Gaylord Hotels, Title Sponsor Since '02, Will Still Serve As Major Sponsor Through '10

Tennessee-based Franklin American Mortgage has agreed in principle to a four-year deal to serve as the title sponsor of the Music City Bowl beginning with the '10 game, according to Mike Organ of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. Music City Bowl Exec Dir Scott Ramsey "confirmed that a contract between Franklin American Mortgage and the Music City Bowl is being drafted." Ramsey added that Gaylord Hotels, which had held the title sponsorship since '02 "will continue to serve as a major sponsor for the bowl through 2010 and possibly beyond." The company will maintain the title sponsorship for the '09 bowl. Gaylord Hotels initially paid $1.6M over a "span of three years for the naming rights, but that amount increased during the past five years." It "wasn't immediately clear why Gaylord chose not to renew the deal, but the firm reported a sharp drop in net earnings, which fell" to $4.4M from $111.9M in '07 "amid weaker corporate travel and other problems linked" to the economy. Organ notes Franklin American Mortgage was title sponsor for the LPGA event held in Franklin, Tennessee, from '04-06. Meanwhile, Ramsey said that the bowl "would enter into negotiations before the summer ends" with the SEC and ACC conferences in an "effort to extend the tie-ins with both through 2013." A date for this year's game "has not been set" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 3/27).

Print | Tags: Colleges