Global energy, grains and food company CHS will start a college sports sponsorship platform with 24 Division 1 universities, in a deal secured by Learfield Sports.

The initiative will be reach 19 states and farmer-owned cooperative’s rural owners and customers.

The deal focuses on college football season and will be driven primarily through digital and social media assets. Learfield Sports, who holds multimedia rights holder to 99 collegiate properties throughout the country, secured the multi-year CHS partnership on behalf of its 24 universities: Colorado State, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, K-State, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Missouri State, Montana, Montana State, Nebraska, North Dakota State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Purdue, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Texas Tech and Wisconsin.

The digital components of the CHS partnership include a CHS-sponsored “Farm Family of the Year” with Learfield Sports and its digital partner Think Social. Fans will be encouraged to submit photos of themselves, family and friends wearing team gear in a sweepstakes driven via social engagement campaigns on the official Facebook accounts of each team with promotional support on the official school websites. The two-week-long campaign will be driven by a heavy social media push and provide the winning family with a VIP home game experience.

Learfield Sports also manages the school radio networks respectively, giving CHS broad awareness through the extensive reach of live broadcasts during 12 football games per season. CHS will receive significant presence during Ag Day (a tribute to agriculture) complementing game day features with a fan interactive area, sponsorship displays and various levels of engagement for agricultural college students and staff. CHS will also sponsor one home game for every team to leverage exposure through activation, print, video board and hospitality.

“College sports are part of the fabric of rural communities. This partnership provides CHS with a meaningful way to reach the farmers, ranchers and cooperatives who own us and allows us to share agriculture's story to a broad audience,” says, Linda Tank, vice president, enterprise marketing and communication, CHS “The strong digital component and opportunities to recognize farm families fit well with our rural values and commitment to agricultural technology and innovation.”