Official corporate partnership amplifies firm's nationwide message to help student athletes and baby boomers secure their financial future and prepare to live

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), one of the nation's largest financial services and insurance companies, the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), and CBS Sports announced today that they have extended their partnership for five years.  As an Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, The Hartford will engage in a wide range of joint marketing and program initiatives, including support of student-athletes through its Playbook for Life program, which helps educate them on the importance of personal finance matters.  The company’s relationship with the NCAA and CBS Sports began nearly three years ago in 2004.

“The partnership with the NCAA and CBS Sports and the excitement of intercollegiate competition has significantly increased our brand visibility as a leading financial services provider in the eyes of brokers, agents, and our target baby boomer customers,” said Ann B. Glover, The Hartford’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “We are thrilled to extend this partnership for an additional five years.  We want the 78 million baby boomers nearing retirement to know that The Hartford is focused on providing them with investment products and solutions that help them secure their financial future.”

As part of the agreement, The Hartford will continue its NCAA partnership activities with a full schedule of television advertising to capitalize on the excitement of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship® on CBS Sports.  Throughout NCAA March Madness®, The Hartford’s TV spots will be prominent on CBS during every round, including the Men’s Final Four® and the championship game.  Through the deal announced today, The Hartford will have advertising, marketing, promotional and licensing rights at a total of 88 NCAA national championships in 23 sports, including women’s basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and golf.

“The NCAA is extremely pleased that The Hartford is extending its agreement as an NCAA Corporate Partner for five additional years,” said Greg Shaheen, senior vice president for basketball and business strategies. “The Hartford created an outstanding national program, Playbook for Life, which has educated thousands of NCAA student-athletes on the benefits of sound financial planning, and provided steps they can implement, not only while they are in college, but more importantly, once they graduate. The Hartford places importance on academics, which ties directly to the NCAA mission. The Association and our marketing rights/broadcast partner, CBS Sports, look forward to experiencing additional success with The Hartford in the years to come.”

“We are proud to extend our NCAA marketing partnership with The Hartford through 2011,” said Chris Simko, Senior Vice President, CBS Sports Sales and Marketing. “The Hartford has been an exemplary partner over the past three years as they have been able to educate thousands of student-athletes on the importance of financial literacy in preparation for life after college. We hold up the Playbook for Lifeprogram as a model to illustrate the positive impact that an NCAA Corporate marketing partnership can have on young people all across the country. We are sure that through the combined assets of the NCAA, The Hartford and CBS Sports, Playbook for Life, as well as other joint initiatives, will continue to thrive over the next five years.”

The Hartford’s relationship with the NCAA and CBS Sports is far more than a traditional sports sponsorship. The three organizations share the values of education, teamwork and excellence. Working closely with the NCAA, The Hartford developed the award-winning Playbook for Life financial literacy program, which provides student-athletes and young adults with straightforward, unbiased information and education on how to manage their personal finances while in college and beyond as they prepare to enter the real world.

“Helping student-athletes and young adults make smart financial decisions is a very rewarding effort,” said Glover. “Corporate partners who develop and promote programs, such as Playbook for Life, exemplify the mission of the NCAA and truly enhance the educational experience of student-athletes.”

Through the Playbook program, The Hartford supports the NCAA's educational focus and, in doing so, has created a valuable resource that will benefit more than 380,000 student-athletes while in school and after they graduate.

More than 75,000 copies of the Playbook have been distributed to date, with requests coming in from students, parents, coaches and teachers from across the country.  In addition to bringing the Playbook's teachings to student-athletes at a dozen NCAA schools, The Hartford makes the program available to all who can benefit from it with a Web-based version of the campus event presentation and online tools and resources, which are available at the program's Web site (www.playbook.thehartford.com).

The Hartford is also a major sponsor of Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) which supports cancer research, education, and advocacy.  Coaches vs. Cancer taps the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of college basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness, promote healthy living, raise money, and promote advocacy programs.  Coaches vs. Cancer has raised more than $29 million since its inception in 1993.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 380,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities.  Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports.  For more information, go to www.ncaa.org.

About The Hartford

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services and insurance companies, with 2005 revenues of $27.1 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.