Gonzaga run worth $406M

Gonzaga coach Mark Few, left, and players Przemek Karnowski, Johathan Williams and Nigel Williams-Goss keep things light at at a press conference, Sunday, April 2, in Phoenix. GU officials say a media tracking company estimates that the value of the Bulldogs run toward the championship totaled more than $400 million in broadcast and online exposure. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

As the Bulldogs advanced to last month’s NCAA championship game, Gonzaga University got a staggering amount of broadcast and online exposure.

The value of all that coverage of the basketball team’s historic run surpassed $400 million, according to GU officials.

The university hired Meltwater, a San Francisco-based media tracking company, to put a dollar figure on the coverage of the Zags through six games over 18 days. The company calculated it at $406 million.

The private Jesuit university also set records for website page views and social media engagement.

All the publicity appears to be helping Gonzaga recruit students: Early inquiries from prospective students for the 2018-19 academic year are up by 10,000 compared to a year ago, officials said/ Becky Kramer , SR. More here.