Since 1974 State Farm has been the title sponsor for the historic meeting Bayou Classic in New Orleans, LA every year. The “Classic”, showplace for HBCU rivals Grambling State and Southern University, will be played in the newly renovated Louisiana Superdome for the November 24, 2012 game.
But effective in 2013, the partnership between State Farm and the Bayou Classic will be ending according to State Farm officials.
“State Farm is continually evaluating all of its sponsorships and marketing strategies and periodically making adjustments,” says David Beigie, State Farm’s Vice President of Public Affairs. Beigie also said the company is looking to have a “more of an on-the-ground presence and engage more directly with” its customers or potential customers.
For the 2012 Classic, State Farm will be the presenting sponsor for the Bayou Classic Thanksgiving Day parade, run advertisements during the game, provide scholarships and support other activities. But after that, the nearly 20-year partnership is over.
Even with the ending of this partnership, there seems to be no worry for the future of the Bayou Classic tradition.
“It will not change the game or the experience, ” says Jeffrey Ory with the New Orleans Convention Company which manages the Bayou Classic. ” With the addition of all the new events– like the Bayou Classic Parade and the HBCU Institute, more sponsors and more companies are coming to us wanting to be a part of it.”
About the Classic: Historic Rivalry – 39th annual meeting of HBCU rivals Grambling State University and Southern University: The Bayou Classic is a football game and so much more! The Bayou Classic commemorates historically black colleges and universities, academic achievement, tradition, sportsmanship, marching bands, and friendly competition. The “Classic” is an exhibition of the high standards of academic achievement deeply embedded in the traditions of the two institutions. Bayou Classic Link
