PRESS RELEASE: Northwestern Athletics and Legends enter Multi-Year Partnership
Comprehensive Collaboration Includes Premium Seating, Ticket Sales,
Marketing, and Business Intelligence for Wildcats Athletics
Northwestern University Athletics and Legends, a global premium experiences company, today announced a multi-year partnership that will enhance the fan experience at Wildcats’ sporting events and maximize Northwestern Athletics revenue generation through a streamlined, data-driven sales approach. As part of the overarching agreement, Legends will manage premium seating, ticket sales, marketing and business intelligence for football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and other ticketed Northwestern varsity sports.
“We are excited to launch this comprehensive partnership with an unparalleled industry leader as we expand our sales and marketing infrastructure,” said Northwestern’s Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg. “Our external team led by Sr. Associate Athletic Director, Tyler Jones along with Legends’ expertise will immediately position Northwestern Athletics to deliver an enhanced experience to our fans and allow us to generate critical additional resources to support the holistic development of Wildcats student-athletes.”
Legends will also support Northwestern Athletics in its approach to optimizing revenue generation and curating experiences for all fans as part of the University’s efforts to reimagine and rebuild Ryan Field, inclusive of premium product development and pricing, corporate hospitality, premium seating and ticket sales. Northwestern Athletics initially engaged Legends in 2021 through its research arm, CSL, to conduct a comprehensive study on improving the overall fan experience, which included a survey and series of focus groups to solicit direct feedback from ticket holders, alumni, and other fans. Additionally, Legends Project Development and CSL are supporting the ongoing, exploratory project planning for the new Ryan Field initiative.
“Legends has proven to be an invaluable partner since our collaboration began in 2021, and we are excited to introduce the Legends Way to the Wildcats community,” said Deputy Director of Athletics Jesse Marks. “Their robust sales, data analytics and proven facility development expertise will greatly enhance Northwestern Athletics’ reach within the University, Evanston and greater Chicagoland communities, providing an innovative experience and a first-class level of service throughout the sales and development process.”
“The college athletics landscape is rapidly evolving, and Northwestern University has fully embraced what it takes to be on the leading edge of the sports fan experience today—and into the future,” said Michael Behan, Chief Operating Officer, Collegiate Partnerships, Legends. “We are excited to partner with such a renowned university and athletics program and to leverage our expertise and development strategy to help invigorate and enhance the experience for the Wildcats’ community and supporters.”
The latest collaboration bolsters Legends’ position as the leader in advising university athletic departments on identifying opportunities to enhance fan experiences and optimize revenue streams on new and renovated facility projects, having partnered on University of Notre Dame, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, Villanova University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Utah, and San Diego State University, amongst others.