Magazine To Be Distributed At No Cost To Students On 150 Campuses Nationwide

New York, New York – Through a unique partnership with the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), Sports Illustrated On Campus, a sports magazine solely dedicated to college athletics and the sports interests of college students, will expand its distribution to 150 college campuses, up from 74, beginning this fall. The announcement was made by Dave Morris, Publisher of Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated On Campus, and Mick Deluca, President of the NIRSA Services Corporation Board of Directors.

“Sports Illustrated On Campus is excited to partner with NIRSA in this capacity,” said Morris. “Being able to work with their impressive list of Member Institutions presents a great opportunity for us to further increase awareness of the SI On Campus brand, while directly delivering the magazine into the hands of a million college students across the country.”

Starting with the September 15th edition, one million copies of Sports Illustrated On Campus will be distributed at no cost to students up to six times each semester (12 times per school year) at 150 schools in the 48 contiguous states. The bi-weekly publication will be available exclusively in the Campus Recreation Centers of NIRSA Member Institutions designated to receive SI On Campus. (See attached for participating universities.)

“Being able to team up the mass participation and engagement of collegiate recreational sports programs and facilities with arguably the most recognizable name in sports print media is a perfect match, and sets the ground work for a long term relationship,” Deluca says. “We feel the new partnership with Sports Illustrated On Campus creates great added value for the Association, with an exciting free publication available on campus for participants, program partnerships and exposure for NIRSA's national initiatives, and the potential for future collaborative development.”

In addition to the magazine, SI On Campus readers will soon have access to a new 24/7 web site, which will feature original content and a fresh, entertaining and irreverent perspective on college sports and college life. The site, www.SIOncampus.com, is scheduled to launch in mid-September and will be designed for college students and college sports fans.

About Sports Illustrated On Campus
SI On Campus is solely dedicated to college athletics and the sports interests of college students. The magazine, which is published by the editors of Sports Illustrated, is distributed in the Campus Recreation Centers of 150 major universities throughout the school year, generating a circulation of one million readers between the ages of 18 and 24. The bi-weekly publication is distributed at no cost to students up to 6 times each semester (12 times per school year), primarily every other Thursday of the month.

The college edition and web site are part of an initiative to further SI’s leadership position on university campuses. As a complement to this venture, SI On Campus has developed an accredited and elite on-campus internship opportunity at 70 of the campuses that receive the magazine. The SI On Campus Consultants Program, which is made up of 400 elite students nationwide, further enhances the brand’s presence among college communities. While offering students career-building opportunities, the Consultants Program also provides the magazine with a network of students who can help increase brand awareness among their peers, assist with promotions and marketing, and generate ideas for the magazine. In addition to the student representatives, SI On Campus will continue to recruit students at each of the 150 campuses to participate in a research panel. Identified as the SI Scouts Research Panel, this assembly of more than 5,000 18-24 year-olds provides invaluable insight and feedback about the lifestyles and interests of the college market for advertisers targeting college students. Other activities include involvement with student union groups, rec centers, athletic departments and other organizations at the various schools to increase SI’s participation in daily campus life.

About NIRSA
NIRSA, the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, is the leading resource for professional and student development, education, and research in collegiate recreational sports. It is extremely proud of its long history and many accomplishments. The Association was founded in 1950 when Dr. William Wasson organized a meeting of 22 African-American men and women intramural directors from 11 Historically Black Colleges (HBCU’s). Their mission was to improve the quality of life of individuals and communities through the education and training of professionals and recreational sports, fitness and wellness. The participants at this first Intramural Conference at Dillard University in New Orleans, LA, formed the National Intramural Association (NIA). In 1975, the name was changed to the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association. NIRSA was headquartered on the campus at Oregon State University from 1986 until July 1998 when the Association built a 16,089-sq. ft., $2.2 million facility, the NIRSA National Center, at 4185 SW Research Way in Corvallis, OR. It employs 14 full-time and six part-time employees with a $2.5 million dollar annual budget. Today, NIRSA’s 4,000+ individual and institutional members are located across the nation and internationally on 650 university campuses, at U.S. military installations, city/public recreation programs, private, and not-for-profit organizations. The NIRSA Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association, serves as a risk management tool and administers unrelated business income activities. The not-for-profit NIRSA Foundation, with assets of nearly $700,000, supports the Association’s education and scholarship activities. For more information about NIRSA visit www.nirsa.org.

Contact Info:
Allison Keane, Sports Illustrated
(212) 522-5542 or
(917) 359-7433