A running back breaking a tackle in a packed college football stadium

College Sports Connect | Powered by Learfield EDGE

Reach the college sports fans who fit your brief

Use Learfield’s first-party fan data to find the audiences your clients want to reach. Activate them across paid media and official school digital properties, with no sponsorship package required.

Share a brief See how it works

Estimated fan population: 195M; Estimated college sports fans
Database size: 130M+; First-party profiles in Learfield Fanbase
Market presence: 98 of 100; Top 100 markets have a Division I team

Sources: Learfield Fanbase; Learfield College Athletics Fanbase Fan Report.

What makes the audience different

Built on how fans actually engage

Learfield Fanbase draws on ticket purchases and donations through Paciolan and engagement with athletics websites and apps through SIDEARM Sports. EDGE uses those first-party signals to build fan audiences around your client’s brief.

Paciolan
Ticket purchases and donations
SIDEARM Sports
Engagement with athletics websites and apps
Learfield Fanbase
130M+ first-party profiles
Campaign audiences
Built around your brief

Ways EDGE can refine an audience

Geography
Demographics
Life stage
Interests
Purchase signals

From brief to audience

Home improvement
Reach active remodelers and DIYers before they buy.
2.54x predicted spend index: home paint and supplies
Health and wellness
Reach fans investing in fitness and everyday health.
2.68x predicted spend index: sporting goods
Beauty
Reach fans spending on personal care and self-care.
3.00x predicted spend index: men’s shaving products

Source: Verified first-party data analysis via Persona Builder and YouGov. Predicted spend indexes compare college sports fans with the applicable U.S. baseline and are not confirmed purchases.

Two ways to reach fans

One audience foundation. Two ways to activate.

Football game action in a packed college stadium

Activate a fan audience

Reach selected fan segments across connected TV, online video, display, social, and streaming audio. Audience matching and reporting vary by channel.

A college basketball player driving to the basket in front of a cheering crowd

Buy a school digital placement

Run display or video on available official athletics websites and other eligible school digital properties. Placements depend on the brief and available inventory.

EDGE recommends the audience, media mix, and measurement plan based on your objectives, geography, timing, and budget.

Share a brief

Measurement and proof

Agree on success before launch

Awareness

Impressions, reach, and frequency where available.

Engagement

Video completions, clicks, and site activity where tracking is in place.

Business outcomes

Conversion tracking or lift studies when campaign setup, budget, and measurement options support them.

32%
Lift in click-through rate
68%
Higher view-through rate
77%
Increase in post-click engagement

Historical results from an analysis of Learfield first-party data audiences compared with EDGE agency-managed media, 2025. Findings reflect analyzed campaigns and are not a guarantee of future results.

Example audience briefs

Reach fans planning away-game travel in the weeks before kickoff.
Reach tailgaters and home-gathering fans during football season.

Working with EDGE

Bring us your next audience brief

1
Share the brief
Tell us your client’s objective, audience, markets, timing, and budget.
2
Get a plan
EDGE recommends fan segments, channels, available placements, pricing, and KPIs.
3
Launch and measure
Agree on who handles execution and report against the KPIs set before launch.

Agency FAQ

Do we need a sponsorship to use College Sports Connect?

No. You can activate fan audiences across paid media and buy school digital placements without a sponsorship package.

How does EDGE scope campaign reach?

EDGE builds the audience from your brief, including geography, demographics, life stage, interests, and purchase signals. Reach varies by channel and is confirmed in your plan, based on your objectives, geography, timing, and budget.

How are CPMs confirmed?

CPMs vary by audience, format, and inventory and are confirmed in your plan.

What reporting is available?

Reporting is set against the KPIs agreed before launch. It can include impressions, reach, and frequency where available; video completions, clicks, and site activity where tracking is in place; and conversion or lift measurement when setup, budget, and measurement options support it. Reporting varies by channel.