Clay Bollinger is a college athletics creative strategist with more than a decade of experience building brands, leading teams, and modernizing how programs compete for attention, recruits, and revenue.
Currently serving as the University of Cincinnati’s Senior Director of Content Strategy, Bollinger leads football creative strategy with a focus on elite recruiting, brand growth, and scalable content systems — working cross-functionally across athletics, NIL, communications, and sponsorship.
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SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING: 14,400+
COMPETING TO WIN ATTENTION EVERY DAY.
October was one of those months that reminded me why I love working in college athletics. Four football games, two road trips, Homecoming, Halloween at Nippert, and our biggest home win since 2006. There were so many memorable moments, but what stood out most was the creativity of our team…
One of the biggest evolutions happening in college athletics right now has nothing to do with schemes, conference realignment, or facilities. It’s the transformation of athletic departments into full-scale media companies. For decades, programs relied heavily on outside media to shape perception and distribute stories. If you wanted exposure, you…
The New Operating System for College Athletics I’ve been spending a lot of time examining the landscape around our departments and others. It’s clear that we are moving toward a future where athletic departments thrive as high-performance media and marketing platforms. By aligning our goals, we can create a sustainable…
In the world of college athletics content, most teams focus on the day-to-day — reacting to the next game, announcement, or viral moment. But what if you approached content like a football program? Just like football has offense, defense, and special teams, your creative strategy should include real-time content, evergreen…
In college athletics, content has the power to do more than fill timelines — it can define a brand. The most effective creative departments today aren’t just “making things.” They’re aligning with athletic directors, coaches, and collectives to move the needle in recruiting, NIL, sponsorship, fundraising, and fan engagement. In…
For years, college sports content revolved around team brands—highlights, press conferences, and behind-the-scenes clips curated by institutions. But the game has changed. Today, fans want unfiltered access to the athletes themselves. Authenticity, relatability, and personal connection are driving engagement in ways that traditional team accounts simply cannot replicate. The numbers…
