Advocate

The Right Way to Play Headquarters

football celebration

We asked YOU, the people who make up the NAIA, what makes you proud to be part of our association, and why it works for you and your student-athletes. We listened, loved your answers, and created a campaign to share the excitement and experience of NAIA membership. This campaign is the second of many to come that equip membership to advocate for the NAIA and yourselves. Because a score for us, is a win for all of us—building a fan community that shows our peers what we already know—that the NAIA is The Right Way To Play.

Fall Social Media Campaign

Every NAIA member and school has a unique story. This campaign helps you tell it—through your athletes, your values, and your community.

We invite member institutions, conferences and individual members to personalize a message and showcase how your school, conference, or team embodies the NAIA philosophy—fierce competition, fair play, and holistic student-athlete development.

Campaign Concept: The [YOUR] Way to Play

The best part of the NAIA is simple: we’re college sports the way they were meant to be. Competition that’s fierce yet fair. Community that’s tight-knit and true. A stage where student-athletes can shine on the court, the field, and in life.

Our members believe the NAIA is the right way to play—because it’s their way to play. Every school makes the philosophy their own, living it out in a way that reflects their values, their pride, and their community.

It’s The Baker Way to Play.
It’s The OLLU Way to Play.
It’s The [Your School or Conference] Way to Play.
#therightwaytoplay
 

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samples

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Canva Templates

Customize these Canva templates with your images and logo. Templates are ready-to-use in multiple orientations with options for a black or white gradient.

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Adobe Templates

Download the Adobe templates to fully customize what “The Right Way to Play” means to you and your institution or conference.

Advocacy Leaders 

Activation Checklist

This quick-start guide will help your school integrate and promote The Right Way To Play campaign with purpose and pride.

Download Checklist

 

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tagging and tips

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Social tip to share: When using our #TheRightWaytoPlay hashtag, make sure your post is set to public! If it's private, our system can't track it – and we don't want your awesome content to go unnoticed.

 

storytelling series

 

Spotlight on Lennx Brown

lennx brown

On a sweltering afternoon in Honduras, after hours of mixing concrete and digging trenches, Lennx Brown laced up for a different kind of game, soccer with the neighborhood kids.

“We were sweaty, tired, covered in dust,” Brown recalled. “But those moments of connection reminded me why I serve. It’s about showing love and building relationships.”

That perspective fuels everything Brown does, on the field and far beyond it. While many know him as a talented quarterback, the heart of his story is service: mission work, local outreach, and turning personal tragedy into hope for others.

Read more...

Have a story to share? Contact Betsy Calmer, Senior Marketing Manager, Brand Advocacy at bcalmer@naia.org or 573.690.4390

2025 CONVENTION:

The Right Way to Advocate  

See how it all began.

The NAIA’s Right Way to Play brand advocacy campaign officially launched at the 2025 NAIA National Convention. During a powerful general session titled The Right Way to Advocate, NAIA COO Lynn Parman and Crux President & CSO Ethan Whitehill shared the research behind the movement and outlined what comes next.

If you missed it, now’s your chance to catch up. Watch the full session below and get inspired to lead the charge.

Watch on YouTube

 

Brand Anthem Video Assets 

The NAIA is excited to share The Right Way to Play with the world – share this video across your social media channels. For institutions or conferences, use the “anthem” video in your marketing materials or website.

Campus Assets  

For use across your marketing needs, the NAIA provides opportunities to cross-promote your institution and the NAIA brand. Download ready-to-use or customizable graphics.

banners

Vinyl/Mesh Banners (5'x7' and 8'x4')
Ready-to-Use | Customizable

web banners

Web banners (1920x1080)
Ready-to-Use and Customizable

print ad

Print Ad (8.5x11" with bleeds)
Softball ad  | Baseball ad

 

 

Press Releases

Now, it’s your turn to tell your audience what it means to be a part of the NAIA and why it’s "The Right Way to Play." Use the template below as a starting point for your own press release.

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Customizeable press release for your campus 
How to use this press release: The NAIA National Office is releasing this information to publications and individuals who report on higher education and on the sports industry, as a whole, and requests that you use this release to distribute to your local and regional media, as well as on your athletics website.

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Tell Us Your Story 

The NAIA is always looking for examples from our adminstrators, student-athletes, coaches, and campuses that embody "The Right Way to Play." Use the link below to send us your story!

 

Send in your story now!