The FedEx Orange Bowl has signed on to become a new major corporate partner for CoSIDA this year and will join with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Heisman Trophy in co-sponsoring the Tuesday evening July 4th picnic at this years Workshop in Nashville.
This was a joint announcement made by Joe Hornstein, the Orange Bowl Committees Director of Media Relations and a member of CoSIDA, and Ed Carpenter, CoSIDAs Director of Marketing.
With the new challenges the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) is bringing to this years Bowl season, now more than ever the sports information departments will be called upon to play a larger role in their teams bowl media schedule, said Hornstein, who had been an SID at the University of Miami prior to his taking over the media relations operation for the Orange Bowl in 2002.
We believe the CoSiDA National Convention will allow us the perfect forum to speak directly to the sports information offices, continued Hornstein. So much has changed in the way the post-season college football is managed and the bowls owe it to the conferences and schools to educate them on the new challenges awaiting all of us.
We are excited to have the FedEx Orange Bowl join CoSIDA as a major corporate partner, said Carpenter. This confirms the importance of the sports information office in the overall objective of the Orange Bowl and the BCS, as they join with long time CoSIDA partner the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. We look forward to the Orange Bowl being a major corporate partner with CoSIDA for many years to come.
Beginning this season, the largest wrinkle of the new BCS model will be the double-hosting of an additional National Championship game following the host bowls own game. This year, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl takes place on January 1, 2007, and a week later on January 8, the Fiesta Bowl organization will host the inaugural BCS National Championship Game.
In January 2009, it will be the FedEx Orange Bowls opportunity to host the two-game championship series, as the week-long college football festival; will also include the mega-historic 75th Anniversary Orange Bowl.
The new (BCS) two-game model brings a unique challenge to the host organization, said Hornstein. Sure the games are just over one week apart, but think about the media schedule which starts the second they step off the plane and last through the morning after the game. Our FedEx Orange Bowl media schedule can be as long as eight days in a championship year.
Now tack on the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game a week later and think about that media schedule and all the logistics involved in its staging, back-to-back continued Hornstein. Its a mighty challenge, professionally-speaking, to be working at a peak level for close to three straight weeks.
The current BCS rotation also features new network partner FOX televising the next four Orange Bowl games, as well as Fiesta and Sugar bowls, with the Rose remaining on ABC. But, its more then just broadcasting the game. The network partners are also there every step of the way, from that airport tarmac welcoming to the game day frenzy.
The bowls will be counted on to do their part in building an approved media schedule with the participating schools, furnishing the latest in technology trends such as wireless and high-speed telecommunications and representing everything that is great about the host community through first-rate hospitality.
In return, the teams SID is needed to successfully facilitate the same media schedule with their coaches and players, and especially, the football operations director, which at most schools, manages the teams bowl week schedule. Adherence to the pre-set schedule is a must and any deviation can carry a weighty negative effect on the bowl organization and community.
This year, the FedEx Orange Bowl kicks off just after eight oclock on the east coast and the game will conclude approaching midnight. Between FOX and the hundreds of media attending, post-game media operations must be managed with precision. It is vital to the bowl, that the SID is actively moving their coaches and players from Point A to Point B in a timely fashion.
Weve (bowls) done a great job advocating our stance, added Orange Bowl Committee CEO Eric L. Poms. Through the FBA (Football Bowl Association), FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) and CoSIDA weve been very effective in our outreach to the schools and conferences regarding BCS media policy. However, we still hear about the few schools or media who pushed the edge of the envelope. This is why we (bowls) have to do more in educating the expectations.