Franchise ResourcesQ & A with IFL CEO, Chris Chudada
By Dan Barutha, Ironman Insider Correspondent
With 2009 in the history books, the Ironman Football League successfully completed its 14th season of action. The League saw a few new franchises make their mark on the world of semi-pro football while another continued to reign supreme by winning their second consecutive Joseph Chudada Memorial Trophy. In addition to the on-field success, the IFL saw quite the off-field progress as well by securing many sponsorship and merchandising deals. Every action and deal that was made looks to ensure the long term success and expansion of the League.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Chris Chudada, IFL Co-Owner/CEO, to discuss his busy offseason and current questions surrounding the upcoming 2010 campaign.
Dan Barutha: Chris, the 2009 season was certainly in a league by itself when compared to other years. What are your initial thoughts about last year and what things were you satisfied with the most?
Chris Chudada: “I think we had a very successful 2009 campaign in which we accomplished many great things. We experienced some setbacks, but what league doesn’t from time to time? I think it’s extremely important for a league to have the ability to bounce back from tremendous adversity and not lose sight of its goals and objectives. Last year we added three more professional playing venues (Shorewood High School, Greendale High School, and Hart Park) to our already impressive list of stadium facilities. This seems to be a positive and continuing trend every year. Jordan Kopac, a well respected and legendary football coach, became a minority owner of the IFL last season as he continues to assist us in further league advancement. The League was also able to solidify an agreement with the Rock City Raptors and the Wisconsin Wolfpack of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) to acknowledge and honor IFL player contracts in the event that a player would sign with either team. I think this deal is extremely important because it offers compensation to IFL team owners from the Raptors or Wolfpack for selected players’ services. It is also important because this exclusive agreement is not offered to any other semi-pro team outside the IFL. I was also very pleased to see the competition level on the field grow to yet another level last season. The IFL features more parody than any other league in the state. This is evident in the fact that seven out of the eleven teams in the IFL all finished the season with winning records in 2009.”
DB: Like many league and front office staff, you keep busy during the offseason. What kinds of things have you been working on this offseason and what has been your main approach to make 2010 better than 2009?
CC: “Every year we strive as an organization to consistently upgrade and significantly improve from the previous year. We are never the type to just rest on our laurels; instead my staff and I are always putting forth our very best efforts in maintaining and improving the quality of the League each and every year. I’m proud to say that this year we have had a very busy and productive off-season in which we have accomplished many goals towards League advancement. Our major focus this year was to find more effective and affordable avenues to market and advertise the IFL properly and efficiently compared to years past. This year we were able to receive sponsorship from Pabst Blue Ribbon which provided the ability to print thousands of full color IFL poster-like game schedules that were later distributed throughout our surrounding communities. The other major advertising avenue that we were able to acquire was a partnership with Starry Night Media. With the assistance of Starry Night Media, the IFL will feature an hour-long weekly show containing the highlights of each past week's games. Our intention is to air the show on Time Warner Cable’s Channel 32 Sports. We’re very proud of this accomplishment and what it will mean for the League and its fans. We think it’s going to be extremely successful and we will continue to make sure that’s an emphasis going forward.”
DB: With semi-pro football, so much of the league awareness and growth comes from fans attending games. How would you grade the attendance last season as a whole and what do you see as the biggest strengths and weaknesses of getting fans to games?
CC: “Considering the hard economic times that we are all currently going through, I thought the league as a whole did pretty well in attendance numbers last year. We are not immune to the current economic woes, but like I mentioned before I think part of the problem was the League’s lack of efficient advertising and marketing venues due to financial constraints. Now that we have the resources and the means to advertise the League properly, I think the attendance numbers will rise significantly. I also have stressed upon our owners at our monthly meetings that because of the bad economic times, we need to be more creative in our marketing efforts by offering more benefits to our fans. The League already has a mandated ticket price policy that holds admission prices to a league-wide flat rate which serves as a benefit to our fans in this situation. Another reason for positive attendance numbers, in my opinion, is that an IFL game is a great source of quality sports entertainment for fans and their families to enjoy. We offer a quality and professional product on the field while providing a wholesome family-like atmosphere at a very affordable price.”
DB: How do you, the other league staff, and the franchise owners continue to build upon these strengths and fix these current weaknesses?
CC: “I think our staff in general has done a great job in assisting and providing our franchises with opportunities to be successful. Every year is a challenge and so far we have consistently answered to that challenge with upgrades and advancements that benefit everyone in the League. The team owners of the IFL believe in the League’s business philosophy and understand what needs to be accomplished in order for their franchise to be successful. The League already has quality stadium venues at its disposal and possesses incredible talent which contributes to its quality of play. So with that being said, our structure ensures a very strong product on the field that is attractive to a mass audience. Continuing to attract and retain that mass audience is one of the key objectives of our business. The only way to build on our strengths and fix our weaknesses is by every team owner and League administrator working together each year, discussing new ideas, and offering new and innovative ways to best market ourselves to our mass audience. If everyone is able to come together and contribute to the League in a positive way, then there is no question in my mind that we will achieve our goals.”
DB: This coming year marks the 15th anniversary of the IFL. What kinds of promotions and marketing tools will be in effect to capitalize off this achievement?
CC: “The biggest marketing tool for the League will be through our newly acquired partnership with Starry Night Media and their ability to produce a weekly highlight show throughout the season. I can’t stress enough on how huge that is going to be for not only the IFL, but for semi-pro football in general. If everything goes according to plan, the IFL will garner a high level of awareness that it has not yet had.”
DB: To continue to promote the League, you have struck a deal for a weekly IFL highlight show to air on Time Warner Cable Sports and Wisconsin on Demand. How critical was it for you to get some sort of television deal in place for this season after not having any games air live or tape-delayed last season?
CC: “Getting some sort of TV deal done was really high on our priority list this year. We feel that television is really important not just for League awareness, but also for sponsorship and promotional purposes as well. With this deal in place, it will allow the League to accomplish many of its goals and open new doors in the future. I’m truly excited about what this means for the League and I think this accomplishment truly defines the caliber of this organization.”
DB: In terms of on-field activities, you have been able to strike a deal with Aflac Insurance to help injured players. How long ago did you feel the need to get a deal like this done and what kinds of benefits can players see from this association?
CC: “Football is a contact sport and unfortunately injuries are part of the game. That’s why I believe it’s important for a league to provide additional avenues for its players to assist them and their families if the unthinkable were to occur. During the past five years, the League has offered some sort of additional insurance options for the players to take advantage of. I feel that the benefits that AFLAC is offering the IFL best cater to the needs of our players and that’s why we proudly endorsed this partnership.”
DB: For the last two years, the Ironbowl was played in Madison and Wisconsin Dells. This year though, Ironbowl XIV will be played at the renovated Hart Park in Wauwatosa. Explain your thought process in having the Championship game return to the Milwaukee-area for the first time since 2008.
CC: “Were very excited about it. For the last two years, we hosted the “big game” outside of Milwaukee in an effort to feature and promote the Ironbowl in different IFL markets, which had many successful results. This year, with the completed renovation of Hart Park and by the many requests of our fans and team representatives, we have decided with great excitement to bring the game back to the Milwaukee area for Ironbowl XIV. Hart Park provides our players the professional facility that they have come to expect from the IFL and also gives our fans a professional atmosphere that they deserve.”
