Transcript
Tom Heath
Good morning. It’s a beautiful Sunday in the Old Pueblo. You’re listening to Katy DT Tucson. I want to thank you for spending a part of your brunch shower with us on your downtown Tucson Community sponsored rock and roll radio station.
Tom Heath
On this week’s show, we’ve got Kim Adair, the Executive Director for the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. We’re going to talk about the new sponsor, the somewhat and fairly new conference alignment, and how this Bowl Game impacts our communities and, most importantly, what it does for our local nonprofit organizations.
Tom Heath
Today is October 3rd. That means we’re into the fall weather. My friends, My name is Tom Heath, and you’re listening to Life along the streetcar age. And every Sunday, Our focus is on social, cultural and economic impacts. In Tucson’s Urban core. We shed light on hidden gems Everyone should know about from a mountain to you, Arizona and all stops in between Queen. We get the inside track right here on 991 FM Streaming on Downtown Radio, dot org. And if
Tom Heath
your tech savvy, But if you’re not that tech savvy, because I can do it, You can get our very own app on your iPhone or Android. You just look for the Downtown Radio Tucson app in the store, and you’ll have us where you go on the show. If you want to reach out to us. Our email address is contact at Life along the streetcar dot-org. Our podcast is available just about anywhere You can find podcasts. You can interact with us on Facebook on Instagram. And we have a website Life along the streetcar dot-org with all of our past shows. And if you’re lazy again, like me, you can simply ask your smart speaker to play Life along the streetcar podcast. Well, the show I’m excited is taking on a little bit bigger audience. We’ve been the first few years. I think we are predominantly talking to folks that lived in and around Tucson. And now we’re starting to see more folks listening to the show that are coming from other areas might be new to Tucson, or exploring Tucson, or thinking about Coming, or
Tom Heath
exploring Tucson. And that means that some of the stories that we have covered Over the years we get to revisit with a fresh perspective. One We talk about every year, except for 2020, is the All Souls procession that happens in our downtown core. The Dia de los Muertos, the big event. And if you are Not from Tucson, I highly encourage you to explore the Dia de los Muertos Festival each. And every year this year, They just announced it will be back after covid. The organization that puts it on is called many Mounds, one stomach. And we did a show to explain why they put this on, But they did announce that November 5th through 7th is going to be the festival, and it will call made, of course, with the parade that will Been on that Sunday evening. And I’m very interested to see this is probably the first event that I will attend That is truly going to be, I think, transformed in some way by covid, because we traditionally wear masks at this event. And we’ll see what happens with the Advent
Tom Heath
of the new mask that we’ve been wearing for covid. But I’m excited to share our next story As well, because this is also a follow-up a 1/2. We did way back at the very beginning in 2017. At that time, Kim Adair was a board member of the Arizona bowl, and she came on the show to talk about its impact in our community and how much they did for nonprofits in 2017 They just launched. I think that was our second year. Well, as we roll into 2021, they have a new headline sponsor Barstool Sports. And they are back in action with live games this year. And the game will again be held on New Year’s Eve with a big Festival following for the celebration that evening had a chance to revisit with Kim, After all these years, sat down with her and talked about many things, including the new sponsors and the impact to our community. And our nonprofits kind of excited. We’ve got Kim add are here with the barstools, Arizona bowl and Kim. You And I go way back. We’ve got it. We’ve got a history, and we talked
Tom Heath
about this bowl game in 2017 Seems like a long time ago. And at that time you were just simply a board member of this effort. But your role has changed a little bit. What are you doing these days for, for this football game?
Kim Adair
Oh, well, Tom, it’s so great to catch up with you, and has been a little while since the last time we talked. And I’m very excited about three and a half years ago, I joined the the Arizona Bowl as their executive director. And since then, we’ve been working really hard to grow this community organization and continue to give, you know, all of our net proceeds back to charity and really make a positive impact on the community. And so that’s what I’ve been up to.
