PIERRE — The South Dakota High School Activities Association is going to get some help growing and managing its corporate partnerships. At its meeting Tuesday, the SDHSAA board of directors approved a 10-year contract with Teall Properties Group of North Carolina.

According to SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos, the company specializes in helping high school activities associations attract corporate partners. Swartos has been overseeing corporate partners, but he told the board that he has no marketing experience. “I’m not an expert.”

SDHSAA currently takes in $560,000 from corporate sponsors that include Farmers Union Insurance, U.S. Army National Guard, Billion Auto, Dakotah Bank, Sanford Health, S.D. Public Broadcasting, Fine Designs and Baden. Some offer annual funding while others make their contributions through goods or services.

Swartos said the funding goes toward paying for catastrophic insurance policies for all member schools as well as paying rent and fees for some facilities that are used for state tournaments.

The agreement with Teall guarantees $560,000 to the association and adds a minimum of $10,000 a year through the life of the contract. As Teall attracts more corporate sponsors, that money will be split with the association.

Swartos said that the contract is for 10 years because the first years won’t be lucrative for Teall. “They’re losing money at the beginning of this.” 

Swartos explained that Teall will hire someone from South Dakota to work in the SDHSAA office. The association will have the final say on the new hire as well as whether sponsorships are accepted. “We don’t want this to turn into NASCAR, with advertisements all over the place,” Swartos said.

The association is considering renting gymnastics equipment for the state meet rather than having the host school transport its equipment to various sites. Swartos said that $15,000 cost is an example of something that Teall may find a company to sponsor. 

Swartos has talked to his peers who are working with Teall. “They all say, ‘It’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.’”

The board unanimously approved the contract. 

The board also approved the annual renewal of the Billion Auto corporate sponsorship. Billion supplies four vehicles to the association for use by the executive director and the three assistant executive directors as they travel to activities across the state.