Background
Oregon State University (OSU), one of the nation’s premier land, sea, space, and sun grant universities, sought to strengthen its statewide visibility and deepen engagement with the Oregon community. The university partnered with Sam Hunt Racing and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Dean Thompson, making OSU the primary partner for the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra in the Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway on August 30, 2025.
As the only standalone NASCAR Xfinity Series stop in the Pacific Northwest, the Portland race presented a rare and powerful opportunity for OSU to intersect motorsports fandom with higher education pride.
Check out Oregon State football coach Trent Bray and OSU broadcaster Ron Callan on Out of the Groove in the episode above. And in the following video
Objectives
- Showcase Oregon State’s leadership and innovation through a national sports platform.
- Build affinity with Beaver Nation alumni, students, and fans by aligning with an Oregon-based NASCAR event.
- Extend OSU’s mission-driven brand messaging through race-day branding, media coverage, and community outreach.
- Create authentic touchpoints between athletics, academics, and local motorsports enthusiasts.
Strategy
- Brand Integration
- OSU’s distinctive Beavers branding covered Dean Thompson’s No. 26 GR Supra, including the hood, side panels, and rear TV panel.
- This design placed OSU front and center during national TV coverage, delivering millions of impressions across The CW broadcast, MRN radio, and SiriusXM.
- Community Engagement
- Dean Thompson visited Beaver Nation on campus in advance of the race, bringing the energy of NASCAR directly to students and fans.
- The at-track experience allowed the university to showcase its role as Oregon’s flagship institution while giving the home crowd a driver and car to rally behind.
- National & Regional Visibility
- As the only NASCAR Xfinity Series event in Oregon, OSU’s partnership resonated with in-state pride while also positioning the university on a national stage.
- Media coverage amplified the collaboration, highlighting OSU’s innovation, academic leadership, and community impact.
- Marketing & Storytelling
- OSU leveraged video, photography, and branded content from the race for university-wide PR and marketing campaigns.
- Beyond race week, these assets extended the message of “Beaver Nation pride” across digital channels, alumni engagement campaigns, and prospective student outreach.
- Merchandise & Fan Engagement
- Official OSU/NASCAR co-branded shirts were developed and sold through Fanatics and their college bookstore, giving fans nationwide direct access to partnership-themed merchandise.
- Retail availability turned the sponsorship into a consumer product, extending visibility beyond race weekend into households, campuses, and fan communities.
- Merchandise sales also provided a measurable engagement channel, linking Beaver Nation pride to NASCAR fandom in a scalable way.
Results
- National Exposure: Featured across national TV and radio coverage, OSU branding reached NASCAR’s 1M+ average Xfinity Series audience.
- Local Engagement: OSU energized thousands of Beaver Nation fans at Portland International Raceway with a strong on-site presence.
- Authentic Storytelling: Dean Thompson’s first Portland track start, paired with university branding, provided a compelling narrative that resonated beyond sports pages into higher ed and community news.
- Campus Connection: Pre-race university activations created memorable interactions between OSU students and the NASCAR world.
- Long-Term Marketing Assets: OSU captured high-value photography and video, enabling the university to repurpose NASCAR content for campaigns year-round.
Key Takeaways for Universities
- Regional Pride Drives Engagement: Aligning with local events can rally community spirit and strengthen institutional identity.
- Sports as a Recruitment & Branding Tool: Major sports platforms extend the university’s reach beyond traditional higher education channels.
- Scalable Marketing Assets: A single event delivers months of creative content for alumni relations, recruiting, and public affairs.
- Cross-Industry Synergy: Partnering with NASCAR demonstrates the flexibility of motorsports as a platform for storytelling across sectors like education, healthcare, and technology.
You can watch the live race day coverage from the local station above on their KOIN 6 News at Noon program.
Conclusion
Oregon State University’s collaboration with Sam Hunt Racing and Dean Thompson at the Pacific Office Automation 147 showcased how higher education institutions can leverage motorsports to amplify brand presence, engage alumni and students, and create lasting marketing value. By pairing regional pride with national exposure, OSU highlighted its leadership as Oregon’s statewide university and brought Beaver Nation to the heart of NASCAR.
