Marketplace Roundup

ESPN SOCCERNET reports England's Football Association (FA) is "on the hunt for a new backer after it confirmed energy giant E.ON will not be renewing its sponsorship deal with the FA Cup at the end of the 2009-10 season." E.ON's four-year deal was "understood to be worth" US$51.9M to the FA. E.ON said that "changes to its UK sponsorship strategy meant it was not pursuing a renewal of the FA Cup deal" (ESPNSOCCERNET.com, 9/2). The LONDON TIMES writes the collapse of Setanta appears to have been the "final straw" for E.ON (TIMES.co.uk, 9/2).

N.C. State Scraps Jersey Design After Negative Fan Feedback

PACKING IT IN: North Carolina State Univ. (NCSU) AD Lee Fowler yesterday said that the school "has scrapped a new design for its men's basketball jerseys ... after receiving negative feedback from fans." In Raleigh, Ken Tysiac reports NCSU last week "displayed its new jersey design on its Twitter page," and the response was "overwhelmingly negative." The new adidas jerseys were an attempt to "re-emphasize the 'STATE,'" but Fowler said that the team now "will abandon the new design and instead use jerseys similar to those from last season" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/2).

HORSING AROUND: The Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL reports the World Games 2010 Foundation is "pitching sponsorship packages costing" between $2,500-10,000 for the '10 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The foundation yesterday announced the Preferred Partner Packages that "will offer Web site exposure, official logo usage rights, co-branding opportunities, promotional rights and the opportunity to place an advertisement in the event program" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 9/2).

GIVING BACK: NASCAR SCENE reported Furniture Row Racing's No. 78 Sprint Cup entry driven by Regan Smith will "carry the colors of World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization," for the September 12 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond Int'l Raceway. Denver-based Furniture Row Cos. is donating the space on the car to World Vision (SCENEDAILY.com, 9/1).