Author: Clay Bollinger

  • Spotlight Insights – March 17: Monetizing Branding, NIL and Digital Engagement

    Spotlight Insights – March 17: Monetizing Branding, NIL and Digital Engagement

    Sports media is evolving rapidly, and the traditional methods of sponsorship and monetization are no longer enough. Today’s athletic departments must embrace a new mindset: brands don’t simply want to “support” your business, they demand direct access to engaged audiences. Departments that understand this shift will leverage storytelling, NIL integration, and digital-first fan engagement as…

  • How To Balance Sponsored and Recruiting Content

    How To Balance Sponsored and Recruiting Content

    How do you incorporate sponsored content into your college athletics strategy WITHOUT making it feel forced? Too many athletic departments treat sponsorships like a box to check — slapping a logo on a highlight or forcing an ad into content that should be built for recruits. But the best programs? They integrate brands seamlessly while…

  • Spotlight Insights – March 10: Creative Investments, Leadership Wins, and Team Structures for 2025

    Spotlight Insights – March 10: Creative Investments, Leadership Wins, and Team Structures for 2025

    Welcome to the first edition of Spotlight Insights, my new weekly blog series here at Spotlight Creative Solutions. Each day on LinkedIn, I’m sharing ideas, sparking conversations, and exploring trends around creative strategy in the college athletics space, but those insights can quickly disappear into the daily feed. So, to keep all that good stuff…

  • Building a Creative Space for Your Content Team

    Building a Creative Space for Your Content Team

    The physical environment plays a crucial role in the productivity and creativity of your content team. Inspired by innovative approaches from industry leaders like Juan Reyes, successful teams transform overlooked or underutilized spaces into dynamic creative hubs. At West Virginia, we turned an unused closet into a vibrant and highly functional creative lab by strategically…

  • Content Strategy at the NFL Combine

    Content Strategy at the NFL Combine

    The NFL Combine is more than just scouting—it’s a storytelling opportunity. Capturing the personal journeys of players from their early collegiate days through their NFL aspirations creates a powerful narrative. Starting as a modest coverage team in 2020, the event now draws creatives from every major college program. Strategically planning content around the Combine’s structured…

  • Trust Your Creative Team

    Trust Your Creative Team

    Great content in college athletics hinges on trust between the creative team, coaches, and athletes. Reflecting on Clemson basketball’s 2017 victory over Ohio State, treating every game with the same urgency as high-profile events proved critical. Having sequences pre-planned, music selected, and strategy defined allowed quick turnaround content capturing authentic, impactful behind-the-scenes moments. Immediately sharing…

  • College Football’s Top 10 Teams in Social Media Engagement Growth

    College Football’s Top 10 Teams in Social Media Engagement Growth

    Social media engagement reveals how passionately fans interact with their favorite teams, measured through likes, comments, shares, and mentions. This season, Indiana Football experienced a stunning 691% growth, thanks to their surprising on-field success and the creativity of their social media team. Their ability to capture and capitalize on major events—like hosting ESPN’s College GameDay—turned…

  • Texas A&M Football

    Texas A&M Football

    Select content from 2023 as featured on @AggieFootball It's the start of a new era in Aggieland 🏠#GigEm pic.twitter.com/pvNQOKdSBa — Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 27, 2023 Here come the Aggies 👍#GigEm pic.twitter.com/wHPooiRL7R — Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 25, 2023 Wow. @AggieFootball generated the most Instagram interactions in college football on Saturday. Senior Day,…

  • West Virginia Athletics

    Select content from 2022 & 2023 as featured on WVU Sports accounts Ready for 🛫#HailWV pic.twitter.com/hguq1VctCl — WVU Golf (@WVUGolf) April 8, 2023 It’s Great to be Home at @petedyegc1 #HailWV pic.twitter.com/RrWsDEbo8S — WVU Golf (@WVUGolf) April 7, 2023 Masters weekend with @WVUGolf ⛳️📸 pic.twitter.com/WjF8mgPGN9 — Clay Bollinger (@ClayBollinger) April 6, 2023 Tuesday work with…

  • West Virginia Football

    West Virginia Football

    Select produced and published content from 2022 football season TOUCHDOWN 1️⃣2️⃣@Sp3Cj secures his third multi-touchdown game of the year 🔥 2Q 14:47 | WVU 14 TCU 7 pic.twitter.com/bHI9pfxOvn — West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) October 29, 2022 LET'S GO‼️#HailWV pic.twitter.com/nsikDlLP19 — West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) October 29, 2022 feels good to be home 🏟 pic.twitter.com/JWOdXYZlzn —…