UConn And IMG College Form Athletics Multi-Media Rights Partnership

STORRS, Conn. (September 23, 2008) – The University of Connecticut has reached an agreement with IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide, for a 10-year athletics multi-media rights partnership worth more than $80 million in guaranteed payments to the University. The contract was approved by the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees today and now goes to the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Connecticut for final approval.

The UConn Division of Athletics will also derive additional financial benefits as IMG College will be responsible for a portion of the Division’s operating expenses in support of marketing and corporate sponsorships.

IMG will manage all rights with the exception of radio, which will become part of the agreement after UConn’s contract with WTIC expires in three years.  UConn is encouraging IMG to maintain the relationship with WTIC as the University’s flagship radio station upon expiration of the current agreement.  UConn will continue to manage its existing women’s basketball broadcast contract with Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and its 10-year apparel agreement with NIKE. 

Under terms of the agreement, IMG College will handle the rights associated with corporate partners, on-site opportunities, signage, corporate suites, game programs and all online components.

“We are pleased to partner with IMG College as have a select number of the nation’s preeminent higher education institutions,” said Jeffrey Hathaway, UConn’s Director of Athletics. “This exciting partnership will provide the Division a stable revenue stream to assist in supporting our intercollegiate athletics program.  The partnership represents an ‘insurance policy’ during challenging economic times and, as our marketing assets are further developed, provides UConn an opportunity to grow sponsorship income through revenue sharing.  UConn and IMG represent two outstanding brands, and we are confident that this partnership will foster new opportunities for our Division of Athletics.”

“UConn, through its dominance in the Big East Conference, has established itself as a NCAA powerhouse and one of the most recognizable athletic programs in all of collegiate athletics,” said Tom Stultz, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for IMG College. “We look forward to bringing new opportunities to the Husky brand and expanding its presence in numerous areas.”

About IMG College

IMG College is the leader in developing integrated licensing, marketing, and multi-media opportunities for the nation’s top collegiate brands across local, regional, and national platforms.  IMG College partners include the NCAA and its 88 championships, NCAA Football, leading conferences, and some of the most prestigious universities in the country. 

Since IMG Worldwide began its focus on the college market in 2007, IMG College and its sister division, The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), have secured new and expanded rights with several major collegiate institutions. IMG College formed an alliance with CBS to represent the NCAA's sponsorship rights that recently yielded a corporate partnership deal with Hershey’s.   IMG College manages multi-media rights at many institutions, including, but not limited to, the University of Texas, the University of Tennessee, the University of Kansas, the University of Arizona and the University of Kentucky.  Additionally, IMG College has recently acquired new partnerships, or secured expanded multimedia rights partnerships, with the University of Michigan, the University of Florida, the University of Oregon, the University of Nebraska, Gonzaga University, the Ohio Valley Conference, and printing rights for The Ohio State University.  On the collegiate licensing side, CLC has added relationships with two Big East clients, Rutgers University and West Virginia University, along with long-term contract renewals with many other key partners.    

IMG College is a division of global sports and entertainment company IMG. For more information, please visit www.imgworld.com.