It was a banner year for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at the 34th annual National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Convention. The Mocs marketing efforts netted a Gold and two Bronze in the 2024-25 "Best of" Awards.
UTC's Gold Award was in the "Single Game Attendance" category. The Group II winning submission was "Bob Ross Night" at the Mocs soccer match against Alabama at Finley Stadium. Fans were encouraged to wear Bob Ross wigs and painting gear while custom graphics were designed for the video board during the game.
A Certified Ross Instructor (CRI) donated her time and paint to lead a live Bob Ross-inspired painting session for students prior to kick off.
The attendance was the third highest of the season and included many first-time soccer attendees who came for the theme but stuck around to cheer on the squad.
The awards didn't stop there. The Mocs won a pair of bronze medals as well marking the fourth time that UTC claimed three or more awards. The high was four following the 2010-11 campaign.
In the "Community Engagement" category, the bronze came for partnering with the Chattanooga Library for a ticket checkout program. Family pack tickets, two adult and two children, were distributed to all five branches of the library and could be "checked out" just like books. This enabled fans who could not typically attend a game to enjoy a day at Finley Stadium with their families.
The second bronze award was in the "Affinity Group Marketing" category. In order to create meaningful face-to-face interactions with elementary school students and teachers in the community, "Mocs in the Classroom" was hatched. It was designed to promote the annual Education Day basketball game while simultaneously building long-term brand affinity and showcasing the University's commitment to the community.
The NACMA Awards program honors outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. Awards are presented in 16 categories, with each category divided into three groups based upon school size and conference affiliations to promote fairness.
Since the awards program's inception in 2003, the Mocs have brought home 24 total. That includes 11 gold, six silver and seven bronze.