INDIANAPOLIS---CBS Sports has partnered with IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide, as exclusive sales representative to work in conjunction with the CBS Sports Properties Group in the licensing of NCAA Corporate Marketing Rights on the Champion and Partner levels, it was announced today by Sean McManus, President CBS News and Sports.

    The new partnership will build on CBS Sports’ long-standing licensing and marketing relationship with Collegiate Licensing Company and Host Communications, which were acquired in 2007 by IMG. In aggregating the assets  of CBS Sports and IMG College, the NCAA Corporate Marketing Program will benefit from increased promotional activation and branding for its current roster of Corporate Champions and Corporate Partners surrounding all 88 NCAA championships as well as expansion opportunities into key sponsorship categories.

    The current official Corporate Champions are AT&T, Coca-Cola and Pontiac, while the official Corporate Partners include DiGiorno, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The Hartford, Lowe's, Sheraton and State Farm.

    “The combination of CBS Sports and IMG College in an effort to maximize the marketing rights surrounding the NCAA should generate greater visibility and support for NCAA championships,” said Sean McManus, President CBS News and Sports.

    "IMG is excited to be working in conjunction with CBS to represent the marketing rights of the NCAA," stated George Pyne, president of IMG Sports and Entertainment.  “One of IMG’s primary objectives in the college market has been to reduce fragmentation, making it easier for companies to invest.”  CBS Sports and IMG both represent the marketing, licensing, publishing and web-related interests of a large number of institutions and conferences.

    Pyne added, “Under the direction of Pat Battle, IMG College quickly identified the NCAA as the premier national platform for marketers to access this powerful collegiate audience. CBS has done an incredible job working with the NCAA to build the NCAA Men’s Final Four^® into one of the world's finest sporting events, and we look forward to playing a role in further elevating the powerful NCAA brand going forward."

    In 1999, CBS Sports and the NCAA reached a landmark agreement granting CBS exclusive broadcast rights to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and other selected championship events beginning with the 2002-03 season. The most comprehensive sports agreement in history provides CBS with all television rights, including over-the-air broadcasting, cable television, satellite, digital, Internet, radio broadcasts and home video. In addition, the agreement gave CBS rights to marketing and corporate sponsorship, merchandising, licensing, and publishing and printing for all 88 NCAA championships.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletics 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, Sheraton and State Farm.

NCAA and Final Four are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

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 is a division of IMG, the world’s premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company.  IMG is a diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports & Entertainment, and IMG Media.  IMG employs more than 3,000 people in 30 countries.  For more information visit www.imgworld.com.