Entrances are an underutilized brand moment in college athletics. Ignored by many, maximized by a few. Of those few, I have a couple of personal favorites. The University of Miami football program comes to mind, specifically their characteristic Hurricane smoke. Watching the team emerge from the billowing smoke is enough to give even average football fans chills. Another favorite is the image of former MLB closer Trevor Hoffman walking from the San Diego Padres’ outfield to the mound accompanied by the distinct sound of ACDC’s Hells Bells. Both are industry leading. But you know where you can find the absolute best entrances in the sports entertainment world? Wrestling. If you’re in need of inspiration, look no further than the WWE. Within that organization alone, you’ll find countless executions that raise the bar. Once specifically has always stuck with me. That would be the entrance belonging to wrestling legend, The Undertaker. The “Dead Man” – as he’s often referred to – has to have the most iconic, memorable and on-brand entrance of any athlete or team in sports entertainment. Fox Sports seems to agree, putting this take together in 2015: “No one in wrestling history has a more over-the-top entrance. Scary music, fire, darkness and the Dead Man always added up for a stunning visual.” The key phrase here is “over the top.” Over the top executions typically make for memorable experiences. WHAT IF an NCAA program choreographed an entrance to this level? WHAT IF an NCAA program invited media, recruits and fans to take part in an entrance of this scale?
