There’s something welcoming about the two hands emblazoned in the center of collegiate goalpost nets nationwide. It’s a target. A bull’s-eye, even.
For Allstate, the “Good Hands” field goal nets have become as synonymous with college football as any advertisement associated with the sport. That carries weight.
“When you’re looking at the field-goal net and see the ‘Good Hands’ and ‘Allstate’ up there on the net, it reminds you that it’s football season,” said Maryland Athletic Director Damon Evans. “They’re part of the fabric of our sports programs, and especially football. That’s significant.”
Allstate has spent decades advertising in the college space. The Good Hands nets are a staple of those efforts at 97 schools, 26 bowl games, seven neutral-site contests and three conference title games ( SEC, Big 12 and Mountain West).
Now, though, the purveyor of the Good Hands nets is expanding its college sports presence and doubling down on the space.
The Illinois-based insurance provider recently announced the expansion of its “Good Works Team” to all sports via a partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), along with upping its investment in athletic scholarships with the field-goal program.
The more significant lingering carrot, however, is if league naming rights might be available for purchase — and whether Allstate might get involved.
Reports surfaced in June that the Big 12 and Allstate were in discussions around a potential naming-rights deal. No deal, at least yet, has been struck.
Field-goal nets have been a staple for Allstate for more than two decades. Is a conference name next?
“We certainly do not want to comment on any rumors that are flying around,” said Elizabeth Brady, Allstate’s executive vice president, chief marketing, customer and communications officer, when asked about a potential Big 12 deal. “Rumors are rumors. What we’ve been focusing on is just making sure that we can touch all programs, touch all athletes, and focus on our strategy.”
Allstate’s steady presence in college sports has centered on the net program. Nineteen years as title sponsor of the Sugar Bowl is another part of that equation.
