As part of our 2014 Skyd Fundraiser celebrating 3 years of Skyd, we wanted to turn the page back to look at all of the great ultimate work our awesome contributors have put together. The Skyd Staff and contributors will be counting down the days of our fund with their favorite pieces.
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Be a part of the fund and get a VC online store 10% discount at the $20 level, a 15% discount at the $40 level, or a limited-edition Skyd Fund 2014 hat from VC at the $50 level.
+ PLUS at the $50 level, 5 winners will be selected to give a $25 VC online store gift certificate!
Celebrate Skyd with Skyd Fund 2014
Day 27 – The Big Payout
If you’re not familiar with the work of Tony Leonardo, then you’re not familiar with the history of ultimate. Author of the much loved Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man, Leonardo chronicled the rich and interesting 40 year history of ultimate in Ultimate: The First 4 Decades (available now in ebook form). This book is one of the most fascinating encyclopedic retelling of where the sport came from and the challenges it faced. Leonardo has been an avid supporter of Skyd and ultimate as a whole and for that we’ve been very grateful.
Back in 2011, with USA Ultimate’s ESPN deal still looming in the future, Tony put together an insightful barometer of an editorial that gauges the path of College Ultimate’s mainstream direction. The article looks into the history of sponsorship in ultimate from the Jose Cuervo Series to Cultimate’s C1. This article is a must read for anyone interested in the present, past and future of the sport from a mainstream and marketing standpoint.
Thanks, Tony for all you’ve done for Skyd and the sport!
The Big Payout by Tony Leonardo
Every year it seems as if Ultimate is on the verge of a breakthrough. If the game could just change a few rules, attract some sponsors and establish a fan base then Ultimate could finally earn respect from the mainstream.
This feeling is most fervent in the College Division, USA Ultimate’s largest, most high-profile and most active.
Last year at the College Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, the Ultimate Player’s Association—after thirty years as the UPA—re-branded itself as USA Ultimate with an effective visual campaign coordinated for the televised finals broadcast. It was no coincidence that the College Championships was chosen for the unveiling.
This year the college division is again at the forefront of change. The 2011 Championships in Boulder will mark the beginning of a significant college restructuring plan designed to broaden the sport’s appeal and match Ultimate with rival NCAA sports.
Will these new changes and the constant call for referees, sponsorship and fan-friendly games pay off?
To know where Ultimate is heading it helps to know where it came from. The push for referees, sponsorship and spectators has been part of the game for twenty years…
Feature photo by Andrew Davis
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