My Biz: Pair of Iowa Hawkeye fans turn love for team into a business

It will surprise no one to learn Brook Peterson and David Gallagher are huge Hawkeye fans.

The two met at the University of Iowa and worked for the University's athletic department for a number of years. It was there they decided to set up a group sales outlet for Hawkeye football tickets.

In 1994 they turned that enthusiasm into a business, Bravo Sports Marketing, to sell Hawkeye collectibles and University of Iowa Football ticket packages online. Today, they are the brains and logistics behind Iowa spirit game shirts such as the Black Out game and “Be Bold, Wear Gold.”

“We work in conjunction with the university's sports marketing to designate which games are spirit games,” Peterson said.

T-shirts are sold on their website and through other retailers.

Bravo Sports Marketing also is responsible for the Hawkeye Village, UI's official tailgating hospitality zone set up for every home game - a  venture they started in 1996.

“It's a place to call home for three hours prior to the game,” Gallagher said. “The Hawkeye Village is a place where fans can hang out and get together. It's a big Hawkeye bash.”

Gallagher and Peterson said while they specialize in group sales on the website, single game tickets are sold.

“We get 1,000 tickets per game,” Peterson explained. “And we still have tickets for all the remaining games.”

Purchasing a ticket through Bravo Sports allows the buyer access to the Hawkeye Village to enjoy food, drinks, and music pregame.

“We are not ticket brokers. And over the years, this has become a really valuable asset to companies to be able secure 50 tickets, for example, to the Iowa-Iowa State game,” Gallagher said.

Their partnership with the University of Iowa also has been a strong one.

When renovations were being done to Kinnick Stadium, Bravo Sports sold about 8,000 bricks to Hawkeye fans seeking memorabilia. They have also worked with University Alumni Relations and the University of Iowa Foundation on Hawkeye Huddles

and bowl game activities.

They recently organized Hawkeye Day at a Chicago Cubs game before Iowa played in the Windy City.

• Name: David Gallagher and Brook Peterson
• Title: Co-owners
• Company: Bravo Sports Marketing
• Phone: (319) 626-8286
• Website: www.bravosportsmarketing.com