PINE BLUFF, Ark., Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Bank
announced today ground-breaking support for female student-athletes
through a multi-university initiative whereby it will be the
presenting sponsor of women's athletics at Arkansas State University, Oklahoma State University, SMU, TCU, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Central Arkansas, University of Memphis, University of Missouri and Vanderbilt University.
At the heart of the sponsorship is a goal to expand beyond
traditional sponsorship elements to emphasize customized
programming and enhanced career opportunities for female
student-athletes. Simmons Bank is collaborating with each
university to create distinct programs ranging from financial
education curriculum and leadership training to mentoring,
internship programs and women-in-business development initiatives.
Believed to be the first-of-its-kind corporate sponsorship across
multiple schools and encompassing every team within each
university's women's athletic program, the initiative was created
through a relationship between Simmons Bank and LEARFIELD, the
universities' athletics multimedia rightsholder(1).
"The opportunity to partner with leading universities across our
footprint to provide financial support while also developing
programs to further enhance the qualities female student-athletes
gain through competition is an incredible honor for our
organization," said George A. Makris,
Jr., chairman and CEO of Simmons Bank.
"Sports teach intangible leadership skills that can't
necessarily be taught in the classroom while also building
characteristics that include a strong work ethic, the value of
teamwork and determination to see projects through completion -
traits that readily translate from the sports world to the
corporate world where we all play from the same tees," added
Makris. "We applaud the talent and sportsmanship of these young
women and believe our partnership with their universities will
position them for even greater success in the future."
Based on a global study of male and female C-Suite executives
conducted by EY and espnW between 2013 and 2016, there is an
undeniable correlation between athletic and business success.
Results from the study show:
- 94% of women executives have a background in sport and over
half participated at university levels
- 80% of women Fortune 500 executives had played competitive
sports
- 74% of all executives believed playing sports can help to
accelerate a woman's career
- 61% of the women executives who responded believed playing
sports contributed positively to their career success and
advancement
According to LEARFIELD CMO Jennifer Davis, the announcement
provides powerful college sports co-branding opportunities with
broad reach.
"This level of sponsorship, specific to women's athletics across
multiple schools, is a real game changer," said Davis. "There are
many sponsors that have stepped up to support particular women's
athletic teams, but Simmons Bank was very intentional to include
all women's sports at these ten universities as a way to send a
prevailing message about the impact and value of female
student-athletes. There is tremendous potential for brands to
partner with women's sports in distinct ways that uplift these
programs and we're delighted to partner with Simmons Bank and eight
of these schools to shine a big spotlight on the talent, dedication
and accomplishments of these student-athletes."
The multi-university signature program is an expansion of an
already robust sports sponsorship platform that Simmons Bank has
built over the past several years. Earlier this year the bank
announced that it was in negotiations to acquire the naming rights
to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in
Memphis whereby the stadium will
be renamed Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. In Nashville, Simmons Bank is the title sponsor
of the PGA TOUR's Korn Ferry Tour event – the Simmons Bank Open for
the Snedeker Foundation. The bank also boasts brand ambassador
relationships with professional golfers including 2021 Masters
sensation and PGA TOUR 2021 Rookie of the Year winner Will Zalatoris. In St.
Louis, Simmons Bank is a proud sponsor of the St. Louis
Blues, a member of the National Hockey League, as well as the
Official Bank of the Ascension Charity Classic, a new event on the
PGA Champions Tour. In Fort Worth,
the bank is the official banking partner and naming rights holder
for the Simmons Bank Plaza and
Simmons Bank Pavilion at Dickies Arena, as well as a major sponsor
of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. In Arkansas, the bank is the signature sponsor of
Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, and Simmons Bank Field and Simmons Bank Pavilion at
the University of Arkansas at Pine
Bluff. In October, the bank announced that it was in
negotiations to acquire the naming rights to the field at War
Memorial Stadium and, upon completion, the field be renamed
Simmons Bank Field. In partnership
with the Tennessee Golf Association and the Arkansas State Golf
Association, the bank is the presenting sponsor of the Simmons Bank
Cup, a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring amateur champions from
both states.
"People are passionate about sports and partnerships like this
give us an opportunity to connect with our customers on a more
personal level while supporting the communities we serve," said
Elizabeth Machen, executive vice
president of marketing and communications at Simmons Bank. "Sports
are also associated with values that perfectly align with the
Culture Cornerstones at Simmons Bank – better together, integrity,
passion, high performance and pursue growth. We believe a
sponsorship at this level allows Simmons Bank to make a real
difference for female student-athletes, with programming that
supports young women not only as rising athletes, but also as
future business professionals and community leaders."
The relationship with Simmons Bank was secured on behalf of each
university by its athletics' multimedia rightsholder and locally
based LEARFIELD team(1): Red Wolves Sports Properties,
Cowboy Sports Properties, Mustang Sports Properties, Horned Frogs
Sports Properties, Little Rock Trojan Sports Properties, Tiger
Sports Properties, Mizzou Sports Properties and Vanderbilt Sports
Properties.
____________________
(1) The University of
Arkansas Pine Bluff and the University
of Central Arkansas are not represented by LEARFIELD. The
relationship with Simmons Bank was secured by Simmons Bank and the
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff and
the University of Central Arkansas,
respectively.
About Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC), a
Mid-South based financial holding company. Simmons Bank operates
more than 200 branches in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Founded in 1903, Simmons Bank offers
comprehensive financial solutions delivered with a client-centric
approach. Simmons Bank was named
to Forbes magazine's list of "World's Best
Banks" for the second consecutive year and ranked among the
top 30 banks in Forbes' list of "America's
Best Banks" for 2021. Additional information about Simmons
Bank can be found on our website at simmonsbank.com, by
following @Simmons_Bank on Twitter or by visiting
our newsroom.
About LEARFIELD
LEARFIELD is a leading media and
technology services company in intercollegiate athletics. The
company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans
through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and
commerce solutions. LEARFIELD services includes licensing and
multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and
social media; data analytics; ticketing, ticket sales and
professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business
and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Since
2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed LEARFIELD
Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all
divisions.
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SOURCE Simmons Bank