FanWord Weekly Engagement Recap
College.town · D1.ticker · D2.ticker · D2 Jobs · D3.ticker · CRO.ticker · NAIA.ticker · NJCAA.ticker
Reporting week: Saturday, September 5 – Friday, September 11, 2026
Performance at a glance
Verified engagement only, across all seven sponsored newsletters. Comparisons are against the prior Sat–Fri week (Aug 29 – Sep 4) and against the average of all prior weeks available in the data feed.
|
Impressions
106,081
Week over week +57.7% vs. prior-weeks avg +21.2% |
Verified clicks
39
Week over week +200.0% vs. prior-weeks avg +9.9% |
Unique clickers
37
Week over week +208.3% vs. prior-weeks avg +13.8% |
Sends w/ placement
15
Week over week +25.0% vs. prior-weeks avg +20.0% |
On the baseline. The click-events feed currently begins on 2026-08-22, so only two full prior Sat–Fri weeks exist rather than four. The "prior-weeks average" column is a 2-week average (Aug 29 – Sep 4 and Aug 22 – Aug 28), not a 4-week average. It will widen to the full four weeks as the feed accumulates.
NJCAA.ticker is brand new. Its first issue shipped September 1, 2026, so it contributes to the reporting week and to the Aug 29 – Sep 4 comparison week but not to Aug 22 – Aug 28. That makes the two-week average slightly conservative for the newest list.
On the swings. The week-over-week click jump is real but comes off an unusually quiet base: Aug 29 – Sep 4 carried 12 placements and produced only 13 verified clicks. Measured against the two-week average, clicks are up a more modest 9.9%.
Clicks by placement
| Destination | Type / where it ran | Verified clicks | Unique clickers |
|---|---|---|---|
| fanword.com/blog/baylor-partners-with-leading-ai-powered-storytelling-platform-fanword/ | Editorial D1.ticker × 2 sends (Sep 11) |
13 | 13 |
| fanword.com/fanword-assist-for-division-i-college-athletics/ | Ad D1.ticker × 3 sends (Sep 7, 10, 11) |
8 | 8 |
| tommiesports.com/news/2026/8/24/athletics-st-thomas-signs-multi-year-deal-with-ai-storytelling-leader-fanword | Ad D1.ticker (Sep 9); also D2 Jobs (Sep 9, 0 clicks) |
6 | 6 |
| fanword.com/blog/case-study-northwestern-college/ | Ad NAIA.ticker × 2 sends (Sep 8, Sep 11) |
4 | 3 |
| msueagles.com/news/2026/9/11/general-eagles-renew-partnership-with-fanword-helping-to-tell-the-stories-of-msu-athletics.aspx | Editorial D1.ticker Evening Standard (Sep 11) |
3 | 2 |
| fanword.com/blog/case-study-university-of-tulsa/ | Ad D1.ticker (Sep 11) |
2 | 2 |
| fanword.com/blog/case-study-hamline-university/ | Ad D3.ticker Ed. #1446 (Sep 11) |
1 | 1 |
| fanword.com/fanword-assist-for-small-college-athletics/ | Ad NJCAA.ticker Ed. #3 (Sep 8); also D3.ticker × 2 and D2 Jobs × 2 (0 clicks) |
1 | 1 |
| fanword.com/blog/aum-athletics-to-power-storytelling-with-fanword/ | Ad D2 Jobs (Sep 11) |
1 | 1 |
| Total — 9 distinct destinations | 39 | 37 | |
NAIA.ticker was the week's second-strongest list by clicks. Its two sends produced 4 verified clicks from 3 people on the Northwestern College case study.
Most-clicked story
Highest unique-clicker count of any FanWord placement this week — and notably, it was editorial, not paid.
Baylor partners with FanWord — D1.ticker "Deals Digest"
➤ Baylor has partnered with Fanword to utilize FanWord Assist’s powerful storytelling platform. (link)
D1.ticker · "Deals Digest…" section · third bullet · first appeared in "News from Thursday, September 10, 2026" (sent Sep 11), repeated in "Evening Standard – Friday, September 11, 2026"
This is a text-only editorial bullet written in the newsletter’s own voice — there is no ad graphic attached to it, so no creative is shown. It drew 13 verified clicks from 13 distinct subscribers, more than any paid FanWord creative in the period, and accounted for a third of all FanWord clicks this week. Twelve of the 13 clicks came from the Thursday morning send; one came from the Friday Evening Standard, which carried the identical bullet (same tracking hash, so the block was reused verbatim between sends).
Four of the 13 clickers are VIP-flagged: a sitting AD (Dayton), an AD at George Washington, a Deputy AD/COO/CFO at Western Kentucky, and a Deputy AD/COO/SWA at San Diego.
