Students racing in bubble suits collide during a break in the OSU vs. Oklahoma game. Credit: Ris Twigg | Lantern File Photo
When the timeout buzzer sounds at the Schottenstein Center during a game, most fans take a breath and pause.
Allie Kenny gets to work.
Kenny, Ohio State’s senior partnership services coordinator, oversees the activity that fills breaks in play like LED board takeovers, public address announcements, half-court contests, T-shirt tosses and sponsored promotions designed to keep fans engaged in between breaks in a game.
Kenny’s job is to turn sponsorship contracts into fan-focused moments that unfold in less than two minutes.
“In a sponsorship group, I’m on the activation team,” Kenny said. “When it comes to any sponsorship we have with Ohio State Athletics and brands, I make sure everything that was agreed upon gets executed.”
That execution begins long before game day. Kenny works with corporate partners to finalize promotion details, including arena graphics, announcer reads and giveaway logistics. She then coordinates with the marketing staff to ensure each activation fits smoothly into the game script and can be carried out by interns running on-court elements.
“On game day, I’m there making sure the client is happy and gets to see the promotion,” Kenny said. “After the game, we recap with the partner to talk about wins and what we could do better next time.”
While fans see polished entertainment throughout the season, planning begins months in advance.
“About 90 days before the season starts, we know which partners have season-long activations, which have single-game promotions and what those look like,” Kenny said.
From there, the sponsorship team works with the marketing staff to assign promotions strategically. Factors such as expected attendance, theme nights and brand goals help determine when activations appear.
Some promotions require careful scheduling. The Chick-fil-A cow drop where marketing interns drop cow plushies with gift cards attached from the rafters, for example, runs at only five games each season.
“We have to be strategic about which games we choose,” Kenny said. “Chick-fil-A isn’t open on Sundays, so it doesn’t make sense to run a promotion at a Saturday game if fans can’t redeem coupons the next day.”
For Ohio State Athletics, these in-game promotions serve a larger purpose than fulfilling sponsorship agreements. They are designed to enhance the fan experience while supporting the athletic department financially.
“We revamped our in-venue script for football this year,” Kenny said. “Now we’re making sure everything we do has purpose and is fan-engaging.”
The goal, she said, is to make promotions feel like part of the game-day atmosphere rather than interruptions.
“We try to keep fans at the forefront of what we’re doing and why,” Kenny said. “If fans enjoy it, the brand is viewed positively and the message has a better chance of being received.”
Luke Strine, who works as a brand promotion intern, said the relationship between sports and sponsors benefits both sides.
“Brand promotions and sports are mutually beneficial,” Strine said. “Sports are one of the biggest economic drivers today, and there’s no better place for companies to promote their brand than in front of thousands of fans.”
Those activations also help create stronger connections between fans and the program.
“These promotions give us an opportunity to build relationships with fans, whether through giveaways or in-game activities,” Strine said. “We’re able to highlight the brands we work with while creating memorable experiences.”
