For the second consecutive year, Butler men’s basketball has reaped a significant publicity windfall for the University.  A study commissioned by Butler’s athletic department found that the Bulldogs’ run to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball championship game generated in excess of a half billion dollars in publicity value.

The study, done by Borshoff, monitored and evaluated media coverage of the Butler University men’s basketball team from mid-March to mid-June, 2011.  During that period, Butler garnered an estimated publicity value of $512,382,703 through television, print and on-line news coverage.  When factoring in social media, the audience reach surpassed 69 billion.

“The incredible exposure that the run to the final game generated goes well beyond the media monitoring report, but this study is an indication of a very significant amount of publicity that Butler has received through our athletics program,” stated Butler Director of Athletics Barry Collier.

“The story of our athletes and their accomplishments in the classroom, as well as on the court, exemplifies the true meaning of student-athlete.  And that story has been carried to a much larger audience, thanks to the success of the Butler basketball team,” added Collier.