COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland marketing department has been named the 2015 Marketing Team of the Year Award (MTOYA), presented by SuperFanU, today at the 24th annual National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Convention in Orlando, Fla.

"I am incredibly proud of our marketing department and would like to congratulate them for being named the 2015 Marketing Team of the Year," said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. "Being recognized on a national platform for such a prominent honor speaks very highly to the outstanding brand we are building at the University of Maryland."

Grossing nearly 15 million dollars in ticket revenue in its 10 ticketed sports, Maryland saw an increase in average attendance in all 13 sports with spectator admittance as fans streamed into College Park to witness some of the best athletic events in the nation.

"We would like to congratulate the marketing department for receiving this prestigious award," said deputy athletic director/chief operating officer Kelly Mehrtens, who oversees the external operations department. "It is a testament to all of their hard work and commitment to the advancement of the Maryland brand." 

"Our group is thrilled and truly honored to receive this award,” said associate athletic director for marketing Carrie Blankenship. “I am so proud of each and every one of them for their dedication this year. I am thankful for the constant support of our entire Maryland Athletics family and excited about what we were able to accomplish this year."

Included among the highlights of the 2015 attendance numbers were a 25 percent increase in football season ticket numbers and three sellouts for men's basketball, in addition to single-event attendance records for volleyball, wresting and gymnastics.

"We are proud of the tremendous growth our athletics department has made in engaging our audience through digital platforms," said associate athletic director for digital media and creative services Nick Lofaro. "The great strides that were made in our inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference contributed to the overall strength of our national brand. Our goal is to continue to maximize and enhance our visibility through innovative and creative ideas."

Maryland was one of three finalists for the prestigious award, including University of Arizona and Brigham Young University. The nominations spanned across FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA and non-Division I institutions.

Maryland's marketing department is directed by Blankenship, and includes staff members Sarah Pavelko, Whitney Hughes, Lauren Taylor, Jordan Looby, Dan Kirk and Aja Washington. The digital marketing and social media unit, is directed by Lofaro and also includes Marty Summa.

The selection committee was made up of NACMA Past Presidents, as well as two NACDA Past Presidents.

Here are five Maryland highlights as presented by the marketing department from the past year:

1. [Brand Awareness] Big Ten Transition
• With our move to the Big Ten Conference becoming official on July 1, 2014, our marketing and branding efforts were full steam ahead leading up to the B1G date and throughout the inaugural seasons. 
• Pre-July 1, we launched a nationwide #ThinkB1G Sunglasses campaign with participation from celebrity alums such as Scott Van Pelt, Torrey Smith, Maury Povich and Connie Chung.  We hosted celebrations on campus, in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. on July 1 to commemorate the move.  Then, throughout the season, we celebrated each inaugural B1G home game for each sport with creative, unique promotions and presentations such as a surprise giant B1G flag unveil during our football game vs. Ohio State.
2. [Fan Experience] Welcome to the B1G Show
• With an emphasis on increased student engagement for the 2014-15 school year, the launch of a new student group "The Pride" generated 3,500 inaugural members and a solid database to target for various promotions – including utilization of a new text messaging platform.
• To kick off the school year, we partnered with the campus residence halls and hosted our first ever "Welcome to the B1G Show" event during Freshman Welcome Week inside our football stadium. Featuring a DJ, inflatable football games, food sampling, a class photo and a free B1G sunglasses giveaway, over 6,000 new students were in attendance. The football leadership team introduced themselves and the band and cheerleaders taught the Freshman Terps our traditions.
3. [Attendance, Revenue Generation & Ticket Sales] Maryland Gridiron Pride
• Launching new initiatives such as a revitalized Terp Town fan fest, Emoji campaigns (Turtle > Opponent Emoji) via student t-shirts on campus & Twitter and gameday A-Z guide, the 2014 Maryland Football season was one for the history books. With two pieces of the giant Maryland flag descending down the student section during the first timeout of each game, new traditions were born and Maryland Pride continued to grow.
• Maryland saw the biggest increase in average attendance among Big Ten schools, filling our stadium to 91% capacity this season. While student attendance decreased across the country, our student section was at capacity (10,000) for five of six home games. In two seasons, our overall attendance average has experienced a 30% increase. Finally, our 2014 season ticket numbers increased 25% from a year ago and we generated the most single game revenue in Maryland football history.
4. [Innovation] Terrapresent
• Our beloved mascot – Testudo – offered to spread Terrapin cheer to Maryland fans far and near!  For just $10, we offered Maryland fans the opportunity to order a mystery "Terra-present" for themselves or a loved one. Gifts were promoted as ranging from signed items and Terps gear to Men's/Women's Basketball tickets.
• Sold 1,705 Terrapresents, generating $17,050 in new revenue. Netted $11,000 after expenses. Over 65% of the tickets distributed in various Terrapresents were actually scanned at the game.
5. [Fan Experience] Flashmob Part III
• At capacity for most Big Ten games this season, our student section came to play this year, winning the BTN's Home Court Challenge (based on opponent's free throw percentage).  Now a three-year-old tradition, this year's student flashmob not only enamored a sell-out crowd in XFINITY Center, but rocked social media across multiple platforms.  The video reached 4.7M and was shared 23,000 times on our Facebook page alone. It was also featured on the Today Show! To view, click here.
• “This is the liveliest student body that I have seen, the most well attended student body that I have seen, the best student body that I have seen in the Big Ten.” - Dan Dakich, ESPN Sportscaster