Oakland University Athletics has appointed sports marketing and media company Van Wagner as its exclusive multimedia rights partner under a long-term agreement, expanding the company’s role in the commercial development of the Golden Grizzlies’ athletics programme.
As part of the partnership, Van Wagner will lead Oakland Athletics’ corporate partnership and sponsorship efforts, including sales, marketing, activation and fulfilment. The company will also work with the university to develop new revenue-generating opportunities across both traditional and emerging sponsorship categories.
The agreement covers Oakland’s 18 Division I sports and is intended to strengthen the department’s commercial offering by creating integrated opportunities for brands to engage with the university’s students, alumni, fans and broader community.
Oakland Athletics Director Steve Waterfield said, “Oakland University Athletics is excited to partner with Van Wagner on its multimedia rights. Van Wagner has decades of proven, successful experience in strengthening and expanding numerous Division I institutions’ corporate partnerships, sponsorship sales, and other revenue-generating programs. Throughout the evaluation process, Mike Palisi and the entire Van Wagner team impressed with their approaches to working with intercollegiate programs, documented revenue-generating successes, and ideas on how best to position and leverage Oakland Athletics’ multimedia rights in the current, future, and changing landscape of college athletics. We look forward to working with Van Wagner as we continue to elevate Golden Grizzlies Athletics.”
Mike Palisi, President, Van Wagner College, added, “Oakland has everything we look for in a partner: a nationally recognised athletic director in Steve Waterfield, a coach in Greg Kampe who has become the longest-tenured head coach in Division I basketball and the face of one of the sport’s great sustained success stories, a department that regularly wins the Horizon League’s all-sports trophy, and student-athletes who perform in the classroom as well as they do in competition. We’re honoured to join the Golden Grizzlies family and put our full weight behind growing this program.”
The agreement further expands Van Wagner’s collegiate multimedia rights portfolio. The company already works with institutions including Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, giving it an established presence across Michigan and the Horizon League.
Oakland selected Van Wagner through a formal procurement process, with the university issuing RFP 00283 for athletics multimedia rights in February 2026.
The partnership adds another Division I property to Van Wagner’s growing collegiate portfolio while giving Oakland access to a dedicated commercial platform aimed at expanding sponsorship and partnership opportunities in the Detroit metropolitan market.
