Mid-majors capitalize on March Madness spotlight

ORLANDO — It was 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday when Mike White got the request. After a full day of media availability, practice and prep for the NCAA Tournament, the East Tennessee State associate athletic director went searching for video footage of a net cutting the school had in its practice gym after winning the Southern Conference Tournament.

It’s a reality White long ago accepted for the value mid-major programs like his get each March.

“When I was thinking that I’m gonna have a chance to relax and maybe have an adult beverage and sit down for a second, next thing you know, we’re rushing to find footage for this event and photos because for us it’s important,” he said. “If CBS is going to take the time to offer us the opportunity, we’re going to take it.”

For mid-majors, the NCAA Tournament presents a one-of-a-kind platform to sell their programs and schools nationally. For their coaches and communications staffs, that means taking just about every interview request.

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White — who jokes that this week he’s the “other Mike White” here behind the Florida coach — said ETSU coach Steve Forbes has done about 100 interviews in the past week. That’s everything from national outlets, like The Jim Rome Show and The Paul Finebaum Show, to local radio in Forbes’ hometown.

He estimated he’s had at least 1,000 additional emails coordinating it all.

“It means really working around the clock, volume of emails, volume of text messages. You never leave your phone,” he said. “You just don’t want to miss something.”

That’s because it can be hugely important exposure for programs, something ETSU and other mid-majors can attest to.

Florida Gulf Coast capitalized on its historic run to the Sweet 16 in 2013, using the Dunk City moniker to fuel the attention it got on social media.

With the Eagles back in the tournament for a second consecutive year, that’s meant about 40 interviews for coach Joe Dooley and accommodating all requests.

“When people see FGCU’s back, and I don’t think he did a single interview nationally where Dunk City wasn’t addressed,” said Jason MacBain, FGCU’s director of athletics communications. “From my standpoint it’s easier to get attention because everybody remembers that run.”

FGCU, like ETSU and other schools, saw an increase of applications after its tournament run. The team’s yearly attendance doubled and fundraising grew from $14 million in 2011-13 to $33 million in 2015-16.

After ETSU made its 2010 tournament appearance, White said ETSU studied the impact and estimated the school got $2 million in earned media.

And, of course, the exposure can help the programs in recruiting.

“It's amazing how one game in the tournament run, even with all the winning that's gone on before that, but it really is,” said Middle Tennessee coach Kermit Davis of his program’s upset of Michigan State in the tournament last year. “Everybody has seen us play and like where we are. And then when you back it up like we do this year, probably in the early signing period, we were able to beat better schools in recruiting than we ever have. Yeah, no question it helped.”

The air time gives schools a chance to tell their unique stories. For FGCU, it was Dunk City. The school trademarked that, and MacBain said it is considering Dunk Dynasty but that they “want to keep making runs in March before we officially go that route.”

Forbes points out the Buccaneers have a unique story to tell, part of why they’ve generated so much interest. They have eight transfer players who came from junior college ranks or other Division I schools. Forbes himself was on Bruce Pearl’s staff at Tennessee that was fired for NCAA violations before starting over in junior college at Northwest Florida.

“It's more perseverance than anything. We have some guys from the Land of Misfit Toys,” Forbes said. “If you ever watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you know what I'm talking about. They all need a home. We all have a home here. We all have a story, and we've come together for a common goal, though, and that is to win and to go to the NCAA Tournament.”

ETSU will fall short of that after losing to No. 4 Florida in the first round on Thursday, but it’s still a worthwhile experience for the school.

White recalls the team’s run to the tournament in 2003, his first year with the school. It was White and one radio guy traveling with the team.

This year, he has a staff of 10 working to produce content and get the message out on social media. With an opportunity to capitalize, White and ETSU took it.

“You try to sleep when you can,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s fun to have this kind of experience.”

Contributing: Nancy Armour