US college sports organisation the Big Ten Conference has signed financial services company SoFi as the presenting sponsor of its men’s basketball tournament.
The multi-year deal will see SoFi serve as the on-site sponsor of the event, and the company will also present on-air coverage of all tournament games televised on the Big Ten Network.
The 2018 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament presented by SoFi begins on February 28 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. SoFi will also sponsor future Big Ten basketball tournaments in Chicago and Indianapolis.
SoFi will benefit from courtside signage during games, logo placement throughout the venue and concourse activation. The company will also be incorporated into portions of BTN’s basketball tournament advertising in New York City.
“This type of partnership delivers multiple points of access and puts SoFi in a position to connect with both Big Ten fans and alumni through a comprehensive approach,” Jim Reeder, vice-president of sales at Big Ten Network, said.
“In addition to utilising BTN’s linear and digital platforms, SoFi will now be on-site at a championship event with the added ability to promote their brand on campus. In the current media environment, that type of scalable solution can make all of the difference.”
SoFi became an official corporate partner of the Big Ten last year.