PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University Athletics has received the gold honor for the category of "Single Game Sales Campaign" from the 2020 National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Best of Awards.
 
The campaign for the jersey retirement ceremony of Klay Thompson occurred during halftime of the Jan. 18, 2020 WSU-Oregon State game inside Beasley Coliseum in front of a crowd of 10,380 fans.
 
"The 'Klay Game' was the culmination of a tremendous amount of teamwork throughout the WSU Athletic Department and the partnerships of so many that contributed to honoring one of our legends in the best way possible," said Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing/Fan Experience Matt Zollinger. "We are all so proud of what was accomplished and seeing how Klay thoroughly enjoyed the day made it even more special. Thank you NACMA for recognizing all the efforts that went into this special celebration."
 
Washington State facilitated multiple techniques in the marketing of this incredible event, most notably with the "11 Days of Klaymas" campaign and the Klay Thompson socks flash sale. The "11 Klays of Christmas" featured a social media campaign with various images, videos, and graphics to continue to boost the hype for the retirement ceremony of the all-time Cougar great. The campaign resulted in 4,500 single-game tickets sold and the highest student attendance at a Cougar basketball game in the past five years.
 
The "Single Game Sales Campaign" is one of sixteen categories that NACMA awards a bronze, silver and gold medal.

A breakdown of the judging criteria included uniqueness of the idea, but having the ability to be adapted at other departments, creativity, revenue generated, and information provided and supporting materials included.