BIG EAST Announces 2018 Tournament Partners
The Jeep® Brand, returns as the Presenting Sponsor for 22 BIG EAST Conference Championships, highlighted by the Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
League welcomes back nine partners and new sponsors Libman and Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. for #MarchToMSG
NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference, in conjunction with FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG), announced new and returning partners for the 2018 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament and beyond, led by the Jeep
® Brand, who returns as the presenting sponsor for all 22 BIG EAST championships. The BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament is celebrating its 36th consecutive year at Madison Square Garden in 2018, March 7-10.
Jeep renewed their alliance with the BIG EAST in the fall, maintaining category exclusivity as the presenting sponsor with national use of the league marks across all marketing channels as well as on-site marketing activation opportunities at each championship. In addition to comprehensive media buys on FOX, Jeep will also support the BIG EAST to enhance “#MarchToMSG,” the conference’s men’s basketball marketing campaign, and extend the celebration of the men’s basketball tournament’s 36th year at Madison Square Garden, the longest running college basketball tournament held in one location. Jeep is included in the league’s television, social and digital media, out of home advertising and grassroots marketing campaign to promote the tournament & tournament ticket sales.
In addition to Jeep, returning sponsors include
Nike,
Gatorade,
Geico,
Primesport,
SUNKIST,
Continental Tire,
Westwood One and
Sirius XM Radio.
SoFi, as the official financial partner of the BIG EAST, renewed their sponsorship of the league and elevated their position this year by becoming the first-ever presenting sponsor of the league’s digital network, BEDN. In addition to Jeep, SoFi will have their logo on the men’s basketball court at Madison Square Garden. SoFi also added an on-court shooting contest to each game of the tournament with each winner receiving a $500. SoFi will continue to have on-site activations during the tournament plus a hospitality event each day to host VIPS and SoFi customers.
The Libman Company, the leading manufacturers of high-quality brooms, mops and brushes in the U.S., is the ‘official hardwood floor care provider of the BIG EAST for the men’s basketball tournament. Beginning with the first game of the tournament on Wednesday, MSG will use Libman mops, while the Madison Square Garden court staff will wear Libman branded track suits to continuously mop the court during each game of the tournament.
Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. came on board as a new BIG EAST sponsor, focused mainly on increasing its national exposure with courtside rotational signage, in addition to expanding its hospitality experiences.
Geico extended their partnership for an additional three years, adding a sponsorship of the BIG EAST women’s basketball tournament in Chicago held for the first time at the Wintrust Arena. Nike also extended their partnership for an additional three years and as the official and exclusive basketball and apparel partner of the men’s and the women’s tournaments, student-athletes will use the Nike branded basketball at both tournaments, tournament operations staff will wear Nike branded apparel and fans will receive a Nike prize package for the conference’s in-arena promotions. SUNKIST’s return continues their presenting sponsorship of the BIG EAST’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, which are announced during the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments as well as their sponsorship of the annual #GetMeToMSG Scavenger Hunt for tournament tickets, which took place Feb. 26-March 2.
To supplement the league’s extensive marketing campaign in NYC, New Jersey and Connecticut, the BIG EAST partnered with NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization for the five boroughs of New York City, Stout NYC with four restaurant locations in Manhattan, the 34th street partnership and Madison Square Garden to enhance the tournament’s presence in and around the tri-state area.
About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,727 student-athletes on over 180 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in seven of the country’s top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
SUNKIST is a registered trademark of Sunkist Growers, Inc., USA used under license by Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. ©2015 Sunkist Growers, Inc. and Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.