Abstract
This project addresses the issue of funding in intercollegiate athletics in the United States, and how social media marketing serves as a neutralizing resource for marketing gains. This project analyzes social media through the perspective of relationship marketing to sports fans. The creation of The Playbook for Social Media Marketing helps condense the multitude of research surrounding sports marketing into a functioning marketing plan. The Playbook serves as a model for college athletic departments to use when developing a social media marketing strategy for their institution. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.