Starter named as title sponsor of inaugural HBCUX Football Classic

Fri, Sep 12th 2014, 12:17 PM

The Starter Clothing Line has agreed to come on board as the title sponsor of the first ever historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) classic that will be held on Saturday, September 13, at the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
Starter was founded in 1971 in New Haven, Connecticut by David Beckerman, a University of New Haven alumnus, to manufacture team uniforms for high school athletic programs.
It was the first apparel brand to co-brand with professional, collegiate and Olympic sports, and by 1983, the company had entered licensing agreements with the NBA, NFL, NHL and the Canadian Football League (CFL).
"A friend of mine, Carl banks, who is a former NFL player for the New York Giants and Washington Redskins recently bought the company, and they will be the title sponsor of the event," said CEO of HBCUX Network, Curtis Symonds.
"In the United States, Starter was one of the big jacket companies in the 90s. They did a lot of pro jackets and now what they're doing is really focusing on reaching the HBCU audience. So to have them as the title sponsor is really going to be an uplift for us."
Ticket prices for the game that will feature the Central State University (CSU) Marauders against the Texas Southern University (TSU) Tigers have also dropped, just days before the historic event.
The tickets for the game have now been reduced to $10, $20 and $50. General admission is $10, $20 for VIP and platinum tickets will go for $50.
"We want people to know that this is their chance to see an official National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) game. This is something you don't want to miss and so get your tickets at these incredible prices," said Sports Tourism General Manager Virginia Kelly.
The inaugural game begins at 5 p.m. and will serve as the official home opener for both teams, and will count toward their win/loss records.
Aside from the game itself, there are several activities planned over the course of the weekend including a battle of the bands competition, starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday. The Invincible Marching Marauders band will represent Central State, while the Ocean of Soul marching band will represent Texas Southern.
This is the first year of a three-year contract between the HBCUs and the Ministry of Tourism. Each year of the contract, two HBCUs schools will square off against each other in a college football game here in The Bahamas.

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