Ad graphics this period
Grouped by distinct creative, not by destination. Click counts are on each creative’s own destination link within the sends listed.
| Creative | Details | First seen | Sends | Clicks | Unique |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
FanwordLeadingD1.gif → fanword.com/fanword-assist-for-division-i-college-athletics/ D1.ticker, mid-issue ad slot. Image-only, no accompanying copy. Sends: Sep 7, Sep 10. |
Sep 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
 |
FanwordD1Content091126.gif → fanword.com/fanword-assist-for-division-i-college-athletics/ Top of the full red-bordered D1 ad card (graphic + Tulsa testimonial + boilerplate + CTA). Sends: Sep 11. |
Sep 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
 |
FanwordStThomas.gif → tommiesports.com/news/…-fanword Image-only creative clicking through to St. Thomas’s own partnership release. Sends: D1.ticker Sep 9; D2 Jobs Sep 9. |
Sep 9 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
 |
FanwordNorthwestern_College_Case_Study.gif → fanword.com/blog/case-study-northwestern-college/ NAIA.ticker, mid-issue. Image-only, empty alt and figcaption, no border card. Sends: NAIA.ticker Ed. #897, Sep 8. |
Sep 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
 |
FanwordNAIAContent091126.gif → fanword.com/blog/case-study-northwestern-college/ Full red-bordered NAIA testimonial unit (graphic + Northwestern College pull-quote + case-study link + boilerplate + CTA). Sends: NAIA.ticker Ed. #898, Sep 11. |
Sep 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
 |
FanwordD3Content091126.gif → fanword.com/blog/case-study-hamline-university/ D3 testimonial unit (Hamline pull-quote + case-study link + boilerplate + CTA). Sends: D3.ticker Ed. #1446, Sep 11. |
Sep 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
 |
FanwordAUM.gif → fanword.com/blog/aum-athletics-to-power-storytelling-with-fanword/ Image-only creative above the jobs list. Sends: D2 Jobs Sep 11. |
Sep 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
 |
FanwordLeadingSmallCollege.gif → fanword.com/fanword-assist-for-small-college-athletics/ Runs mid-issue on NJCAA.ticker and beneath the D3.ticker boilerplate text ad. Sends: NJCAA.ticker Ed. #3 (Sep 8); D3.ticker Ed. #1446 (Sep 11). |
Sep 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
 |
FanwordNJCAAContent091126.gif → fanword.com/blog/case-study-kckcc/ Full red-bordered NJCAA testimonial unit (graphic + KCKCC pull-quote + case-study link + boilerplate + two-year-college CTA). Sends: NJCAA.ticker Ed. #4, Sep 11. |
Sep 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 |
FanwordD2Content091126.gif → fanword.com/blog/case-study-florida-southern/ D2 testimonial unit (Florida Southern pull-quote + case-study link + boilerplate + CTA). Sends: D2.ticker Ed. #1795, Sep 11. |
Sep 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 |
FanwordGreensboro__2_.gif → greensborocollegesports.com/news/…partners-with-fanword… Image-only creative in the D3 slot. Sends: D3.ticker Ed. #1445, Sep 9. |
Sep 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Editorial content mentioning FanWord
Unpaid coverage found by the full-URL scan. Five items this week — all written in the newsletters’ own editorial voice.
1. Baylor partners with FanWord — D1.ticker "Deals Digest"
➤ Baylor has partnered with Fanword to utilize FanWord Assist’s powerful storytelling platform. (link)
Newsletter’s own writing · first appeared Sep 11 · 2 sends · 13 verified clicks · 13 unique clickers · links to FanWord’s own blog
2. Morehead State renews with FanWord — D1.ticker Evening Standard
Morehead State has renewed its partnership with FanWord to continue utilizing FanWord Assist’s powerful storytelling platform. (link)
Newsletter’s own writing · Sep 11 · 1 send · 3 verified clicks · 2 unique clickers · links to Morehead State’s own athletics release
3. Southeast CC teams up with FanWord — NJCAA.ticker "Deal Corner"
Southeast teams up with FanWord to use its AI-powered FanWord Assist platform to support its storytelling efforts. (link)
Newsletter’s own writing · NJCAA.ticker Ed. #4, Sep 11 · 1 send · 0 verified clicks in window · links to FanWord’s own blog
4. Embry-Riddle partners with FanWord — D2.ticker "Deal Corner"
➤ Embry-Riddle is the latest to partner with FanWord to support its content creation efforts. (link)
Newsletter’s own writing · D2.ticker Ed. #1795, Sep 11 · 1 send · 0 verified clicks in window · links to Embry-Riddle’s own athletics release
5. Auburn-Montgomery teams up with FanWord — D2.ticker "Deal Corner"
➤ Auburn-Montgomery teams up with FanWord to support its content creation efforts. (link)
Newsletter’s own writing · D2.ticker Ed. #1794, Sep 9 · 1 send · 0 verified clicks in window · links to FanWord’s own blog
Everyone who clicked
All 37 unique verified clickers. VIP-flagged subscribers first, then all others; each block sorted alphabetically by last name.
