The Collegiate Licensing Company and Atlanta Tipoff Club Join Forces to Select Naismith Student Section of the Year Award
Nominations Sought for Inaugural Award that Celebrates Love for College Hoops
ATLANTA, Ga., (November 15, 2011) – As the college basketball season gets underway, The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), a division of IMG College, and the Atlanta Tipoff Club, administrators of the Naismith Awards, today announced they are teaming up to select the inaugural Naismith Student Section of the Year Award.
Open to all Division I basketball schools, the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award is dedicated to celebrating fans that love college hoops and provide support to their college basketball team with devotion and passion.
“This new award is a natural partnership for our organization, because we know how passionate college basketball fans are in support of their team,” said Eric Oberman, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club “College student sections are unrivaled in their spirit, and we are proud to help create an award that shines a light on their contribution to the game.”
Institutions that participate in Division I college basketball are encouraged to nominate their student sections for consideration for the award by December 14. The winner, which will be announced in March 2012, will be determined by a combination of public vote through Facebook and a scoring of finalists by the Naismith Awards Board of Selectors. Details on the selection process can be found at facebook.com/ilovecollegehoops.
“While there are 173 million college sports fans, the love for college hoops is best exemplified by the student section,” added Tim Hawks, Senior Director of Brand Marketing for CLC. “These students don’t practice with the team or study game film, but they do bring the emotion, energy, and spirit that defines the home court advantage, and we want to celebrate that.”
The winning student section gets bragging rights, while the winning institution will receive $5,000 for its athletic association.