Syracuse, NY (September 16, 2004) - Citizens Bank's operations in New York ("Citizens"), and Syracuse Athletics, in conjunction with the university's multimedia rightsholder ISP Sports, have reached a multi-year agreement that will make the financial institution one of the leading corporate sponsors of the Orange Athletic program. Citizens, which recently completed its acquisition of Charter One Financial, Inc., said that the sponsorship program is just the first of many such investments the company will make in upstate New York.
"Citizens is a growth company that invests and is a leader in the communities we serve," said Richard M. Kulbieda, Chairman, President, and CEO for Citizens' New York operations. "For us, sponsorships like this are about much more than advertising. We look for multi-dimensional relationships with organizations like Syracuse University and ISP, which share our values and are exemplary citizens of this region and of New York State. We are very pleased to work with SU, not just in the Carrier Dome, but also in the community through programs such as 'Cuse Cares."
"Syracuse Athletics welcomes Citizens to New York State and to the family of sponsors whose support helps us bring the excitement of NCAA Division One championship sports to the region," said Syracuse University Associate Athletic Director Michael Veley. "We know our programs are a constructive, uniting force in upstate New York and we especially share Citizens' commitment to 'giving back' to the community that supports our teams so enthusiastically. It's a real pleasure to say, 'We're Orange Together.'"
Citizens, currently doing business in New York under the Charter One Bank name, will have substantial visibility at SU events in the Carrier Dome through a variety of media, including videoboard features and scoreboard signs. The agreement also extends to print sponsorships in SU game publications and the official newspaper of Orange Athletics (Orange Exclusive) as well as a prominent advertisement on the athletic department Web site www.suathletics.com, and support of the athletic program's highly successful student-athlete outreach program, 'Cuse Cares.
"This extensive and multi-faceted sponsorship represents a beneficial partnership for both SU Athletics and Citizens," said Scott Malaga, general manager of ISP Sports' Syracuse office. "We look forward to working with the university and our friends at Citizens in building a lasting relationship for years to come."
"We are enjoying our work with Syracuse/ISP Sports, and we intend to have fun with this sponsorship, and I think our customers and Orange fans will enjoy some of the special features we're introducing," said Kulbieda. "To celebrate the home opener this week, we've decorated our Syracuse area branches with Orange streamers, and pennants, and we're passing out "Go Orange!" buttons and football schedules. It's great to be part of this program and part of this community."
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is a $131 billion commercial bank holding company after the Charter One Financial acquisition, which occurred on August 31, 2004. Headquartered in Providence, R.I., Citizens has more than 1,550 offices, approximately 2,700 ATMs and approximately 24,000 employees in 13 states. It operates in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Citizens is the 12th largest commercial banking company in the United States in asset size and ninth when ranked by deposits. Citizens is owned by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc.
After its August 31, 2004 acquisition by Citizens Financial Group, Inc., Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $49 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. It has more than 680 offices and 1,020 ATMs. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $131 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,550 offices, approximately 2,700 ATMs and approximately 24,000 employees in 13 states. The Charter One Web site is www.charterone.com.
Founded in 1992 in Winston-Salem, N.C., ISP SPORTS has emerged as a national leader in the intercollegiate athletics marketplace. The ISP family of leading NCAA members includes nearly every state in the Southeast, while extending into the Midwest and Northeast corridors as well. Sports fans from upstate New York to Florida to Texas to Ohio can tune in the ISP Radio Network, while television viewers all across America watch ISP programming every week.
As the multimedia rightsholder for 18 major collegiate athletic programs, ISP serves as an active partner with some of America's outstanding universities - Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Houston, Marshall, Miami (FL), Ohio, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, Tulane, the University of Central Florida, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.