Spring Break
CSU's private marketing firm is ousted from four other universities
Aaron Hedge
Issue date: 2/16/09 Section: News
Despite its success in bringing more revenue to CSU, five-year private marketing firm Nelligan Sports Marketing has gained increasing notoriety -- much of it negative -- across the country in recent years for allegedly prompting conflicts and legal disputes with at least three universities.
"Our relationship and the results generated by Nelligan Sports Marketing have been tremendous in a short period of time, and we are optimistic both will continue to grow in the future," said Gary Ozzello, the director for external operations in the Athletics Department, in an e-mail message.
Since 2005, NSM has increased CSU Athletics revenue 55 percent from $600,000 to $929,838.
Three of Nelligan's contracts -- those at St. John's, DePaul, and Temple universities -- have been terminated since 2002. And the company's partnership with Ball State University was not extended under the direction of top officials, according to school newspaper reports there.
Ball State officials did not return phone calls from the Collegian.
After it terminated its agreement with the company, St. John's in Queens, N.Y., sued NSM in February 2005 for declining the reputation of its athletics department to an "unacceptable" level.
Court documents claim that "NSM carried out a threat to 'strip' the University intercollegiate athletic program by refusing to devote the resources required for NSM to meet its obligations under the (operating) Agreement" after the university refused to extend the contract in 2004.
St. John's athletics officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.
And DePaul in Chicago, Ill. brought a lawsuit against NSM in 2002 after it alleged that the company had failed to pay the university its share of the marketing revenue.
Bill Bradshaw, the former athletic director at DePaul, confirmed that NSM left the university before he transferred to Temple in Philadelphia. And just after Bradshaw arrived in the athletic director position at Temple, NSM, which had an existing contract, left its post there, too.
"Our relationship and the results generated by Nelligan Sports Marketing have been tremendous in a short period of time, and we are optimistic both will continue to grow in the future," said Gary Ozzello, the director for external operations in the Athletics Department, in an e-mail message.
Since 2005, NSM has increased CSU Athletics revenue 55 percent from $600,000 to $929,838.
Three of Nelligan's contracts -- those at St. John's, DePaul, and Temple universities -- have been terminated since 2002. And the company's partnership with Ball State University was not extended under the direction of top officials, according to school newspaper reports there.
Ball State officials did not return phone calls from the Collegian.
After it terminated its agreement with the company, St. John's in Queens, N.Y., sued NSM in February 2005 for declining the reputation of its athletics department to an "unacceptable" level.
Court documents claim that "NSM carried out a threat to 'strip' the University intercollegiate athletic program by refusing to devote the resources required for NSM to meet its obligations under the (operating) Agreement" after the university refused to extend the contract in 2004.
St. John's athletics officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.
And DePaul in Chicago, Ill. brought a lawsuit against NSM in 2002 after it alleged that the company had failed to pay the university its share of the marketing revenue.
Bill Bradshaw, the former athletic director at DePaul, confirmed that NSM left the university before he transferred to Temple in Philadelphia. And just after Bradshaw arrived in the athletic director position at Temple, NSM, which had an existing contract, left its post there, too.
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