College Wednesday: Digital Marketing and Recruiting, My ACC Breakdown Begins Tomorrow

I came across a great read in the Washington Post around fans and how they are attempting to influence recruiting more and more in this digital age. And it is pretty scary. (full story here)

"An ESPN-affiliated web site that covers the University of Maryland recruiting, http://www.InsideMDSports.com, offered a subscription bonus if prospect Lance Stephenson committed to the school.... if any top-10 recruit from NY commits to Maryland, everyone who has purchased an annual subscription will receive two free months added."

Wow. I guess I'm glad it didn't work out.

The fact that a reward even came out is scary. Not that two months of a free web subscription is a big bounty. I guess that's what surprises me -- it's almost like why bother with that level of reward? What it does signal is the growing emotional connection between fans and their team, and for real time information on your program.... Shining a light on just how critical the actual team sites are going to become (and already are) in driving excitement around their current team!

Which serves as a great prelude for tomorrow. I'll begin my journey through the ACC, ranking the programs from bottom to top from a digital point of view. Here's my conference preview, in case you missed it. Which school does the best job of generating excitement around their program? If you are narrowing down your wish list of schools, the digital version makes a big impact. I'm pumped to break this down for you!

I'll move from conference to conference across the D-1 landscape over the coming weeks, so come back early and often - you won't want to miss anything!