CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia Athletics announced Tuesday (Oct. 13) the launch of the Cavalier Alliance Network, a corporate membership program designed to provide businesses with unique opportunities to engage with Virginia Athletics, connect with the Cavalier community and support the development of Virginia student-athletes.
The Cavalier Alliance Network complements Virginia Athletics’ existing corporate partnership program with Virginia Sports Properties, the department’s multimedia rights holder. More than 100 businesses currently support Virginia Athletics through corporate marketing, advertising and sponsorship agreements. The Cavalier Alliance Network provides these partners, as well as new participating businesses, with additional opportunities to engage with Virginia Athletics beyond traditional sponsorship and advertising.
Designed to enhance engagement with Virginia stakeholders, the Cavalier Alliance Network offers businesses an annual membership with access to redeemable credits that can be used across a range of experiences and opportunities and allows companies to build a framework around their individual business priorities. Businesses can host clients and entertain employees in an effort to recruit talent and engage with Virginia student-athletes.
“Businesses across the Commonwealth have long been a part of the Virginia Athletics family, and as our industry continues to evolve, so must the opportunities we provide for our supporters and stakeholders,” Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams said. “We are excited to introduce the Cavalier Alliance Network (CAN) as a new way for businesses to engage with Virginia Athletics, while creating new opportunities for our student-athletes.”
Memberships are available at five levels, beginning at $25,000 or more annually. All members receive a listing in the member directory with direct B2B engagement access, invitations to quarterly networking events, a Cavalier Concierge contact within the department, and priority access to tickets and events.
In addition to those core benefits, each membership level includes an annual credit allocation, redeemable toward unique opportunities in four areas:
- Access and hospitality: Gameday hospitality, facility tours, practice access and custom experiences.
- Student-athlete engagement: Appearances and customized marketing campaigns are coordinated individually with each student-athlete and reviewed by Virginia’s NIL department for compliance.
- Talent and enterprise development: Cavaliers Connect networking and job listings, recruiting consultations, workshops and keynote opportunities.
- Traditional media: A concierge referral to Virginia Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for Virginia Athletics, for custom advertising plans aligning with the needs of each business.
“We built the Cavalier Alliance Network around a simple idea: the member decides what success looks like,” Deputy Athletics Director Cody Gougler said. “Whether a company wants to host clients at Scott Stadium, engage directly with our coaches and student-athletes, or reach Virginia fans, the credit redemption model affords flexibility for each business and its priorities.”
In an effort to broaden its reach and storytelling around the new program, Virginia Athletics is partnering with Blue Ridge Consulting Group (BRCG), which joins the Cavalier Alliance Network as a recognized founding member.
BRCG is a Charlottesville-based growth agency that works with businesses to build and operate marketing and growth systems. The company is working alongside Virginia Athletics to introduce the Cavalier Alliance Network to the surrounding business community.
“We live and work in Charlottesville, and Virginia Athletics is a big part of why this is a great place to build a company,” BRCG CEO Kodie Critzer said. “We helped build the Cavalier Alliance Network because we believe in what it does for local businesses and for student-athletes. Joining as a founding member was an easy decision.”
Click here for more information on the Blue Ridge Consulting Group
About the Cavalier Alliance Network
The Cavalier Alliance Network is a business marketing partnership and is separate from charitable giving through the Virginia Athletics Foundation. The Virginia Athletics Foundation remains the home of philanthropic initiatives supporting Virginia Athletics, including the Annual Fund, Sabre Society, capital projects and endowments.
Click here for more information on the Cavalier Alliance Network.