Bullish Trust Spurred Friday?s NBA Sellout at PBA

Audio Segment 1: Shawn Eichorst Athletics Update

Audio Segment 2: Interview with Steve Schanwald

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Steve Schanwald, the recently retired executive vice president of business relations for the Chicago Bulls, will see Pinnacle Bank Arena for the first time on Friday. That simple fact reflects the bullish trust that enabled Lincoln to land an NBA exhibition matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks.

The preseason game between two talented playoff contenders is a tune-up that transitions as closely to an NBA regular-season rotation game as you can imagine. The proof is selling out the exhibition within a matter of hours, begging three relevant questions:

1) How did Schanwald, one of the most creative minds in fan experience marketing, know that Lincoln would be an immediate hotbed for an exhibition game?

2) How does a game go head-to-head against 8,400 Husker fans extending volleyball’s NCAA record consecutive sellout steak that dates back to 2001?

3) How does an exhibition draw 15,000 fans 16 hours before 90,000 fill up Memorial Stadium to extend an NCAA record football sellout streak that dates back to 1962?

Shawn Eichorst Aggressively Pitched the PBA Idea to Schanwald

Those questions deserve an easy answer. One of the truly elite figures in the field of sports marketing, Schanwald (pictured above) simply trusted the guy who recommended the idea. “Shawn Eichorst pitched the idea to me. He was very aggressive about bringing the Bulls to Lincoln,” Schanwald said of Nebraska’s director of athletics. “I met Shawn when he was an administrator at Wisconsin, talked with him when he went to Miami and stayed in touch with him at Nebraska. We established a great friendship.”

Since the Bulls’ schedule promotes an annual exhibition in the Midwest, Schanwald told Eichorst that he was looking for a change of venue. Eichorst recommended PBA and after researching the idea, Schanwald was eager to draft a rental agreement for the Bulls to come back to Lincoln and promote an exhibition game. “It was a very, very quick sellout,” Schanwald said. “It was certainly helped by the fact that from the time we committed to coming to Lincoln to the time that we signed the deal, we had drafted Doug McDermott. He was very popular in that part of the country. So everything just worked out absolutely perfectly.”

Omaha Called, Showed Interest, but PBA Deal Was Already Sealed

Within days after the Bulls had drafted McDermott, the Bulls' executive VP received a call “from the folks in Omaha about bringing the Bulls and Doug to Omaha for an exhibition,” said Schanwald (pictured above to the right of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan). “I had to tell them, ‘No, I’m sorry. We’ve already committed to bringing the Chicago Bulls to Lincoln.’”

“Shawn deserves a lot of the credit for really jumping on this opportunity,” Schanwald said. “He recognized that this could be a great opportunity for both the Bulls and for Nebraska basketball fans. He sold it very hard. We did some cursory research on the facility and concluded it would be a great fit for the Bulls.” Eichorst and his administrative staff assured Schanwald that the exhibition game would sell very fast and very well. “They could not have been more accurate,” Schanwald said. “Since the Michael Jordan era ended in 1998, we’ve never had a game that sold out as quickly as this one in Lincoln did.”

Since retiring before 60, Schanwald went to Omaha last May for the Berkshire Hathaway Convention. “That’s the only time I’ve been to Nebraska,” he said, admitting how excited he is about attending his first Nebraska football game Saturday against Northwestern.

NBA Executive: Nebraska Fans ‘Pretty Much as Good as It Gets’

“Nebraska fans are pretty much as good as it gets in terms of their passion and enthusiasm,” Schanwald said. “Our quick sellout speaks volumes about the enthusiasm and the love of sports that Nebraskans have. I just couldn’t be more pleased with our decision to bring the Bulls to Lincoln. Your fans validated and lived up to everything Shawn told us about Nebraska fans.”

Both the Bulls and the Mavericks are predicted to make the playoffs this year. “I think the fans that really love Doug McDermott are going to see him play an awful lot,” Schanwald said. “Friday night is going to be a great homecoming for Doug, and I couldn’t be more pleased about bringing him back to that part of the country.” Schanwald was interviewed on Eichorst’s monthly radio show Wednesday night on the Huskers Sports Network. He told studio host Greg Sharpe that Eichorst put “the full-court press” on Schanwald bringing the Bulls to Lincoln.

Eichorst said Thursday that he’s a genuine fan of Schanwald’s marketing magic that dates all the way back to the We Are Family promotional campaign that he introduced to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979. Willie Stargell headlined a campaign that “exploded through grass roots efforts,” Schanwald said. “It was not forced or contrived.”

The Catalyst to Keep Sellout Crowds a Way of Life for the Bulls

With constant innovation, Schanwald has been a catalyst to keep sellout crowds a way of life for the Bulls. With the NBA exploding in popularity, Schanwald’s fingerprints all over the convergence. The NBA’s increased popularity relates to the overall fan experience. Marketing minds also are working diligently to develop the personality of fans who choose to watch the action live instead of at home.

Nebraska was the big screen pioneer in college football, and Schanwald credits the Huskers for their trailblazing enthusiasm to enhance the fan experience. He pointed out how the Bulls used Nebraska’s Hendricks Training Complex as the standard for the franchise improving its own training complex. “Nebraska was one of the best stops we made on a tour,” Schanwald said. “We were really impressed and tried to incorporate as many of the ideas and features that Nebraska employed in its own facility. Like Nebraska, ours turned out great as well.”

Schanwald hopes fans enjoy an event that sold out fast. “The guy that really deserves the credit for outhustling everyone else, and having a vision, is Shawn Eichorst,” said Schanwald (pictured above receiving a retired Bulls' jersey representing his 28 years). “His persistence, vision and aggressiveness were already there, even before we drafted Doug. That led us to come back to Lincoln. I think everyone will appreciate the experience and walk out glad they bought a ticket.”

Schanwald Will Share Fan Experience Beliefs with Nebraska Staffers

Eichorst first met Schanwald through a mutual friend, Matt Joki, a Wisconsin graduate who worked in Chicago. They met at the 2007 Big Ten Conference Basketball Tournament at the United Center. “Wisconsin and Ohio State played in the final,” Eichorst recalled. “Over the years we stayed in touch, picked each other’s brains about various items and trends in college and professional sports. We followed each other’s careers and enjoyed our joint business and personal connections. We  talked about bringing the Bulls to Lincoln when PBA opened up in August of 2013." The deal was finalized between the Bulls and Tom Lorenz at PBA last year.

On Friday, Schanwald will share his vision to enhance the fan experience with a group of Nebraska Athletics employees. “I’m really looking forward to spending time in Lincoln and getting the whole Nebraska experience,” he said. Following a 40-year career in sports business, Schanwald retires with incredible memories. He’s spent the last 28½ years with the Bulls and been an integral part of seven World Championships, six with the Bulls and one with the Pirates. He plans to travel, enjoy life, play golf, spend winters in Florida, and, perhaps, return to Lincoln when he realizes that there really is no place like Nebraska.

Video: Schanwald Retirement Celebration

Audio Segment 3: Shawn Eichorst Show Featuring Coach David Harris

Audio Segment 4: Shawn Eichorst Show Featuring Bonnie Smith & Jacob Olson

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