Social Media has changed the world of sports at every level. Almost all high level professional athletes and college athletes have sponsorships and brand deals. Social media can either boost or break a career – it is much easier to reach out to college coaches and get your name out there in high school, but there is also the possibility for scandals and old posts to resurface and cost someone their scholarship or their spot on a team.
Social media is also important for getting more fan engagement and overall publicity. Apps like Instagram and X have risen as major contributors in a team’s exposure. Many teams must keep up with social media to stay relevant in the current climate. Team accounts can promote their own game days, players, and special games or offers. The difference in fan engagement can be seen in the mens and womens basketball teams here at Millikin. The men’s basketball team has an Instagram account that has lain dormant since 2020, with only 500 followers. They do not post on that app about game days, player awards, or any special events that might be happening at certain games. They rely on the app X and through word of mouth to get people to come to their games.
In contrast, the women’s basketball team uses social media heavily to their advantage. In season, they post about every gameday, every award, and every event they host. Out of season, they post about what players have been up to, summer camps, fundraising events, etc. Their Instagram account has 1,490 followers, with daily engagement. Their X account has 3,236 followers, and they post frequently on that app as well, compared to men’s basketball’s 1,732 followers. Now, there are still a lot of people that show up to both games, usually with no real discernable difference between attendance numbers. However, there is usually a lot more excitement about teams that use social media to promote their games and their players.
Softball and volleyball are also consistent with their online presence, and many people come to both of those games as well. Volleyball has had a mental health awareness game, a rivalry night against Illinois Wesleyan, and numerous free cookie or free hotdog nights. This has been posted about and circulated around each time they have a special offer game and most often, those are the games with the highest attendance. Ultimately, college teams should recognize the importance of social media in the athletics world, and work to use it to reach a bigger audience than ever offered before.
