Learfield Communications, LLC

Learfield Communications, LLC, doing business as Learfield IMG College, is a for-profit limited liability company headquartered in Plano, Texas, that specializes in college athletics multimedia rights, licensing, and marketing services. The company leverages exclusive partnerships with university athletic departments across the United States to deliver comprehensive advertising, marketing, and promotional services primarily to federal government agencies, particularly military branches and departments. Learfield maintains a parent company structure and is registered in SAM.gov as an active federal contractor and grant recipient, with registration scheduled to expire on July 10, 2026. The company has established itself as a strategic vendor for Department of Defense and other federal agencies seeking to conduct military recruiting, branding, and awareness campaigns on college campuses through the integration of targeted messaging into university athletic platforms and related multimedia channels.

Learfield Communications has secured extensive federal contract awards totaling over $3.5 million across multiple military branches and National Guard units since 2021, with the vast majority of contracts awarded by the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Department of the Army, and Army National Guard components. The company's contract work primarily consists of advertising, marketing, and promotional services delivered through college athletics partnerships, including local and regional advertising campaigns, radio and television placements, stadium signage, athletic sponsorships, website design services, merchandise promotions, and targeted outreach to college student populations. Notable contract awards include a $524,934.97 definitive contract with the Idaho Army National Guard for college advertising across three universities (Boise State, Idaho State, and University of Idaho) running through September 2027; a $400,000 contract with the Minnesota National Guard for Gopher Athletics advertising through August 2026; a $192,338.82 purchase order with the Indiana Air National Guard extending through June 2029 with three option years; and a $156,049 purchase order with the Arizona Air National Guard for media and advertising services. Additional significant contracts include $150,000 awards for Georgia Southern Sports marketing and University of Georgia advertising, and $149,994 for University of Washington marketing services with the Army. The company has also received numerous smaller purchase orders ranging from $13,000 to $100,000 supporting recruiting and branding initiatives at universities including the University of Connecticut, University of Montana, Montana State University, University of Hawaii, University of Wyoming, Western Kentucky University, and University of Oregon. Contract performance locations span multiple states including Texas, Connecticut, Wyoming, Montana, Hawaii, Washington, Indiana, and Arizona. No contracts were designated with socioeconomic set-aside programs, with the exception of two small business set-aside awards totaling $47,800 in 2022 and 2023. All contracts were awarded on a firm fixed-price basis, with several designated as sole-source procurements justified by Learfield's exclusive advertising rights with specific university athletic programs under Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions.

Learfield Communications has received federal grant sub-award funding through state transportation departments and social service agencies, demonstrating diversification beyond military recruiting applications. The company received three sub-awards totaling an undisclosed amount from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation under the 405D and 405E traffic safety grant programs for sports marketing advocacy, awareness, and education initiatives in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, Learfield received a sub-award from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services in November 2024 for marketing and advertising services under an undisclosed grant program. These grant sub-awards represent an expansion of Learfield's federal funding base beyond the Department of Defense contracts that constitute the primary source of its government revenue, indicating the company's growing application of its marketing and advertising expertise to non-military federal objectives, including public health and safety messaging campaigns delivered through sports marketing platforms and athletic venues. The diversity of funding sources and program types suggests Learfield's scalable capability to adapt its college athletics marketing infrastructure to support varied federal agency missions beyond traditional military recruiting.