ABC Sports VP/Media Relations Mark Mandel confirmed
that the FL Citrus Bowl is "searching" for a new title
sponsor after OurHouse.com "backed out" due to "financial
reasons," according to Huguenin & Schmadtke of the ORLANDO
SENTINEL. ABC handles the "sponsorship program" for the
bowl game. Mandel: "We're negotiating with a number of
different companies. It's quite possible we could have a
sponsor [by the game on January 1]" (ORLANDO SENTINEL,
11/23). Mandel, who acknowledged that "it's not a great
marketplace" for sponsors, said, "If there is another
sponsor out there, we'll find it." ABC is "exploring"
having OurHouse.com "remain on board" as a "presenting"
sponsor. The AP reported that OurHouse.com dropping the
deal could lead to a "possible loss" of $2.5M to the game.
But Chuck Rohe, Exec Dir of FL Citrus Sports, the state
organization that runs the game, said, "It's not going to
affect our payouts." OurHouse.com CMO Gary Briggs
questioned whether the TV-based sponsorship was the right ad
medium for the company. Also "important to OurHouse.com's
decision was its discovery that women make up the majority
of its customers" (AP, 11/26).
NEW SPONSOR IN TX: In Dallas, Richard Alm reported that
Circa 2000 by Mike Zack, a TX men's clothing outlet, signed
on as a corporate sponsor for the Southwestern Bell Cotton
Bowl Classic (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/25).
