OREANDA-NEWS   PLANO, Texas – Collegiate marketer Learfield introduces a groundbreaking initiative for college football fans exclusively on Facebook Live. The first-of-its-kind series launched during week seven of the season and is presented by Nissan in what will be another valuable component to the automaker’s highly integrated collegiate sports platform.

Facebook Live College Coach’s Corner Series presented by Nissan encompasses a total of 36 episodes from October 11 through the last week of regular-season play and will feature head coaches plus key insiders and prominent football alumni for the Illinois Fighting Illini, Iowa State Cyclones, Miami Hurricanes, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies and other select universities.

The 10-minute episodes and selected dates are confirmed for the respective football programs. Fans will access the episodes on the university athletics’ official Facebook pages and have the opportunity to engage with Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops, Miami Head Coach Mark Richt, Iowa State Head Coach Matt Campbell, University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman, and select coaches and football program dignitaries from Texas A&M.

“We see this as another important piece of how we’ve chosen to communicate with today’s college sports fans,” said Jeremy Tucker, vice president, Marketing Communications and Media, Nissan North America. “It’s a perfect complement to the historic announcement we made last year at this time to sponsor 100 colleges and universities nationwide. That’s been an exceptional decision for our company as we’ve been able to interact and engage with a key audience group in many different ways. We’re excited to add this coach’s series to our initiatives.”

Facebook Live College Coach’s Corner will be promoted through a broad spectrum of digital and social media platforms, and fans will be encouraged to submit questions and topics prior to each episode. The series also showcases Nissan’s TITAN truck lineup and its popular Die Hard Fan App. College sports fans can download Nissan’s Diehard Fan app to virtually paint their game face using a smartphone or tablet. The augmented-reality app combines the time-tested fan tradition of face painting in team colors with innovative technology to deliver an immersive digital experience.

“Facebook Live has had remarkable momentum since its introduction, and we know it’s paramount for the schools and partners we represent to deliver highly engaging, authentic and meaningful content in real time to modern-day fans and consumers,” said Learfield senior vice president, Digital Media Scott Carlis. “We’re honored to roll out the first-ever college football coaches’ Facebook Live series and thrilled that Nissan is our launch partner on this innovative series as we aim to elevate and amplify their existing collegiate sports efforts.”

An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. In addition to Illinois, Iowa State, Miami, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, the company manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for more than 100 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors’ Cup. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; branding, licensing and trademark consulting; digital and social platform expertise; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies.