See how Atlanta-based MELT recently helped fans tee off from the end zone at the University of Georgia. ATLANTA— Talk about taking a big swing. Sports and entertainment complex Topgolf just wrapped its first-ever takeover of a college football stadium. In late October, the University of Georgia Bulldogs had a bye week, but its Sanford Stadium didn't sit empty. Instead, with the help of Atlanta-based experiential sports agency MELT , Topgolf transformed the field into a golf experience with 22 Topgolf hitting bays installed on the west end zone. While the jumbotron aired games, fans in attendance could also step inside the team's locker room and enjoy the recruiting lounge, which was transformed into a sports bar and entertainment space. On hand were food and beverage; appearances by UGA's Hairy Dawg mascot, UGA student athletes, and UGA spirit squads; and photo ops with the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. In total, the four-day activation welcomed more than 1,000 golfers, who hit an estimated 35,000 golf balls into the stadium. This event is the first in Topgolf's new Stadium Series, as it plans to bring this concept to additional college campuses in spring 2027, including Baylor University. The idea is to turn college football stadiums into revenue-generating experiences when they're not used for games—Topgolf is also eager to get in front of a next generation of consumers. “We couldn't have asked for a better place to launch the Topgolf Live Stadium Series than the University of Georgia," Topgolf CEO David McKillips tells BizBash. "Watching a young fan high-five Hairy Dawg on Dooley Field or seeing lifelong Bulldog fans step inside the locker room for the first time reminds you why experiences like this matter. It's about creating moments and memories that fans simply can't get anywhere else. Our first event gave us a great foundation to build on, and we're taking those learnings forward as we look to bring Topgolf's unique blend of golf, sports, and entertainment to college communities across the country.” MELT founder and CEO Vince Thompson adds that sports are "the new connective social and emotional tissue," which is why bringing the Topgolf experience to universities made sense. "We wanted to start with the University of Georgia because David is a graduate of UGA himself," Thompson says. "We wanted to take advantage of strategic vacancy in this stadium. Concerts, soccer matches, and other unique activities are being deployed in these stadiums for the first time ever, creating new revenue opportunities for athletic departments." A Topgolf experience, he adds, stands out because it puts less pressure on the field's turf than, say, a concert. To that end, the activation at UGA used flight-restricted golf balls and clubs so that the balls would not travel more than 60-80 yards. So the moving targets kept the experience engaging and competitive. "The bays were on top of the end zone, and there were no divots when the balls would land since they weren't hit hard enough to cause damage," Thompson explains. As with any maiden voyage, there were learnings and tweaks that will be taken into the next college stadium activation, but the UGA event was overall a success. "The first success we wanted was execution," Thompson says. "We wanted to make sure that the experience reflected the evolving brand values and experience of Topgolf. Then we wanted to make sure the experience reflected the integrity of the University of Georgia and provided a great experience that fans could afford, have fun with, then talk about, which they did." He adds that "the University of Georgia was an outstanding partner," and specifically praised the university's gameday operations, security, concessions, grounds, and legal crews. "It's been a great experience," he says, "and it's all because college athletics has opened up these types of opportunities for the entire event marketing industry." Sarah Kloepple is the editorial director for BizBash and has been with the brand since 2022. She previously held editor roles at Meetings Today and St. Louis Magazine.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.bizbash.com