Advertisers like to target college sports fans because they tend to be affluent and educated. But advertisers’ options aren’t limited to big-money sports like football and basketball.

College hockey games also draw an attractive audience for advertisers. More than three-quarters are under age 55, and nearly two-thirds make at least $50,000 a year.
 
With relatively low ticket prices and lots of weekend games, college hockey is a family-friendly sport, allowing advertisers to get in front of kids and parents alike.
 
Many games are also televised regionally, giving advertisers reach beyond fans in the arena.
 
To find out how to get your client at college hockey games, read on.
 
This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
 
Fast Facts
 
What
Advertising at men’s and women’s college hockey games at Division I schools across the country.
 
Who
Some schools handle ad sales and sponsorships themselves, while others belong to networks that allow advertisers to buy regionally.
 
How it works
College hockey may not have the national appeal of other major college sports such as football or basketball, but it is very popular in certain regions of the country, especially up north, where kids play hockey nearly year-round.
 
There are 58 men’s NCAA Division I men's hockey teams in six conferences, and most of these conferences are unique to college hockey. For example, Big Ten schools such as Minnesota and Wisconsin compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference.
 
The most valuable inventory at college hockey games is ads on the boards that surround the ice and ads on the ice itself. They are valuable because fans are looking at the ads for the entire game, and the ads also show up on TV telecasts.