Tom Heath
That’s it, Just trying to better our community. So this that mission has been there since the beginning, Hasn’t it? That the proceeds that the profits from this are that It was part of the reason why this whole bowl game kind of took off wasn’t it, to get back to her our charitable organizations in Tucson?
Kim Adair
Absolutely. You know, we, we wanted to do a couple of things for this community. We had lost so many things at that point, you know, spring training left. And, you know, we wanted to give back to the community in a meaningful way and bring back some things that we have lost in the past. And we had lost a bowl game in the past. And so our Founders, you know, really took it personally and wanted to try to bring A bowl game back to Southern Arizona. And so, you know, they did that. And as part of that Community impact, it’s the economic impact that this game drives the visibility that this game gives to Southern Arizona and the visitors that come here because of the game And that last week of December. And then also, you know, one of our primary factors was committing to give a hundred percent of our net proceeds off security. And and we make a lot of artists Visions through that lens, because we could easily make other decisions that would impact our bowl game. But that would not allow us
Kim Adair
to create Revenue in the same way We create Revenue now for Charities. And so it’s always at the Forefront of our decision-making. And it’s one of our core values. And we’re very excited to be able to continue to do that and probably do that in a more significant way than we’ve ever done that in the past because of our new partnership with Barstool Sports. We’re very excited about that.
Tom Heath
And so, I mean, that’s a pretty big achievement to say, you’re going to take it to a different level, because this has been going on since the first game. Forgive me was
Kim Adair
2015-2016, right? Yeah,
Tom Heath
2015 2015. So you were heading into your getting into that territory, where you’ve got a lot of things figured out, and to take it to a different levels is pretty exciting. And who plays in this ballgame Is it? What are the conference’s? Are? They still the same
Kim Adair
alignments? We made it. We made a shift in our conference alignment last year. And so we are currently currently with the Mountain West. We continue to be with the Mountain West. We’ve been with them since day one. They are actually are one of our founding partners. And we’re very, very close, have a close partnership with the Mountain West. And then our new partner, starting last year, is the minimum erican conference, The map conference out of the Midwest. And that was significant for us in various Exciting for us, because it opens up a whole new group of people to watch our games, But also, you know, when you’re in Ohio or New York or Illinois, and it’s New Years Eve, And it’s about, you know, 12 degrees coming to Southern Arizona on New Year’s Eve, or it’s somewhere between 60 and 80 degrees is a terrific motivating factor to get up And Come out to the game. And so we really wanted to draw upon those visitors That would be really motivated to come to Southern Arizona, because we want
Kim Adair
people to come here. Spend money here, give back here. And that’s that’s important to us.
Tom Heath
Well, as someone came who came from Ohio a few years ago, I can agree that this is a great place to be on December 31st of any Year. Yes. Well, well done. I would imagine some of the same holds true for those Mountain West teams as well.
Kim Adair
Yeah. So
Tom Heath
you’ve you’ve over, you’ve been Working through this with with the pandemic last year. Obviously was a different year, but it seems, and maybe this is just me being more aware, but it seems like the bowl has gotten more involved with, like local sports, and I’ve seen more recognition of like high school sports and things is that, is that something that’s ongoing? Or is that new?
Kim Adair
You know, in 2019 we started getting involved in that way. We actually had a seven on seven tournament for high school football players and football Ball teams. And then, you know, of course, the pandemic happened, and, you know, as people true fans of football, I mean, the bowl game wanted to help support local athletes, local high schools with their football programs, And most of them were shut down during 2020 and didn’t get an opportunity to play and those seniors, you know, who are stuck in 2020, who had football aspirations, whether it To finish their senior years of RC player, or try to get recruited into, you know, into a Collegiate football landscape. It was heartbreaking for those kids. And so in 2021, with the help of the City of Tucson and some really great local sponsors, We put on the Southern Arizona, All-Star game for high school seniors who didn’t get a chance to play whose families and parents and Parents didn’t get a chance to watch them play their senior year. And so
Kim Adair
we brought about a hundred High School seniors out to play an All-Star game, and we gave them all great new new uniforms and equipment. And then we also did that for the high school seniors Spirit Squad members. You know, those those men and women on the Spirit Squad and cheer teams. They got their season, you know, lost as well. And so we have Really great events that happened in June, early June of this year. And we are very, very proud of to be able to put that on and be a big part of that.
