INDIANAPOLIS---With the kickoff of the 2004 college football season, Pontiac has introduced the first-ever fan-voted scholarship award program in the history of the NCAA. The Pontiac Game Changing Performance feature will recognize that dramatic moment which occurs in almost every competition that ends up changing the outcome of a game, and perhaps defining a season.
“The Pontiac Game Changing Performance scholarship award program will focus on plays that vividly show the most incredible, spine-tingling moments that exemplify the emotion and intensity of NCAA sports,” said Dino Bernacchi, Pontiac advertising manager, “The connection to Pontiac as the performance division of GM is clear.”
The Game Changing Performance program is one of the components of the partnership between Pontiac, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), CBS and ESPN.
Each week, fans can go online, view the nominated plays, and vote for their favorite Game Changing Performance. The play selected by the fans will generate a $5,000 contribution from Pontiac to that school’s general scholarship fund. Additionally, the play becomes eligible for inclusion in voting at the end of the season to determine the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Year. The play of the year, selected in fan voting during the month of December, will result in a $100,000 general scholarship fund contribution from Pontiac to the winning NCAA institution.
“Pontiac has created a great scholarship program that shows its continued commitment to NCAA athletics,” said Peter Davis, associate director of NCAA corporate alliances. “The weekly voting process of the Game Changing Performance scholarship gets college football fans directly involved with the accomplishments of NCAA football teams, while generating national attention for our colleges and universities. One of the best aspects of this initiative is the fact that it will ultimately benefit our member institutions and their efforts to provide programs and positive experiences for NCAA student-athletes.”
Nominations will be reviewed on ESPN each weekend by on air talent such as Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit, and nominated plays can be voted on Sunday morning through Wednesday at espn.com/pontiac. Each week’s winning performance will be announced during the Pontiac High Performance Halftime Report on ESPN Thursday night games.
By the end of the season, Pontiac, a leading sponsor of NCAA sporting events and collegiate athletics, will have contributed nearly $200,000 to NCAA institutions.
The Pontiac Game Changing Performance feature began September 4, and will conclude with selection of the Game Changing Performance of the Year during the halftime of a Bowl Championship Series game.
Full program details can be reviewed on espn.com/pontiac.
Pontiac is the performance division of General Motors Corporation and markets the GTO, Grand Prix, Grand Am, Vibe, Bonneville, Sunfire and Montana. Pontiac sold more than 475,000 vehicles in 2003, ranking third among GM divisions in total sales. For the 2005 model year, Pontiac dealers will introduce a new Vibe, Montana SV6 and G6 sports sedan.
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