Local Teams Utilize Social Media

Albany's Great Danes and Albany Dutchmen Reach Their Fans with Facebook and Twitter

By: Damian Jackson

Posted: 11/23/09

The University at Albany made its jump into the two months ago. The school's athletic program created accounts on Twitter and Facebook in an effort to keep up with the new trend.

"We're looking to reach to our fanbase," said Matt Roche, assistant business manager at University at Albany Athletics. "These Web sites bring the games to them, giving fans more access to UAlbany sports then they have ever had before."

Fans truly enter a new experience through the site's interactive capabilities. You gain access to behind-the-scenes footage and in-depth news and updates. As the school becomes even more actively involved, attendance shoots up.

"We are reaching record numbers of attendance at home games right now," Roche says. "It's momentum that we hope will continue as the Web sites gain more popularity."

Jordan Donahue works as an intern in the school's athletic department and he's witnessing the transformation himself.

"I would definitely say it's had an impact through attendance and merchandise," he said. "The more social networking, the more people come, and more profit to be made."

The Albany Dutchmen participate in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and play their home games at Bleeker Stadium, located off Clinton Avenue in Albany.

The team struggled to a 11-27 record this summer season and are not well known, but social media assists both small and large organizations.

UAlbany senior and communications major Dennis Ratzker works with the franchise and talked about ways the team reaches out to the local community through social media.