Flyers Fans Bring School Pride to Game Night
Photo via University of Dayton Bookstore
Aubrey Brickner | Contributing Writer
The University of Dayton has sold a variety of lawn and tabletop games at the university bookstore for more than a decade, offering students, faculty, families, and alumni as a way to show school spirit during campus events and gatherings. From cornhole boards to card games, these games are part of a growing market for licensed collegiate merchandise and extend the university’s brand beyond clothing and souvenirs.
Natasha Baker, marketing expert and communication department faculty, said these products help schools generate revenue and display their reputation in a positive way, opening doors for potential students to take interest in the school. She explained how these games, from a marketing perspective, increase brand recognition while also building community among current students and alumni.
UD has sold lawn games such as cornhole, hook and ring, lawn dice, quoit ring toss, Kubb Vikings lawn chess, gold chip shot, and tumbler tower. Some of the games such as cornhole, have been sold at UD for 10 to 15 years while others such as lawn chess and giant Jenga were brought in about 2021.
In order to make this happen, the university partners with collegiate businesses to create UD- branded licensed games. The university previously partnered with Victory Tailgate, but the company moved away from the collegiate business, with the exception of big power conferences, after being acquired by Escalade Sports. Because of this, there is a lack of lawn games available for selling.
However, UD Bookstore Manager Jennifer Napier said she has more cornhole sets ordered from a local vendor but the university will need to find a reliable vendor. In addition to lawn games, tabletop games are also sold at the bookstore including Coinhole, playing cards, Jabuka, and Hoop and Ball. UD partners with Baden Sports to license Hoop and Ball, Neil Enterprises to license the playing cards, and Martin’s Woodworking LLC to license Coinhole.
Looking at the sales side, alumni typically buy the lawn games. Due to the price range and size, lawn games are less practical for students, especially underclassmen. Card games, especially those designed by sophomore entrepreneurs, sell very well. According to Napier, almost 100 of those sets were sold. Another group of entrepreneur students last year developed a card game featuring unique images across campus, selling 150 sets and standing as one of the most popular games.
Unfortunately, licensing branded games comes with challenges. One such challenge that hinders a college or university’s ability to sell licensed games is that sometimes licensing limits which products the individual campus can sell. Another obstacle is that minimums can be high.
Ordering a lot of a customized product can be expensive and financially not make sense. As seen with the outdoor games, vendors can also change and are not always reliable.
In a digital world, there is a growing market for these types of games.
“There’s a real push right now for brands to bring back some of those analog ways for people to really connect in person with each other,” Baker said, “and so I think a board game to me right now makes total sense.”
Selling branded games to alumni all over the world encourages school pride. When people see the UD logo, they’ll recognize it, demonstrating the value of branded game products. Whether through tailgate games or student-designed card decks, UD-branded games offer another way for students and alumni to connect with the university beyond the classroom.
Did You Know?
– UD has over 130,000 alumni worldwide
– Alumni make up about 60% of game buyers at the bookstore
– UD licensed card games make great stocking stuffers and spike in sales around Christmas
– The most successful games sold at the bookstore have been those designed by students
EDITOR’S NOTE: Brickner is enrolled in the Flyer News Practicum, which offers students experiential learning in the fields of journalism and the media professions. The Practicum is offered fall and spring through the Department of Communication.