Tom Heath
I think we, you know, we get the sense of bowl games. And, you know, I watch them every year, but you see it as a one day three or four, our events with some parties before or after. But this is really an ongoing year-round effort that that impacts our community.
Kim Adair
Yes. I mean, I’m looking at my calendar right now, and I think I have about 20 events between now and midnight on New Year’s Eve that we are a part of. And so, you know, there’s a lot of things happening behind the scenes, some private parties for players and VIP parties for coaches and University presidents and pep rallies and no-till gates in the game. And the we’re doing our New Year’s Eve downtown Bowl bash again this year, which is going to be incredibly exciting. We’ve got our kickoff luncheon coming up on coming up here in a couple of weeks. So we keep busy all year long and preparation for for the bowl game, And especially this time of year, which is our busy season. But we’re very excited. And with the addition of our school, There’s going to be even a few more events that will be taking place, which is a tradition. Another terrific driver for tourism Come here in Southern Arizona.
Tom Heath
We will be back to finish up with the second half of our interview with Kim Adair, the executive director for the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. But I want to remind you that you’re listening to Downtown Radio on 991 FM and available for streaming on Downtown Radio, dot-org.
Tom Heath
Well, finish up here with Kim Adair, the executive director for the Barstool Sports Arizona bowl. And this segment, we talk a little bit more specifically in the game. And, you know, like, I was
Tom Heath
curious, how do you end up with a sponsor of a bowl game? What that process is like things We can expect in the festivities that you talked about Another exciting time on New Year’s Eve in downtown Tucson. How does? How does a bowl game and a sponsor? How do they come together? What to someone approached the other person? Or is there like Bowl broker out there? The Connecting People? How does that come to
Kim Adair
be? There is actually there are actually a few bull Brokers out there. I wish
Tom Heath
I had. No, no,
Kim Adair
no, No. There are companies that find title sponsors for certain events, And and we had one that we were working with. We had we happen to be on a phone conversation with them. And I started talking about this really incredible thing I was watching going on in real time, which is bar Are still Sports stepped up to underwrite completely a golf tournament for the full women’s college golf teams who had their Seasons unexpectedly cut short because of some some bad weather. So they were in the NCAA Women’s College golf championships, Regional playoffs, and they got their gate. They’re matched canceled, and these women were completely upset and frustrated Stated that they didn’t get a chance to play. And I watched Barstool step in. And within seven days, They had a whole new tournament set up for these women That was completely under written. And it was something that a company didn’t need to do. You know, it was some. It was just it was the right thing to do, and that’s why they did it. And
Kim Adair
it was very exciting to see. And so I happen to mention this to our consultant. And they said, would you like to talk to his car Still about potentially title sponsorship? And I said, you know, I think I would, I think, you know, based off of, Of the things I’m seeing, and things I know about are still I would love to talk to them. And then, you know, here we are, few months later,
Tom Heath
That’s pretty incredible, That, that all that comes together like that, because I am assuming you’ve got you’ve got a board of directors, They’ve got to go through and read everything, and and do all that process to. So that’s that was quite a bit of activity in a short period of time.
Kim Adair
Yeah, there’s about 10 people that need to sign off on the title sponsorship. So between us and the conferences and the NCAA dartboard. And there’s a lot, there are a lot of People that, that you need to get, you know, get on board. And luckily, we were able to do that. And everybody’s really excited about the type of value that bar still brings to this partnership. Either The most people don’t understand if you’re older like I am Tom, and I think you and I are similar ages people, many people, our age, don’t know who Barstool Sports are. But if you ask our kids or, you know, college students, or even people in their early 30s, they, They are big. Fans of are still supports. In fact, they’re the third largest Sports Media company in the country only behind ESPN and mourner. So they are huge in this Marketplace, and we’re very excited to be able to partner with them and an ad visibility for the Arizona Bowl across
Tom Heath
the country. And that changes the the broadcasting of it, doesn’t it? Because they’re there a media Outlet as well.
