LADYBACKS.COM completes relaunch this week

FAYETTEVILLE – Fans of the University of Arkansas Lady Razorbacks received an extra bonus on Labor Day weekend with the latest edition of ladybacks.com. “This is the most complete revision of our website in our nine-year history on-line,” associate athletic director for communications Bill Smith said. “We have always been proud of the depth of the content we have provided our fans in the past, but this ladybacks.com is a new order of magnitude.” The 5.0 version of the official web page for the Women’s Athletics Department provides users with a new interface, a more interactive experience and an on-line store for Lady Razorback oriented merchandise. During the 2004-05 season, the new premium video content – the ALL-ACCESS pass – is free to users that register with ladybacks.com. “We want as many fans as possible to enjoy the Lady Razorback experience, and rather than charging a monthly fee during our first season we decided to have as much free content as possible,” Smith said. “We do plan several pay-per-view events during the season, many of those in cooperation with other schools that do have premium fees, which will give our fans some road games on-line.” Streaming video from Lady’Back team events joins the on-line inventory, along with more video clips and packages on each home event. Along with archive editions from season one of Lady Razorback TV, ladybacks.com is the home of special web-only editions of the Women’s Athletics Department’s television show. The first web-only edition will be available on Thursday, Sept. 16, with new Lady’Back soccer coach Gordon Henderson as the host. The Lady’Backs have partnered with XOS Technology to provide the new ladybacks.com in conjunction with the Women’s Communications Office’s web team. “Our relaunch would not have been possible without a lot of dedication and hard work from our in-house staff,” Smith said. “They are responsible for all the great reviews we’ve received so far.” Assistant communications directors Jeri Thorpe and Phil Pierce, along with assistants Tiffany Franklin and Tyler Reis, provided conversion and new content for the website, while assistant marketing director Chandra Hicks and marketing assistant Chris Lansdell, built promotions and the on-line store. The Lady’Backs’ director of new media, Blair Cartwright, has managed all the new video content, including the individual “video mug shots” of almost all the current Lady Razorbacks. The Lady’Backs’ official photographer, David Yerby, has provided over 1,000 images, many available for the first time on-line. “One of the big changes fans will notice is the speed in which video and still images from our home events make it on line,” Smith said. Along with the ALL-ACCESS pass, fans can sign up for a free new email service that provides a visually enhanced version of the older Lady’Back email service. Fans can continue to listen to all Lady Razorback Radio Network games that are produced in volleyball, soccer, softball and basketball through the website, with the first game set for this weekend’s volleyball with the 7 p.m. matches from the C&C Services Invitational.