Golden Valley-based Buffalo Wild Wings will soon become a corporate partner for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the casual dining category, according to a recent SportsBusiness Daily report.
 
NCAA corporate partners have exclusive marketing and promotional rights in their category to all 89 of the NCAA championships, including the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament often referred to as March Madness, according to the NCAA website. These rights include the use of all NCAA trademarks and logos.
 
The NCAA currently has 14 corporate partners, including Coca-Cola, UPS, LG, Buick, and AT&T. The corporate partners sublicense NCAA trademarks and marketing rights from CBS Sports and Turner Sports.
 
The NCAA partnership will represent Buffalo Wild Wings’ latest effort to strengthen its ties with sporting events and enhance its reputation as being a sports bar and restaurant. The company announced last summer that it would be the title sponsor of an annual college football game held in Tempe, Arizona, now dubbed the “Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.”
 
Also last summer, the company redesigned its logo, replacing its old “Grill and Bar” tagline with the words “Wings,” “Beer,” and “Sports.” At the same time, the company revealed plans to alter the look and feel of its future restaurants to feature a more sports-centric design and “create an atmosphere that feels more like being in a stadium.” Most restaurants opening in 2013 will feature the new design, the company said.
 
Buffalo Wild Wings has about 900 locations in the United States and Canada and is one of Minnesota’s 35-largest public companies based on revenue, which totaled $784.4 million in 2011.