Kim Adair
So yeah. So we were actually in a very unique situation this year, Which is, we had both our. Title sponsorship available and our broadcast partner and partnership, And we were negotiating with the names that you would expect to be talking to about broadcast Partnerships. And when we started talking to Barstool about the title sponsorship, they also expressed interest in the broadcast partnership And Tom, You may remember, in your listeners may remember that We were actually the first game to start to ever be on a streaming service our first few years. And then we switched over to traditional Broadcast and linear television. But, you know, so we’re open to that type of dynamic. We believed a long time ago that people were going to be watching most of their content through digital applications. And here we are. You know, six, seven years later, That’s absolutely the case. And so we were open to talking to Barstow about not only be the title sponsor, but also being our broadcast partner.
Kim Adair
And and with that comes all of the fun energy ideas, You know, craziness that comes with being a part of Barstool and all of the new things that were able to do in the broadcast of the game at the stadium During the game. All of these, because, you know, there aren’t any. You know, there’s a lot of yeses that were able to say now than we used to be able to say. And that’s really exciting for us. It’s going to be So much more fun for the fans and so much more fun for the viewers to watch our game. That’s awesome.
Tom Heath
I know, like December, you know, as you get towards that New Year’s date, the the real estate for television to have a bowl game gets Tighter and Tighter. So that I’m assuming this gives you a little bit more control over when the game airs, And and when it put, and when it kicks off and all of that,
Kim Adair
Absolutely, as you, as I mentioned a few minutes ago, you know, we make all of our decisions through the lens of How do we get more money for charity? And if we Being broadcast and played, you know, on a Tuesday night at 8 or 9 pm, Because that’s the best time for our broadcaster. We’re not going to get many people to buy tickets to that game or many sponsors to sponsor that game. And its really, through those through those ticket sales and beer sales and sponsorship sales, that we are able to give money back to charity. And so it was important for us to have control over our date and time of game. And and with CBS Sports Network in the past, they gave that to us. And now with Barstool Sports, we also have that as well. And we want to make this a New Years, Eve tradition and bar stools on board with that a hundred percent. And we’re very excited. You know, we will be an opening game really to cfp semifinal games That will happen a little later than ours. And we’re really excited to be in
Kim Adair
that very important broadcasts.
Tom Heath
Lat. And how long does a sponsor sign up for the I’m assuming this is a multi-year commitment?
Kim Adair
Yeah, It’s a multi-year commitment That’s As much as I can say. But the parcel by parcel will be around for a while.
Tom Heath
Excellent. And then you mentioned the you kind of touched upon this, But the bowl game, obviously, it’s going to bring people to Tucson that are new. And we’ve seen that in the past with the bowl game, and then you’re going to bring them all down town for New Year’s party.
Kim Adair
Yeah. So we’re gonna have the tailgate, you know, on the mall and University, and then we’ll have our big game will kick off at noon this year. And then after that, we will, I’ll meet downtown into songs Times. Square’s what we call it off of tool and fifths right around Hotel Congress for our New Year’s Eve. Downtown bull Bash will have live entertainment, bars, food, food, trucks. We’ve got 80s and gentlemen book to play that night, to take us all the way into midnight will have the giant Taco that gets dropped into a giant hand at midnight. And then we’ll cap it off with fireworks off the roof top of Hotel Congress. And it’s going to be Awesome. We had about 10000 people in 2019 down there. And we expect, at least that at least a double that I think this year, I think people are really going to be excited to celebrate New Years this year, Given the tough times We’ve had over the last couple years. So we’re very excited. It’s going to be a party No one wants to mess.
Tom Heath
So let me ask you a question. It’s 12:01 January 1st Is this Kim Get a few minutes off for? Or when does it start up again For the next year?