| Name | Notes | What they clicked |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica GoerkeVIP | Deputy Athletic Director / Chief Operating Officer / SWA @ San Diego | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Mark HulseyVIP | SVP Production / Executive Producer @ Big Ten Network | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| Michael LipitzVIP | Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics @ George Washington | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Amanda NelsonVIP | Deputy AD / SWA / Interim Compliance Director @ Cal Poly Humboldt | Auburn-Montgomery partnership announcement |
| Rob PetersonVIP | Deputy AD / COO / CFO @ Western Kentucky | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Neil SullivanVIP | Vice President and AD @ Dayton | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Jean Armitage | Unknown | St. Thomas partnership announcement |
| John Ashaolu | Assistant VP for Athletics @ Lewis | St. Thomas partnership announcement |
| Murry Bartow | Former Men’s Basketball HC @ UCLA | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| JMP Boruta | Unknown | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| Brian Bowsher | Senior Director of Integrated Marketing @ College.town internal | FanWord Assist for small college |
| Greg Burton | Director of Communications and Engagement, Center for Sport Leadership @ VCU | Tulsa case study |
| John Chermak | Applications Specialist @ Paciolan | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| Scott Crawford | Commissioner @ KCAC (NAIA) | Northwestern College case study |
| M Devine | Devine + Partners | St. Thomas partnership announcement |
| Kevin Goll | Founder / Lead Principal @ Yorkshire Drive (search firm) | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Steve Hatchell | President and CEO, National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| Andrew Herrick | Assistant AD for Athletic Operations / Interim SID @ Lawrence Tech (NAIA) | Northwestern College case study |
| Lynn Hickey | Retired AD @ Eastern Washington | St. Thomas partnership announcement |
| Patrick Kosena | Associate AD – Development @ Montana State | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| Larry Lundy | President @ Lundy Marketing Group | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Kevin McNeill | Assistant Teaching Professor @ Syracuse | Tulsa case study |
| Mat Mey | Unknown | Baylor partnership announcement |
| MMJ OBrien | Unknown | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| BJ Pickard | Associate Commissioner @ MIAC | Hamline case study |
| Mary Pink | Associate AD, Marketing @ Iowa State | Baylor partnership announcement |
| C PT | Unknown | St. Thomas partnership announcement |
| Danny Reed | Director of Broadcasting / Voice of the Eagles @ Georgia Southern | FanWord Assist for D-I |
| J.T. Rogan | Account Executive @ Drive & Company internal | Morehead State renewal announcement |
| Cebu Seospecialist | Unknown | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Brian Sereno | Assoc. Athletics Director / Athletics Communications @ George Washington | Morehead State renewal announcement |
| Matt Shoultz | Assistant AD – Communications @ Iowa State | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Trevor Starcher | Associate Director of Athletics / Senior Director of Development @ Louisiana-Lafayette | St. Thomas partnership announcement |
| Joe True | VP for Development @ Western Golf Association / Evans Scholars Foundation | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Jacob Walker | Unknown | Baylor partnership announcement |
| Corey Westra | Commissioner @ GPAC (NAIA) | Northwestern College case study |
| Greg Wheeler | General Manager, Blazer Sports Properties @ Alabama Birmingham | Baylor partnership announcement |
Every clicker clicked exactly one distinct destination this week, so no semicolon-separated multi-link entries were needed. Six of the 37 carry a VIP flag; two entries are internal to the publisher and should be discounted from external-reach figures.
The NAIA additions are the most notable names of the week. Two sitting NAIA conference commissioners — Scott Crawford (KCAC) and Corey Westra (GPAC) — both clicked the Northwestern College case study, alongside an Assistant AD/SID at Lawrence Tech. Conference-office engagement of that kind reaches member schools well beyond the individual subscriber.
Across the full roster, athletics decision-makers are well represented: two sitting D-I ADs (Dayton, George Washington), two NAIA commissioners, four Deputy/Associate AD-level administrators, and communications leadership at Iowa State, George Washington, Georgia Southern and Lawrence Tech.
Prepared for FanWord · College.town · generated September 14, 2026