March 21, 2017
Guardian Credit Union will join as the title sponsor of the FCS Kickoff – a college football season-opening game in Montgomery, Ala. The previously announced matchup for 2017 will feature two of the current top-ranked FCS teams in the nation, Jacksonville State University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff is set for Saturday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. CT, on ESPN.
“As the local credit union, Guardian is proud to support the community by working with the City of Montgomery to host the FCS Kickoff,” said Guardian Credit Union CEO Heath Harrell. “This game will bring great value to our City and we look forward to being a part of another growing tradition in Montgomery.”
“We are thrilled to expand our Events business in the City of Montgomery with the addition of the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff,” said Pete Derzis, Senior Vice President, ESPN Events. “The enthusiasm and support from both Guardian Credit Union and the City makes this an exciting opportunity for the student-athletes, universities, conferences and the community. ESPN is proud to collaborate in establishing this event in what we hope will be a staple in kicking off the college football season.”
The FCS Kickoff has provided a national showcase for top FCS schools since its launch in 2014. ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, has assumed ownership of the game and will host it at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl for the next two years in partnership with Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks’ opponent for 2018 will be announced at a later date.
ESPN Events ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 13 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program. Collegiate Football AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); Texas Bowl (Houston); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth) Collegiate Basketball AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona(Uncasville, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 (Portland, Ore.); State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago, Ill.); Tire Pros Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan, P.R.) and Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.) For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages. ESPN Media Contact: Rachel Margolis Siegal at 860-766-2798 or [email protected]