Kim Adair
So it starts, It starts at 12. No. Rest for the weary. Yeah, we’ll be cleaning up. I usually check my steps for the Day. Elastin 2019 I looked at 12:30 am How many steps I had to walk that day, And I was over 28000. I think that’s a marathon or something. It felt like a marathon top.
Tom Heath
So obviously people the way people can help they can show up to the event. They can get tickets to the game. They can watch, they can share it on their social media. But I was on your website. And I saw you also have volunteer opportunities. Are you still looking for volunteers? What if. So, what do they do?
Kim Adair
Yeah. So we are always looking for volunteers to help us at our tailgate at the game. And at the bowl bash, We need people to help us, you know, we’re a small little Mighty staff that can only do what we do, Because we have a great volunteer army of people. And and so if anyone’s interested in helping or volunteering for any Of those events, They can sign up on our website for
Tom Heath
sure. Alright, well, we’ll make sure we linked to that. When we are. This are this episode. And any last words, what are some words of wisdom, things that I should have asked that I didn’t
Kim Adair
know you did a pretty good job. You know, I just want to reiterate how exciting we excited We are for this year’s game and moving forward. You know, this is this game is something that’s really important to the Community. It shows, you know, everyone across the country that two songs on the map, and that we’ve got a lot of special things happening here. And you know, we are a small nonprofit organization that gives a hundred percent of our net proceeds to charity, which means we need the support of the entire Community to continue to keep this game healthy and sustainable. So, buy a ticket, help us sponsor, Put some good words out on social media, whatever your listeners can do to help Support the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl, We will gladly take that support,
Tom Heath
Kim and are executive director of the Barstool Sports, Arizona Bowl. I know you were busy with 20 upcoming events in the next 90 days. So if I appreciate your time, and I look forward to seeing you at the game and downtown with the
Kim Adair
talk, Absolutely Absolutely. Thanks, Tom.
Tom Heath
All right, Thank you. That was Kim Add are She’s the executive director of the Barstool Sports. Arizona Bowl Had a nice conversation about the impact of that event here in our community, and what, at six years Now, 2015 going going strong, one of those events that I encourage you to explore a little bit If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, because these things are impactful in our community, like many of the Stories that we cover. And so many of them are predominantly run by volunteers. So we’ll link to the Arizona Bowl on our Facebook page. Maybe check out the volunteer opportunities and look forward to the Mountain West. And Mac conference is getting together Here in Tucson, Arizona in December. My name is Tom Heath. You are listening to Life along the streetcar on Downtown Radio 991 FM and available for Streaming on Downtown Radio dot-org.
Tom Heath
And while you’re over there on Downtown Radio dot, or getting your swag on a check out, some of the DJ’s shows As you know, we say this many times. It’s an all-volunteer station. Are DJs just love what they do. They’re super knowledgeable and want to share that knowledge. And their love with our I have learned so much about music in the years I’ve been on this station, Encourage you to take a listen. Going to be some lineup changes as I understand it. So maybe some new cool music coming
Tom Heath
into a different time slot. All that’s available on Down a town radio dot org Want to thank Kim a dare for spending some time with us. I know we’re just a few months away from the bowl game, and they’ve got a lot of things heating up down there as they get ready for all of these teams and their fans and coaches and staff Them head to Arizona and be cheered on by their fans and hours here in Tucson. If there’s a topic you want us to share or cover hit us up on Facebook and Instagram, you can always just email us contact at Life along the streetcar dot-org. Well, the 31st festivities December 31st are going to end downtown for many of us with the New Year’s Eve Taco drop. So we Thought, in honor of that, We’d leave you a little music today. This is a cute little song. It’s a single from 2019 The artist is Parry Gripp P AR y gr IPP Parry Gripp. It’s a single from 2019. It is called Taco bot 3000 Taco bot 3000 when you need that artificial Taco intelligence to create that Perfect Taco for you.
Tom Heath
Have a great week. And I hope you tune in next Monday for more Life along Streetcar.
Tom Heath
Taco Bus.
