|
|
|
|
NCAA News Release
|
NCAA and Pontiac Launch March Madness with Pontiac Game Changing Performance
|
For Immediate Release
Friday, March 16, 2007
|
Contact(s)
Gail Dent
Associate Director of Public
and Media Relations
317/917-6117
|
Pontiac Will Hit $1 Million Mark in General Scholarship Awards to NCAA Colleges and Universities (3/16/07) DETROIT—The tradition continues with Pontiac’s Game Changing Performance and the 2007 NCAA®
Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, one of the most successful
programs of its kind and still the only fan-voted scholarship award
program.
 The Pontiac Game Changing
Performance program invites fans to select the defining moment that
determines the outcome of the game and, perhaps, the season. Four
finalist schools will receive a $5,000 contribution to their general
scholarship fund, plus the chance to be voted the Pontiac Game Changing
Performance of the Tournament (ncaasports.com/pontiac).
The overall winning performance will earn one school a contribution of
$100,000 from Pontiac to that school’s general scholarship fund.
“Now in its third year, Pontiac Game Changing Performance continues to demonstrate Pontiac’s kinship with NCAA® athletics because both stand for performance. Furthermore, Supporting NCAA®
member institutions and helping their fans get closer to the game by
encouraging teams, schools and their supporters to align together is
why Pontiac is viewed as the leading sponsor of the NCAA®, " said Chris Hornberger, Pontiac Advertising Manager.
All you have to do is look to the winner of last year’s Pontiac Game
Changing Performance of the Tournament to see the impact the program
has on NCAA® colleges and universities.
“In well over a century of existence, no single event has brought such
attention and such unity to Northwestern State University,” said
university president Dr. Randy Webb. “For a school like ours, this
reaches so deeply. We’re so appreciative to Pontiac.”
After each round leading to the NCAA® Men’s Final Four®, CBS will
nominate four pivotal plays. Alumni, students and fans voting online at
ncaasports.com/pontiac
will determine which of those four represents the single outstanding
example of “Pontiac Game Changing Performance” for that round.
On March 28, CBS will announce the four Pontiac Game Changing
Performance finalists. And, once again, fans can vote online to
determine who will be the overall $100,000 winner. The winning school
of the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Tournament will be
announced on CBS during the Championship Game on Monday, April 2.
Pontiac is also excited to continue its' strong support of women
athletics with the Pontiac Game Changing Performance Award for the NCAA®
Division IWomen’s Basketball Championship. Similar to the Men's
program, ESPN will select the key play from each round leading to the
NCAA® Women’s Final Four®. During the Championship game on April 3,
2007, ESPN will select the Women's Game Changing Performance of the
tournament. The winning school from each round will receive a $5,000
general scholarship award from Pontiac.
In a new twist for 2007, each round one lucky individual who visits ncaasports.com/pontiac
will win a $5,000 scholarship for themselves or their family. In total,
Pontiac will be providing close to $200,000 worth of scholarships to
NCAA ® colleges and universities from both the men’s and women’s NCAA® tournaments and individual scholarships this season.
“The Pontiac Game Changing Performance program is a perfect example of
an initiative that continues to support higher education and the
athletic achievements of our NCAA student-athletes,” said Peter Davis,
director of NCAA corporate alliances. “We knew this could be a
program that would have long-term benefits for our colleges and
universities, and three years later we’re seeing the program’s growth,
positive response from the public and fans and ongoing support from our
membership.”
As the Official Performance Machines of the NCAA®, Pontiac continues to
lead the way in bringing fans closer to their favorite NCAA® sports
through its Pontiac Game Changing Performance program, and by giving
fans a major voice in determining which schools will earn a Pontiac
Game Changing Performance nomination and, the ultimate prize, a
$100,000 general scholarship contribution from Pontiac.
Full program details are available at ncaasports.com/pontiac.
Pontiac is a division of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) and
markets the G6 sedan, coupe and retractable hardtop convertible,
Solstice roadster, Torrent SUV, Grand Prix, and Vibe. New for the 2007
model year, Pontiac is introducing the turbocharged Solstice GXP
roadster and G5 sports coupe. Pontiac sold more than 410,000 vehicles
in 2006, ranking third among GM divisions in total sales. More
information on Pontiac and its products can be found on the division’s
website at www.pontiac.com and in Spanish at www.pontiac.com/espanol.
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 54,000
student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and
III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaasports.com
for more details about the Association, its goals and members and
corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.
The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official
Corporate Champions—AT&T, Coca-Cola and Pontiac—and the following
elite companies as official Corporate Partners—DiGiorno, Enterprise,
The Hartford, Lowe’s and State Farm.
-30-
|
|
