail?
Sports betting has been stepping more and more into the college athletics scene. Bowl Season’s rebranding efforts in late 2020 were a stepping stone for the organization to generate more interest and revenue.
With that goal in mind, Sportradar will advise and educate Bowl Season on entering into the sports betting industry responsibly. Moreover, the tech company will also identify commercial opportunities for the organization to increase revenues.
The partnership includes Sportradar’s sponsorship of Bowl Season’s Annual Meeting. It also includes the organization’s use of Sportradar Integrity Services.
Sportradar Integrity Services serves as a non-profit arm of the Sportradar company. It provides solutions that combat doping, match-fixing in betting, and other threats to the integrity of sporting events.
Sportsradar is a leader in these solutions for private sports organizations and also:
- Sports governing bodies
- Law enforcement agencies
- Clubs
- Anti-doping organizations
Carparelli said he is “thrilled to partner with Sportradar” because of their extensive experience in the sports space.
“Sportradar’s expertise in creating immersive experiences for sports fans is a perfect fit for Bowl Season. Sportradar will be a great resource to Bowl Season, playing a major role at our Annual Meeting this coming spring and educating our membership on their wide array of services.”
Sportradar is growing in the world of college sports
This isn’t the first move Sportradar has made in becoming an instrumental force in collegiate sports. The company has worked extensively to build up its offerings for college sports organizations. “We see untapped potential in the collegiate sports space,” said Ed Blonk, Sportradar Chief Commercial Officer.
Back in 2021, Sportradar acquired Synergy Sports, a platform that provides high–quality analytics for coaching and scouting. Synergy Sports has been providing services and products to college sports since 2007.
Sportradar has also partnered with several conferences for college athletics in the past year or so. These partnerships include providing integrity products to the organizations.
Blonk is confident that Sportradar will help take Bowl Season to the next level in the already booming consumer experience of the organization, he said:
“Millions of sports fans look forward to Bowl Season each year. This multi-faceted partnership will help the organization enhance an already exciting experience for their fans and reach a broader audience.”
