By definition, the key word here is hype—”extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion”—so before the critics get all up in arms, ranting and raving about the team having to deliver, we get the message.
That disclaimer out of the way, the Miami Hurricanes’ new new hype video for the 2015 football season is sixty-nine seconds of sizzling perfection (embedded video below) and just with “The U” needs marketing-wise as the rebranding of this powerhouse program continues.
The New State of Miami; the successful recipe from Decade of Dominance and the excitement of modern era college football combined.
The clip itself almost looks like it was pieced together from the cutting room floor of the hit HBO series “Ballers”—starring former Canes legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and filmed all over South Florida; including scenes shot on the University of Miami’s campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
A theme beaten into the dirt on this blog over the years; the fact that the Hurricanes must play to their strengths to survive and thrive in the big-business world of modern-day college athletics.
The University of Miami won’t soon be confused with one of countless rah-rah state schools across this nation; the type of small towns where the football program is countless sports franchises, all entertainment and every form of nightlife all balled up into one.
Miami is a private school with around 10,000 undergrads; a footnote in a large, diverse metropolitan city with no shortage of entertainment options or distractions. Full stadiums (win or lose), the pageantry of the game, packed pep rallies and homecoming events or facilities that rival some NFL franchises—never going to happen.
That said, a glitzy and glamorous nightlife and the type of energy that all those one-horse towns could only imagine? The ultimate Magic City where the rest of the country spends their vacation dollars and disposable income to escape the monotony of their day-to-day lives—that is somewhere the 305 is impossible to beat.
Take the premise of the show “Ballers”; which just wrapped its first season and broke previously-set records at HBO as it was recently renewed for another season.
While the plot itself oft feels like HBO’s “Entourage” with football pads, the city of Miami comes off as an exciting place to live as an athlete with some notoriety and money. Fast cars, beautiful ladies, sandy beaches, perfect weather.
Psychologically-speaking, it plays to the psyche of today’s high school football players with NFL dreams and while UM isn’t where it wants to be record-wise the past several years,—hows like this, new uniform unveilings at nightclubs, a renovated pro stadium, revamped practice facilities and hype videos with this type of energy; it’s going to send a resounding message to today’s kids whittling down their college choices.
It’s swag, redefined—no matter how any out-of-touch old schoolers feel about it.
Yes, Miami was able to win back-in-the-day with lesser facilities and a chip-on-the-shoulder type of player—but that’s not enough three decades later. Hype and sizzle are needed to compete with the countless programs heading into the Tri-City area looking to poach South Florida’s best talent.
It goes without saying that these kids and coaches have to deliver when they strap it up in a few weeks—but it’s nice to see the University of Miami’s athletic department finally getting a clue as how to properly market this program; selling what the program is, instead of constantly falling behind due to what it’s not.