NEW YORK – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation (NABC Foundation), and Van Wagner have agreed to a multi-year partnership, establishing Van Wagner as the exclusive corporate marketing and sponsorship sales representative for the Kansas City-based NABC and NABC Foundation.
Van Wagner will oversee the NABC and NABC Foundation’s official corporate marketing and sponsorship program, including activation with key properties such as the NABC Convention, the Hall of Fame Classic multi-team event, NABC College All-Star Games, and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Experience.
“Van Wagner stands out as an industry leader in developing strategic partnerships that elevate brands, strengthen events and drive revenue generation,” said NABC and NABC Foundation Executive Director Craig Robinson. “I’m confident the NABC’s collaboration with Van Wagner will help us grow our existing assets and generate new ideas and corporate relationships that serve the sport and our member coaches.”
The NABC provides professional development and advocacy services for over 5,000 member coaches across college, scholastic, and youth basketball. Along with operating as a collective voice for coaches on national policy and legislative issues, the NABC conducts numerous marquee events and presents many of college basketball’s most prestigious annual coach and player awards. The NABC Foundation, meanwhile, supports the charitable and educational purposes of the NABC.
Tom Bowen, a seasoned sports executive, has been appointed General Manager to oversee the partnership. With a proven track record in college administration and revenue generation, Bowen has previously served as Athletic Director at San Jose State, Memphis, and Arkansas State.
“We are thrilled to partner with the NABC and NABC Foundation as their exclusive corporate marketing and sponsorship sales representative,” said Mike Palisi, President of Van Wagner College. “This collaboration provides an excellent opportunity to support the NABC’s ‘Guardians of the Game’ platform, which celebrates the leadership, integrity, and commitment of basketball coaches at all levels of the game. We look forward to leveraging our expertise in sports marketing to drive innovation and build meaningful partnerships that that benefit the NABC, NABC Foundation, and the broader basketball community.”
Van Wagner currently represents twelve athletic conferences across the country. Widely recognized for its leadership and rapid growth in collegiate athletics marketing Van Wagner is poised to leverage its extensive experience in multimedia rights (MMR) and advertising, and strong relationships with national brands, to deliver strategic marketing solutions that will elevate NABC and NABC Foundation initiatives.
ABOUT THE NABC
The National Association of Basketball Coaches is a professional development and advocacy organization serving over 5,000 members in collegiate, scholastic and youth basketball. The NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary University of Kansas coach and student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. The NABC works to advance all levels of basketball and further the interests of the coaches and players who participate in the sport. NABC members are Guardians of the Game, upholding the core values of leadership, advocacy, service, education, and inclusion. For more information about the NABC, visit nabc.com.
ABOUT THE NABC FOUNDATION
The NABC Foundation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and to support the charitable and educational purposes of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The NABC Foundation has a history of supporting national literacy programs and operates the College Basketball Experience (CBE), an experiential facility in Kansas City which includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The NABC Foundation maintains a Benevolent Fund which provides financial assistance to NABC coaches who suffer severe economic or emotional strain due to various circumstances.
ABOUT VAN WAGNER
Van Wagner is a leading sports advertising and entertainment agency, with global expertise in live events, sponsorship sales, multimedia rights and aerial advertising. Van Wagner creates, advises and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands and properties. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA and international soccer, sponsorships sales, college multimedia rights and in-venue content production at the world’s biggest sporting events. For more information, visit www.vanwagner.com.
