LAST WEEK TODAY

Missing sponsorship news?

Check out the blog every Monday for a weekly roundup of the past week's most exciting and industry-altering news. These stories cover July 30-August 5, 2018.

1. A couple popular deals were done in the Midwest this week:
   • The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers have a new tailgate partner in producer Blockparty.
   • The Cyclones at Iowa State will be playing in a new stadium - or, at least, a newly-named stadium, with MidAmerican Energy going for a naming rights deal at Jack Trice Stadium.
2. Working on a rebrand or a new campaign? Adweek advises you to take care in the colors you choose as that "simple" choice can amplify or ruin your strategy.
3. The Louisiana State University Tigers had a big week, signing a new deal (keep in mind the department also had a deal last week with Marucci Sports:
   • One of the big categories is off the list for the sponsorship team: banking - Hancock Whitney is the Tiger's new Official Bank.
   • Our Thursday series, #SponsorSpotlight, also took a quick peek at LSU's concessionaire - Aramark.
4. Locally, another NFL team has dropped Papa John's in favor of a new Official Pizza - this time, the San Francisco 49ers are trying out Mountain Mike's as a partner.
5. How does the growing #esports sector view sponsorship? Are you unsure? Lucky for you, Adweek can help - check it out.
6. Following its support of LGBTQ causes with its 2018 FIFA World Cup deal (quick reminder: for every goal Russia scored, the company would donate to LGBTQ non-profits), Paddy Power is going further. The brand is using its support of Brighton Pride to put pressure on the English Premier League to better support LGBTQ individuals. The league currently does not have any players publicly LGBT players, though 2% of the public identifies as such in the UK. We look forward to seeing what Paddy Power does next.

Did we miss any? Tweet @be_tandem - we hate being behind the times just as much as you do.

Look out next Monday for this week's game-changers.