AdvoCare Int'l Signs Deal To Title Sponsor Independence Bowl

Texas-based health and wellness company AdvoCare Int'l and the Independence Bowl have "agreed to a title sponsorship for the 2009 game and a five-year option," according to Roy Lang III of the SHREVEPORT TIMES. AdvoCare becomes the "fifth title sponsor in the game's history." AdvoCare President & CEO Richard Wright said, "To my knowledge, we're the first direct-sales company that has sponsored a bowl game." He added, "We wanted to raise brand awareness for AdvoCare. We have a lot of close relationships in the athletic community. Outside of the athletes, we really are an unknown." Lang reports the agreement, terms of which were not disclosed, comes after "uncertainty surrounded the game for more than a year," as PetroSun "defaulted on payments not long after taking over as title sponsor in 2006." The game did not have a title sponsor last year. Wright has been on the bowl's Exec Committee the past two years, and he said, "Knowing the bowl's struggles, I always thought this would be a great fit. I'm thrilled it's been able to come to fruition." The AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, which will be played December 28 at 5:00pm ET, highlights one of the company's new products, V100, and the NCAA "has approved ingredients of the multivitamin" for use by players (SHREVEPORT TIMES, 5/21).