Last week, Portland State’s athletics department announced a new five-year plan, now dubbed Build the Ship and anchored in community engagement and support. This ambitious blueprint is poised to transform the collegiate sports landscape at PSU.
Before Athletic Director John Johnson’s arrival, the university asked him to chart a course for the sports program. This journey started with an in-depth review of past achievements, focusing on academic excellence, athletic accomplishments and exposure through national broadcasts.
According to Johnson, they brought some extra exposure to PSU last season by scoring six national broadcasts, 11 live and local broadcasts and over 150 live streams of athletic events.
PSU recognized the power of unity and solidarity, emphasizing how supporting its athletics program is a win-win situation for the university and the city. “Some are traditional students, some have families, et cetera, so we plan to put packages together to help them very efficiently while they have fun,” Johnson said. “We want to be the place to go.”
By backing PSU’s sports teams, Portlanders can take pride in the success of their home team—whether they are alumni or not. “I believe that Portland State and our athletics can help bring back the city and community engagement downtown,” Johnson said.
PSU recognized the need to be self-sufficient and not solely rely on financial reserves to fund its athletics program. Thus, the strategic plan emphasized the importance of increasing revenue through various channels, including ticket sales, sponsorships and fundraising.
Extensive research and outreach were conducted to support the core missions of the plan. Johnson created the Athletic Futures Report, a comprehensive analysis of the university’s potential for success after COVID-19.
Athletics uniquely unite people, transcending boundaries of race, religion and social status. To foster this spirit of diversity at PSU, the university conducted equity reviews to ensure that its approach to athletics was inclusive and fair.
Furthermore, the university engaged experts from a local sports business consulting company—SRO Strategies—and Collegiate Sports Associates to assess market opportunities and conference memberships, ensuring that PSU was on the right track.
“Before you can go forward, you have to take a look at where you’ve been,” said Johnson on looking to improve the program. “And very clearly we’ve had great academic success. We’ve had 1,037 conference athletes and 33 all-Americans since we’ve been in the Big Sky [conference]. Our student GPA is 3.34 for all of our athletes. 18% of our student athletes are 4.0 a 44% or 3.5 or above.” So they shifted their focus to the community.
As the five-year plan reaches its destination, PSU envisions a city painted green from being united in pride and passion for their sports teams. The university hopes that the achievements on the field and court will serve as a testament to what a collective effort can achieve.
PSU hopes to strengthen its bond with Portland through the journey’s highs and lows, and believes that the city’s culture and identity will benefit significantly from this positive impact. Whether you are an avid sports enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of athletics, there’s a place for you in this grand voyage.
With its deep-rooted history in the Big Sky Conference, PSU reaffirmed its commitment to this league. Big Sky is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States that competes at the National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I level. Member schools engage in competitive rivalries and tournaments throughout the academic year, culminating in championship events.
The conference provides student-athletes opportunities to showcase their talents, foster athletic growth and emphasize the importance of academics and sportsmanship. Over the years, the conference has evolved to become an integral part of the college sports landscape, promoting a spirit of healthy competition and fostering a sense of community among its member institutions.
For finances and exposure, the conference provided the best platform for the university’s sports programs. Additionally, being located in the most prominent recruiting market of the conference only strengthened PSU’s decision to stay anchored within the Big Sky.
In the quest for increased revenue, sponsorships play a crucial role. PSU is exploring new partnerships to support the athletics program financially and enhance the overall fan experience. Collaborations with local businesses and alumni will add a vibrant touch to PSU’s sports events.
Through this strategic plan, PSU seeks to be a catalyst for rejuvenating Portland’s team spirit. By planning to host exciting events and engaging the community before games, the university aims to foster a sense of pride and unity, reminding everyone that supporting PSU athletics is supporting the entire city.
PSU encourages everyone to actively participate in this vision as the ship sets sail by embracing the spirit of unity and pride. “We need to sell the city and [the] fact that Portland State Athletics are good for Portland, whether you’re alumni or not,” Johnson said. “And that’s, again, part of being involved [in] putting together promotions and group tickets for youth, for businesses, to get them here to have great outings with friends and family [and] to see what a wonderful campus and facilities we have.”
With the collective support of Viking supporters, boosters, sponsors and stakeholders, the vision aims to elevate PSU athletics and contribute positively to the entire city of Portland.
