Michael Veley is the director and chair of Syracuse University’s Department of Sport Management. He is the public address announcer for football, men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse. He’s also been the director of five regional NCAA Tournaments.

The Daily Orange spoke with Veley about the NCAA Tournament and its many impacts on the SU community as the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams prepare for their Final Four games this weekend.

The Daily Orange: Is it fair to say the NCAA Tournament gives Syracuse University free advertising?

Michael Veley: From a branding perspective, this is a multi-million dollar benefit to the university. Every time Syracuse University is mentioned on radio, television, digital platforms, online and on blogs, it’s non-paid advertising that generates positive public relations value for the university, our community and the entire region.

The D.O.: In what other ways can reaching the Final Four help SU?

M.V.: Historically, schools in the Final Four see a significant uptick in the number of applications from students for probably a two- or three-year period. It doesn’t only help the recruitment of student athletes, it helps the recruitment of the general student population for a university.

One aspect of sports is that it creates community avidity. I was flying to New York on Monday, and everybody in the airport was talking about Sunday’s victory over Virginia. It’s a conversation piece. It dominates social conversation, conversations at work, everybody gets caught up in it. It’s an extremely positive aspect and everybody wants to jump on that bandwagon.

The D.O.: How about the economic impact?

M.V.: The last year I was director (of a regional NCAA Tournament), back in 2005, a study conducted by an independent search firm in Indianapolis concluded the city of Syracuse and any of the four host cities generated between $20 million and $24 million worth of activity.

That was in the form of economic activity that can be traced to hotel rooms, pizza shops, bars … then factor in merchandise and apparel.

When Syracuse won the national championship, it was said that close to $20 million worth of apparel alone was sold in the greater Syracuse community.

The D.O.: Does the women’s team’s success add credibility to its program?

M.V.: The community really hasn’t embraced the women’s basketball program. They’ve always played in the shadow of the men. The fact that they’ve arrived at this level on the big stage is introducing people to women’s basketball in Syracuse perhaps for the first time.

When they played the first and second round games at the Carrier Dome a couple of weeks (ago) and 4,000 people showed up, probably 80 percent of those people were going to a game for the first or second time.

The D.O.: How will reaching the Final Four help both teams down the road?

M.V.: I think for the Syracuse women, the most meaningful aspect is it will help them recruit. It will help them go after the McDonald’s All-American. If you look at Brittney Sykes, (Alexis) Peterson and (Brianna) Butler, the catalysts of the team, they came here to change the face of Syracuse basketball, and they’ve done exactly that. They’ve elevated it to a new level.

Now for potential recruits who may be sophomores and juniors in high school, to actually watch Syracuse in the Final Four, see the type of coaching staff they have, the type of up-tempo style of basketball they play, it will have an immeasurable impact in recruiting. Perhaps not next year, but in the two to three years after that. That’s the beauty of Syracuse getting to the Final Four. It’s not the economic return. It’s the visibility for the program and what it can do to try to elevate it to not just a top 25 program, but maybe a top 10 program.

The D.O.: How about on the men’s side?

M.V.: For the men, they have a national brand and an established history of being a top 20 program. They don’t have to build their brand like the women’s program does. Students watch a jammed-packed Carrier Dome, and we’re on national television all the time. A lot of high school students see games on television, they want to study sports, build a career in this. The exposure our athletic program gives them — whether football, lax, basketball — they see that, they say, “What a great school to go, I want to be a part of that, be in an iconic building like the Carrier Dome and learn my trade on a big stage.”

Published on March 31, 2016 at 9:04 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21