New Associate AD

[SDHornet]

Wanless hired an Associate AD for External Affairs. This is essentially a fund raiser/marketing position that will help with organizing and execution of fund raising and marketing goals outlined in the strategic plan.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tod Bannister was hired as the Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs, it was announced today by Director of Athletics Terry Wanless.

A Sacramento State graduate ('86), Bannister will work closely with the Hornet Club and oversee the department's marketing and promotions office.

"We're very excited to have Tod become a member our department," Wanless said. "He is a veteran of the business and brings with him a great understanding of the Sacramento region."

Bannister comes to Sacramento State after serving as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations at San Jose State. While at SJSU, his responsibilities included working on the capital campaign for the Spartan Stadium North Endzone Project, overseeing ticket operations, marketing and promotions, and coordinating revenue projects with Spartan Sports Properties and Learfield Sports.

http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/news/release.asp?release_id=10994

Bannister has a good resume’ and has worked at a handful of other D-1 programs in a similar role. Hopefully he can deliver results here as well. Great hire imo.

 

[Green Laser]

Good move, hopefully they will start promoting the program and running it like a business.

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

Good move, hopefully they will start promoting the program and running it like a business.

Amen!!

What does Nelligan do? I thought they were the outsourced marketing people?

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

Good move, hopefully they will start promoting the program and running it like a business.

Amen!!

What does Nelligan do? I thought they were the outsourced marketing people?

Nelligan handles all the corporate marketing. This position is strictly for the Hornet Club, all the individual fundraising, the crab feeds, etc.

Athletics departments these days have two marketing offices: one for corporate interests, and one for individuals. This is the individual side.

 

[SDHornet]

Nelligan handles all the corporate marketing. This position is strictly for the Hornet Club, all the individual fundraising, the crab feeds, etc.

Athletics departments these days have two marketing offices: one for corporate interests, and one for individuals. This is the individual side.

I think/hope Wanless will tap into his experience in facility fund raising as well. That has clearly been lacking here and having someone around that can organize and lead the charge on facilitating a fund raising campaign (both individual and corporate donors) for facilities will be crucial for whatever masterplan ideas are in the pipeline.

 

[josephpoint]

Agree.

A fundraising campaign for facilities is decades overdue.

Gettting something, anything, started will build momentum

for

-a new arena (how bout reaching out to the owner of Sleep Train...a Sac State grad)
-permanent seating for Hornet Stadium along with permanent restrrooms, concessions, suites, and even removing the track to somewhere else so fans can be closer to the action . Heck, at other schools, classroom space is even incorporated into stadium upgrades.
-permanent seating for Hornet soccer field.
-permanent restrooms, concessions and lights for soccer, baseball and softball

People will contribute when there is something in place to contribute too.

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

Agree.

A fundraising campaign for facilities is decades overdue.

Gettting something, anything, started will build momentum

for

-a new arena (how bout reaching out to the owner of Sleep Train...a Sac State grad)
-permanent seating for Hornet Stadium along with permanent restrrooms, concessions, suites, and even removing the track to somewhere else so fans can be closer to the action . Heck, at other schools, classroom space is even incorporated into stadium upgrades.
-permanent seating for Hornet soccer field.
-permanent restrooms, concessions and lights for soccer, baseball and softball

People will contribute when there is something in place to contribute too.

Well said!

Sleeping giant is an adjective often given to Sac State athletics. Why hasn't the school done anything like this since joining DI in 1992?

I have my opinions, but would like to hear your opinions.

We are year 21 of DI and we still lack an arena adequate for this division. Football stadium is one
6.5 magnitude earthquake away from being pancaked.

People have been falling out of the clouds offering money to save the kings, why havent these same Sacramento stakeholders been approached to better the school/city/county/region through above average facilities, fan support, sponsorship and positive image producing 'big city' feelings that Sacramento so desparately aspires to be. Or have they been approached and they have all declined?

How and why can Fresno be so supportive of their local Dawgs and Sacramento not support the Hornets at a greater level?

Has it been a lack of vision, drive, ambition in this subject or politics that has prevented growth of Sac State athletics?

Yet Sacramento claims it is NBA worthy?

 

[superhornet]

Let's get Big Cat and Bob Visger to head this up. They were REALLY good at fundraising.

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

Let's get Big Cat and Bob Visger to head this up. They were REALLY good at fundraising.

Stop living in the past dude :roll:

 

[SDHornet]

SH does have a point. The coaches for each program need to also be champions for the facility fund raisers. A lot is asked of D-1 coaches and fund raising is one of those duties. Sperbeck has done an ok job given the money that was raised through the QB Club (not sure if he had a major hand in the Fieldhouse fund raising). Christiansen raised enough funds to renovate the baseball clubhouse in his 2nd year. Katz/Craighead/Volta/Hughes should be fund raising for Nest improvements and/or have a role when an Events Center fund raiser gets going. The soccer and softball coaches need to also take a proactive approach for their desired facility improvements as well. If it takes getting past coaches/alumni who have an ability to get funds raised involved in this process then so be it. :twocents:

 

[GoldenEagleHornet]

Agree.

A fundraising campaign for facilities is decades overdue.

Gettting something, anything, started will build momentum

for

-a new arena (how bout reaching out to the owner of Sleep Train...a Sac State grad)
-permanent seating for Hornet Stadium along with permanent restrrooms, concessions, suites, and even removing the track to somewhere else so fans can be closer to the action . Heck, at other schools, classroom space is even incorporated into stadium upgrades.
-permanent seating for Hornet soccer field.
-permanent restrooms, concessions and lights for soccer, baseball and softball

People will contribute when there is something in place to contribute too.

Well said!

Sleeping giant is an adjective often given to Sac State athletics. Why hasn't the school done anything like this since joining DI in 1992?

I have my opinions, but would like to hear your opinions.

We are year 21 of DI and we still lack an arena adequate for this division. Football stadium is one
6.5 magnitude earthquake away from being pancaked.

People have been falling out of the clouds offering money to save the kings, why havent these same Sacramento stakeholders been approached to better the school/city/county/region through above average facilities, fan support, sponsorship and positive image producing 'big city' feelings that Sacramento so desparately aspires to be. Or have they been approached and they have all declined?

How and why can Fresno be so supportive of their local Dawgs and Sacramento not support the Hornets at a greater level?

Has it been a lack of vision, drive, ambition in this subject or politics that has prevented growth of Sac State athletics?

Yet Sacramento claims it is NBA worthy?

Sac St shares the same problem as SDSU. Both are in major metropolitan areas where a large portion of the local population a) did not attend college; b) migrated from else where. Therefore, no overwhelming hornet sports pride. These groups prefer pro affiliations for city pride. Also, metro areas offer more than collegiate athletics for pass-time.

As life long Angeleno, the nearly 20-year absence of pro football in L.A. has swelled the following of USC & UCLA football. When the Rams and Raiders were both in L.A., support was visible for USC & UCLA football. But nothing like how it is now. I suspect that once pro football returns to L.A. turnstile numbers will drop at each. Further evidence, Trojan basketball nearly always blows, but bruin basketball is legendary. Yet with it's magnificent history, their attendance numbers have always paled in comparison to Laker attendance- and very recently Clipper.

Fresno support bulldog football, well b/c it's Fresno. The locals don't have anything pro to call their own.And even then it's not a significant support. I've watched some of their sport games (football & basketball) and neither venue was sold out. At most, they were only filled more than half. It's not a major metro area like SAC. The cultural and entertain attractions there do not compare to what SAC has to offer, more than likely.