Remember the tears welling up in the eyes of that young Alabama couple caught on TV a year ago just before LSU kicked a game-winning field goal in Bryant-Denny Stadium?
In the event that ‘Bama supporters express similar emotion in Tiger Stadium this Saturday, LSU fans should hand over a “Tiger Towel” or two, perfect for dabbing tear-stained faces. There will be plenty to go around.
Capital One Bank is giving away 140,000 Tiger Towels manufactured for the game between fifth-ranked LSU and No. 1 Alabama. The majority will be handed out this week at Capital One branches throughout the state, but 60,000 will be placed on lower-tier stadium seats on game day, says Capital One spokesman Tom Long.
LSU signed Capital One as its bank sponsor in 2008. Long would not discuss the specifics of Capital One’s investment in Tiger Towels for two reasons: The bank is publicly traded and also would not want to divulge a contract with a supplier. LSU Sports Properties, the third-party company that serves as the marketing rights holder for the LSU Athletic Department, would not divulge the cost of Capital One’s sponsorship of LSU.
“Because the sponsorship agreement is not with the university, the contract is not public record,” says Ward Wyatt, general manager of LSU Sports Properties.
Herb Vincent, senior associate athletic director and associate vice chancellor for the Office of Communications and University Relations, says Capital One—as a high-level sponsor—gets a promotional activation at an LSU football game and is using the towel giveaway for its promotion.
Rannah Gray, who left LSU in 2002 as an associate athletic director in charge of marketing, speculates Capital One and other big sponsors spend about $50,000 or more on such one-time giveaways. But, Gray says, big sponsors also typically work into their contracts the ability to set up registration stations and other activities around the campus and stadium on game day. Long says the Tiger Towels will give Capital One exposure on national TV and make “a lot of happy Capital One fans in Louisiana.”
