| February 25, 2010 |
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Virginia 529 College Savings Plan Becomes Title Sponsor of CAA Basketball Championships |
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Contact: Little Falls, NJ - Nelligan Sports Marketing, Inc. (NSM) announced today the signing of the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan (Virginia 529) to a three-year sponsorship agreement with the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), which includes the title sponsorship of the league's Men's and Women's Basketball Championship Tournaments. As the title sponsor, Virginia 529 will receive a dominating presence at both basketball championships as well as benefits with the league at member institutions throughout the year. "We at the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan are pleased to announce our new relationship with the Colonial Athletic Association," said Mary Morris, CEO of the Plan. "Becoming the title sponsor of the CAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships fits in well with our goal to increase awareness of the four college savings programs we offer Virginians and families across the country to make a college education more accessible and affordable. The CAA partnership presents us with the ability to reinforce our message that we are among the best 529 plans in the country, as ranked by mutual fund analyst Morningstar." "We are excited to have the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan join our family of sponsors," added Tom Yeager, CAA Commissioner. "We especially appreciate their commitment to be the title sponsor of our Men's and Women's Basketball Championship. Our league produces excitement on the court, as well as successful results in the classroom. Virginia 529's goal to provide as many opportunities as possible for residents to access a college education is a great message to be promoting at our sporting events." Michael Palisi, Executive Vice President, Nelligan Sports Marketing, stated, "The CAA relationship is an ideal marketing vehicle for the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan. Given the concentration of CAA member institutions, fans and alumni throughout the league that live in the Commonwealth, Virginia 529 will receive outstanding exposure with all college sports fans in this region throughout the year. At the same time, they will gain a marquee association with one of the region's largest sporting events. Virginia 529 will have access to all CAA marketing assets to connect with families and reinforce awareness for its programs and services." The Virginia 529 College Savings Plan is the largest 529 plan in the country, with more than 2 million accounts and assets under management, exceeding $27.8 billion - about a quarter of the industry's total funds - as of January 31, 2010. Virginia 529 offers four college savings programs: the Virginia Prepaid Education ProgramSM, the Virginia Education Savings TrustSM, CollegeAmerica® in partnership with the American Funds, and CollegeWealth®, providing FDIC-insured bank accounts with participating financial institutions. For more information about the Virginia College Savings Plan, please visit Virginia529.com. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the Colonial Athletic Association is regarded as one of the nation's top collegiate athletic conferences. The CAA encompasses five of the nation's nine largest metropolitan areas, with a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Atlanta. The conference currently sponsors 23 sports and has produced 16 national team champions, 33 individual national champions, 12 national Players of the Year and 12 national Coaches of the Year. Member institutions include the University of Delaware, Drexel University, George Mason University, Georgia State University, Hofstra University, James Madison University, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Northeastern University, Old Dominion University, Towson University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the College of William & Mary. Nelligan Sports Marketing, Inc. provides sales and marketing expertise for sports properties worldwide. NSM is dedicated to building long-term relationships with clients through exceptional management of the properties represented and by maximizing revenue growth through its corporate relationships. NSM's high-level sales executives have a proven track record of exceptional revenue growth and management of the sports properties represented. In addition to the Colonial Athletic Association, NSM represents some of the elite college properties in the country, including the Horizon League, the Pac-10 Conference, the Patriot League, Brown University, the University of California Santa Barbara, Colorado State University, Eastern Michigan University, Fairfield University, Florida Atlantic University, Indiana State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, the University of Louisville, Marquette University, Middle Tennessee State University, Monmouth University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Providence College, Rutgers University, West Virginia University, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Champs Sports Bowl, the Capital One Bowl, the Orlando Citrus Parade, and the Penn Relays. For more information about Nelligan Sports Marketing, please visit www.nelligansports.com. Overlook At Great Notch • 150 Clove Road • Little Falls, NJ 07424 • Phone 973.812.5900 • Fax 973.812.8111 |