May 23, 2016
CLEVELAND - The National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) announced today that Learfield Communications founder, Clyde Lear will be inducted into the Association's Hall of Fame at the 2016 NACMA Convention, June 13-16 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. The Hall of Fame induction will take place during the NACMA Kickoff Session on Monday, June 13.
"On behalf of the NACMA Officers and Board of Directors, it's a privilege to welcome Clyde Lear to the NACMA Hall of Fame," stated NACMA President Becky Parke, assistant athletics director of marketing at Arizona State University. "Mr. Lear is a pioneer in collegiate athletics and we are excited to see him take his place among those who've impacted our industry for the better."
Lear started Learfield Communications, Inc. as an outgrowth of his master's project at the University Of Missouri School Of Journalism. Originally a radio company, it changed to a marketing company in the mid-1980s. It now exclusively handles stadium and arena signage, game day activities with advertisers, game program printing and sales, corporate hospitalities and, in many venues, food and beverage sales.
"I've had the true privilege to know and work with Clyde for over 30 years. Simply put, his entrepreneurial spirit and his passion for life fueled his extraordinary leadership abilities and formed a legacy few will ever match," said Joe Castiglione, director of athletics at the University of Oklahoma. "On top of it all, he is as humble and selfless of a person that one could ever meet. He founded and built a magnificent company in Learfield by forming partnerships that literally last a lifetime."
Lear received a Master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Missouri in 1968 and an AB degree in 1966 from Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri. Lear is a leader in higher education. For 13 years he served on the Board of Curators of Central Methodist University and for five years was its chair. He is a member of the 1992 Class of Distinguished Alumni from the University of Missouri, an award that highlighted his significant contribution to media in the state.
About NACMA: NACMA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics marketing administrators. For more information about NACMA, please visit www.nacma.com. NACMA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 51st year. For more information on NACDA and the 16 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
About Learfield: An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors' Cup. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; licensing and trademark consulting; digital platform expertise; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies. For more about Learfield's history, businesses and career opportunities, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
