Coach John Mackovic's public apology could help the team's image, a marketing professional says. Xavier Gallegos - Tucson Citizen

Marketing the University of Arizona's football program in the face of four consecutive losing seasons and a coaching controversy will require moving the focus from its shortcomings and putting it on the players and recruits, Tucson marketing professionals say.

The program has emerged as a team in turmoil after revelations by coach John Mackovic on Wednesday that he made improper verbal attacks on some of his players.

The team's marketing must move past the controversy and losses to ensure ticket sales will be strong next season, the marketing professionals said.

Michael Bolchalk, president and CEO of Michael Bolchalk Marketing, praised Mackovic's decision to speak honestly about problems the players have with his coaching but said the team has to put those problems and the losing season behind it.

"They need to develop a strategy to immediately move on," he said. "I'd take the focus off of Mackovic. The focus needs to shift to the players and recruits."

Mary Rowley, vice president at The Nordensson Group, an advertising and public relations agency, said the disclosure of Mackovic's conduct could work for the team, assuming the changes the coach promised are made.

"I think there's a lot of sympathy and empathy for the players in the community. If there is a turnaround in attitude, the people who can communicate that the best is the players," Rowley said. "If there's a way to do it positively, have the players communicate that they're really jazzed about the program."

Bolchalk said college football in Tucson suffers by not having the rabid following the university's basketball team does.

"They don't seem to have a lot of equity in their fan base," Bolchalk said. "You're sort of swimming upstream there when people are just counting down the days before the first basketball game."

He said teams that can draw upon a winning tradition can expect their fans to remain loyal during seasons when they don't win.

Scott MacKenzie, UA's assistant athletics director for marketing and corporate sales, said his staff has not begun discussions about marketing strategies for next season.

He noted the school sells between 20,000 and 24,000 season football tickets each year.

And MacKenzie said over the years UA has been developing ways to keep loyal fans excited about coming to Arizona Stadium.

"We are marketing Arizona football as a full game-day experience," MacKenzie said. "We're trying to create an environment."

Steve Emerine, owner of Steve Emerine Strategic Public Relations, agreed there is a core fan base in Tucson, noting that up to 40,000 fans show up to watch the seven home football games. He said the university needs to keep in touch with them and reassure them.

"The core is there, but you've got to get the message to them that they're correcting the things that are wrong," Emerine said. "It's not a good time to think about raising the price of individual or season tickets."

Besides traditional advertising and marketing, Emerine said community involvement can go a long way toward repairing the damage done to Mackovic and his program.

"Get Mackovic and his coaches out in the community - even more than they've been in the past two years - to tell social clubs and booster clubs that they are moving on," Emerine said.

Bolchalk echoed those sentiments, saying good will in the community can go a long way. 

"We all know Tucson's a big small town. Word spreads by word-of-mouth," he said.

Rowley said the struggles of the UA football program are magnified when compared to the successful men's basketball and women's softball teams.

She said that's all the more reason to stress the future and potential of the team rather than dwell on failings. 

Bolchalk has a final piece of advice.

"I'd have Mackovic go into Lute (Olson's) office, pull up a chair and ask him, 'How do you do this job?'"