012 Fidelity Advertorial_NFF Layout 9/14/11 10:12 AM Page 1
Fidelity Investments and NFF Announce New Sponsorship Fidelity to Serve as First Official Sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards
T
he National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame and Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education, recently announced an expanded initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a commitment to higher education. As part of the agreement, Fidelity will serve as the first presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards in the 53-year history of the prestigious program, which honors outstanding student-athletes with scholarships to continue their post-graduate education. The firm will also sponsor the NFF Scholar-Athlete Reception and additional activities associated with the NFF Annual Awards Dinner honoring the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class in New York City in early December. To promote the achievements of the recipients, Fidelity will work with ESPN to produce a series of short television segments about the 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, which annually recognizes the top 15 individuals in the country for their academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. The segments will also include a special feature on the recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy winner, who is recognized by the NFF as the top football scholar-athlete in the nation. All of the segments will air on ESPN’s College Football Live on Thursdays from September through early December. “Fidelity has a long-standing commitment to supporting higher education institutions across the country,” said John Ragnoni, executive vice president, Fidelity Tax-Exempt Retirement Services. “This new partnership with the National Football Foundation gives us the opportunity not only to recognize athletic accomplishments, but also to support and showcase students who are excelling in the classroom, on the field and in their communities.” Fidelity will also continue to support the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program. The salutes are a series of on-field plaque presentations at universities and colleges across the United States that honor the annual College Football Hall of Fame inductees at their respective alma maters. “Millions of Americans and higher education employees look to Fidelity to help them save for retirement, and their commitment to excellence makes Fidelity the perfect corporate partner for our programs that highlight the best of the best,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We know that Fidelity’s participation will significantly raise the visibility of our efforts while strengthening our key relationships at colleges and universities from coast-to-coast.” The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, launched in 1959, were the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes post-graduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Fidelity becomes the first official sponsor of the program, which has awarded more than $9.5 million to 740 individuals since its inception. The program currently provides $300,000 each year in post-graduate scholarships to 15 of the nation’s top scholar-athletes from all levels of collegiate play. Fidelity’s sponsorship of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards will provide the program unprecedented visibility through a series of innovative marketing initiatives. Notable past NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients include former NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); record-setting NFL quarterback Peyton Manning (Tennessee); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Tim Tebow (Florida). Fidelity Investments is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with assets under administration of more than $3.6 trillion, including managed assets of more than $1.6 trillion, as of July 31, 2011. Founded in 1946, the firm is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and many other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com. (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917. © 2011 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.)
2011 October Issue
12
ABOVE: Peyton Manning, a 1997 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from Tennessee. LEFT: Derrick Brooks, a 1994 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from Florida State. BELOW: Mark Harmon, a 1973 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from UCLA.
www.footballfoundation.org