The St. Olaf Athletic Marketing Team hosted its first event for the 2000-01 school year on Saturday, September 16. Sixty-four football alumni, their families, and the families of current players gathered before the first home game of the season to eat and talk at the first ever Football Alumni Tailgating Party.

"As far as we know, nothing like this has ever been done in the school's history," said senior David Haskin, co-creator of the Athletic Marketing Team. "I had a guy come up to me who graduated in the 1950's, and he said he had never been invited back by the football team before."

The Athletic Marketing Team hosted the party in order to expand their work from only targeting students to including alumni as well.

In the spring of '99, then-sophomore Kent Ashley responded to an email from the Athletic Department asking athletes to consider ways of boosting Varsity athletic interest at St. Olaf. Ashley and Haskin applied for and received a Finstead Grant that fall, and the St. Olaf Athletic Marketing Team was born.

"We wanted to create a more supportive culture for athletics at St. Olaf," Ashley said. "College athletics can give fans and students opportunities that other things can't. Athletics provide a cohesive atmosphere that brings the college together."

The Athletic Marketing Team has also introduced half-time shootouts and obstacle courses at basketball games in hopes of increasing attendance and interest in athletics. These activities and promotions will return this year - Ashley and Haskin hope to implement two such activities two per sport with prizes ranging from free pizza to Ole Store gift certificates.

"For a college of this size, there's definitely room for improvement in terms of interest. This is a music school, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it kind of segregates the athletic vs. non-athletic people. We want to change that and make athletics fun for everyone."

Any students interested in becoming involved with the Athletic Marketing Team should contact either Kent Ashley at ashley@stolaf.edu or David Haskin at haskin@stolaf.edu.