Dick’s Sporting Goods is boosting its creator roster as it looks to play a bigger role in culture, events and social media.
This year, the retailer is expanding Varsity Team, its ambassador program open to both Dick’s employees and external creators, to reach its largest membership ever. Varsity Team members partner with Dick’s and its top national brands on content for marketing campaigns and social platforms. Dick’s is currently wading through its largest applicant pool to date: 10,800 people applied this year for around 60 spots — up from 5,300 last year for 50 spots. The program originated in 2021, and it was first limited to Dick’s employees before opening to the public two years ago.
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Varsity Team isn’t Dick’s only creator effort; outside of the program, Dick’s recruits influencers to talk about specific events and sales for occasions like Mother’s Day and the holidays. But Varsity Team is unique, executives said, as it taps a mix of its own internal talent, athletes and everyday influencers. It also has appointed stars like Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall — who are Olympic and Paralympic track and field athletes, respectively — as “team captains.” Varsity Team is the first group Dick’s turns to for content, and it’s the one Dick’s relies on to participate in social media trends and events like the WNBA Live and the Chicago Marathon.
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