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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2014
FOSTER FARMS TO SPONSOR SAN FRANCISCO BOWL
GAME AT LEVI’S® STADIUM Game To Be Known As “Foster Farms Bowl”
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Bowl Game Association, organizers of the 13-‐year old college football bowl game to be played for the first time at Levi’s® Stadium this December, announced today that Foster Farms will be the game’s new title sponsor. The game will henceforth be known as the Foster Farms Bowl. The 2014 Foster Farms Bowl will kickoff on Tuesday, December 30 at 7:00 p.m. (PST) and feature teams from two of America’s premier conferences, the Pac-‐12 and Big Ten. The game will be carried nationally in prime time by ESPN. “We’re very proud and excited to partner with Foster Farms as the new title sponsor of our bowl game,” said Gary Cavalli, the game’s co-‐founder and executive director. “Foster Farms is a highly-‐respected, 75-‐year old, Northern California-‐based company. They are the perfect naming rights partner for us as we move into a new era at Levi’s® Stadium with an iconic matchup of Pac-‐12 vs. Big Ten. We look forward to working together with Foster Farms to continue to grow the game.” Foster Farms has been a family-‐owned-‐and-‐operated company for four generations. Since its founding in 1939, Foster Farms has been committed to providing consumers with the highest-‐quality, best-‐tasting poultry products available. “Nothing brings people together like chicken and football,” said Bryan Reese, Foster Farms senior vice president of marketing, sales and R&D. “As a longtime Northern California company with roots that date back more than 75 years, Foster Farms is thrilled to sponsor the first college bowl game to be hosted at the state-‐of-‐the-‐art Levi’s® Stadium.
“To commemorate our landmark anniversary and the inaugural Foster Farms Bowl, we will be debuting a new company logo that will be displayed on the field, on uniforms and on game merchandise. We look forward to sharing this experience with fans at home and in the stadium alike and we’re eager to see Foster Farms’ new logo on the gridiron on game day.” The multiyear agreement with Foster Farms was facilitated by the corporate partnership team at the Forty Niners Stadium Management Company and the Bowl. The SFBGA agreed in November of 2012 to move the game to Levi’s® Stadium, which was under construction at the time. As part of that agreement, the Bowl and the 49ers worked in conjunction in the search for a new title sponsor. “The relationship with the San Francisco Bowl Game Association has really developed into something special in a short amount of time and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Foster Farms as the game’s title sponsor,” said 49ers COO Al Guido. “As the first third-‐party event secured for Levi’s® Stadium, this game will always hold a significant place in the history of this stadium and we look forward to getting the series started in its new home on December 30th.” Since its inception in 2002, the Bowl game has become an annual fixture on the Bay Area’s sporting landscape. The contest was co-‐founded by Cavalli, the only Executive Director in the game’s 13-‐year history; along with then San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau President John Marks; and Pat Gallagher, longtime San Francisco Giants executive who is now Executive Vice President, SF Super Bowl 50 Host Committee. Super Bowl 50 will be played at Levi’s® Stadium in February 2016. The previous 12 games were all played at AT&T Park, home of the three-‐time World Series champion Giants. Previous matchups have brought many of college football’s stellar programs to the area. Five teams that have won national championships have played in the game—USC, Florida State, Miami [FL], Washington and BYU. Other high-‐profile institutions to have participated include UCLA, Cal, Arizona State, Navy, Virginia Tech and Boston College, among others. The Bowl and the Pac-‐12 initially aligned in 2006, when UCLA played Florida State in the first-‐ever pairing of two storied programs. The Pac-‐12 has been represented in every subsequent year save for 2010. Illinois (2011) is the only Big Ten team to have participated in the Bowl to date. The new Pac-‐12 vs. Big Ten matchup will extend through 2019. The game was originally known as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl [2002-‐2003], the Emerald Bowl [2004=2009], the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl [2010-‐2012] and the Fight Hunger Bowl [2013].
“Even though the game will no longer be called the ‘Fight Hunger Bowl’ we will continue our initiatives to fight hunger in the Bay Area,” Cavalli said. “Every ticket sold to the game is a ‘meal ticket’ for a hungry family in the Bay Area, generating donations to our partner organizations – Glide, St. Anthony’s, SF-‐Marin Food Bank, Alameda County Community Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank.” Individual tickets, suites and hospitality packages to the Foster Farms Bowl are currently available by calling 415.GO-‐49ERS or visiting www.Levi’sStadium.com or www.TicketMaster.com About San Francisco Bowl Game Association The not-‐for-‐profit association has been the driving force behind the Bowl game since its inception in 2002. In that time, the game has generated more than $140 million in economic impact for the City & County of San Francisco. Several of college football’s most storied programs have already participated in the contest. They include onetime national champions USC, Miami [FL], Florida State, Washington & BYU, plus UCLA, California, Boston College, Arizona State, Oregon State & Utah.
About Foster Farms Since 1939, West Coast families have depended on Foster Farms for premium quality chicken products. Family-‐owned and operated, the company continues its legacy of excellence and commitment to quality established by its founders, Max and Verda Foster. Foster Farms specializes in fresh, all-‐natural chicken products free of preservatives, additives or injected sodium enhancers. Based in California's Central Valley, with ranches also in the Pacific Northwest, the company's fresh chicken is produced in or near each region served and delivered fresh within 48 hours. Foster Farms also produces delicious pre-‐marinated, ready-‐to-‐cook and fully cooked products that meet the quality and convenience needs of today's home cooks, retailers, warehouse clubs and foodservice customers. Food safety is Foster Farms' highest priority and the company would like to remind consumers to always follow safe handling, preparation and storage guidelines for the preparation of fresh poultry products. All fresh poultry products should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (boneless and ground) and 180 degrees F (bone-‐in) as measured by a meat thermometer. Visit www.fosterfarms.com to learn more.
The private, family-‐owned company is the No. 1 fresh and frozen poultry producer in the Western United States.
About Levi’s® Stadium Levi’s® Stadium is the new home of the San Francisco 49ers and serves as one of the world’s best outdoor sports and entertainment venues. Designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, the $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 170 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats. It is a multi-‐purpose facility with the flexibility to host a wide range of events, including domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and is expandable for major events such as the Super Bowl. Levi's® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi's® Stadium to ensure that the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to www.LevisStadium.com. CONTACTS: Doug Kelly Director of Communications Foster Farms Bowl 916.202.0552 [mobile/office] [email protected] [email protected] Lorna Bush/Karmina Zafiro Roger Hacker FinemanPR Senior Manager/Corporate Communications 415.392.1000 Levi’s® Stadium/San Francisco 49ers [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]