BMO Harris Bank have announced they will be the title sponsor of the Phoenix Marathon.

The March 1, 2014 marathon is a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon, and is one of the reasons the full marathon is almost sold out five months before the race. Last year’s sold out race had registrants from 15 countries and 49 states.

“The Phoenix Marathon is building incredible momentum in a short amount of time and we want to make sure we can help further build on a great community event,” said Steve Johnson, BMO Harris Bank Arizona President. “The excitement we hear from the running community further underscores the importance of this premier event and the benefits it brings to so many.”

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association has agreed a new partnership with Blue Diamond Growers, the world’s largest almond processing and marketing company.

Blue Diamond has been named the official snack nut of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing. The USSA will integrate Blue Diamond Almonds into its dietary baseline of nutritional meals for athletes both at the USSA Center of Excellence training center and on the road at training camps, competitions and the U.S. Ski Team’s mobile kitchen in Europe.

John O’Shaughnessy, General Manager of Consumer Foods Division, Blue Diamond Growers, said: “Competitive snowboarders and skiers must sustain their energy for long, exhilarating days of training and competition. That’s why Blue Diamond Almonds is the Official Snack Nut of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. The USSA has sport programs for aspiring and competitive athletes who are driven to be the very best skiers and snowboarders in the world. With Blue Diamond Almonds, these athletes will always have a smart, sensible, delicious snack to maintain their energy levels as they work to achieve their personal best. This is a partnership to go ‘nuts’ over!”

Michael Jaquet, USSA Chief Marketing Officer, added: “Our partnership with Blue Diamond Almonds brings us not just an important sponsor in the Olympic season but also a company that wants to aggressively activate its partnership and will be able to impact our high performance athletic programs through its products. Its integration of our brands into national advertising will help increase the public awareness of our athletes. Blue Diamond is a highly respected company and we look forward to showcasing it in the USSA Center of Excellence kitchen and providing our athletes with a healthful product to help them become Best in the World.”

Global financial services firm BNP Paribas has announced a renewal in their contract with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in a new four year deal.

The new agreement will see BNP Paribas maintain its status as an Official Sponsor of the LTA, cheap and of the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club, ed London, in a partnership which began in 2008.

LTA Commercial Director, Lawrence Robertson, said: “We’ve enjoyed five wonderful years with BNP Paribas and we’re delighted to announce today that our partnership will extend for a further four years. BNP Paribas’ credentials in tennis globally are without comparison and it is testament to the quality of the events that we stage that they continue to see the LTA as an integral part of an impressive tennis portfolio.”

Ludovic de Montille, UK Chairman of BNP Paribas said: “We are delighted to extend our existing partnership with the LTA and British Tennis, which will help the development of tennis in the UK, whilst increasing our brand visibility. This is a very exciting period for British tennis and we are proud to be a significant global partner to the sport.”

The Las Vegas personal injury law firm of Benson, Bertoldo, Baker & Carter will be sponsoring Jesse “The Body Snatcher” Ronson in Saturday’s UFC fight against Michel Prazeres at the Air Toronto Center in Toronto, Canada. The fight will be broadcast live on PPV.

Ronson, 27, holds an 8-fight winning streak and an 13-2 record and is expected to be an impressive addition to the lightweight division. Saturday’s fight will be his UFC debut.

“We are excited to once again work with Robert Roveta and Denaro Sports Marketing and pleased to support Jesse in his UFC debut,” says Robert Cardenas, an attorney at the firm.

In addition to sponsoring Ronson, the firm of Benson, Bertoldo, Baker & Carter is also sponsoring Shawn Jordan, who will battle Gabriel Gonzaga at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on October 19, 2013.

Combat, discount a designer and manufacturer of baseball and softball bats, allergist announced today it will become the exclusive provider of bats for the NCAA Division I Washington State University (WSU) baseball program beginning with the upcoming 2014 season.

As part of this three-year partnership, viagra 100mg COMBAT will become the official supplier of certified baseball bats to the Cougars.

“Partnering with WSU is a major step for the COMBAT brand as we continue to forge ahead in NCAA Division I college baseball,” said Don Cooper, USA Director of Sales and Marketing for Combat. “We’re thrilled that the WSU players chose COMBAT to be the official bat supplier for their team. This is further evidence that our industry-leading sweetspot technology is recognized by elite players as a true performance enhancer at the plate.”

The Cougars, who play in the competitive Pacific-12 Conference (PAC-12), have made 16 appearances in the NCAA regional tournament and reached the College World Series four times. Under the leadership of Head Coach Donnie Marbut, the team has produced 23 Major League Baseball draft picks in the last five years.

“The addition of COMBAT as the official bat supplier for our program is very exciting. I believe they have a cutting edge bat line that will help our players exceed expectations at the plate this coming season,” said Marbut.

The Cougars will be swinging the newest additions to the COMBAT line of Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) certified bats – the PORTENT and WANTED AB. 

Marist College has selected ticketing company Vendini to provide their ticketing for all athletics sporting events, including football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball.

Vendini’s cloud-based platform will control ticketing and marketing from any desktop, at home or on campus. The Vendini Facebook Sales App, and social sharing buttons allow promotion and sharing of events across multiple channels, letting Marist sports fans control their ticketing experience.

“Marist has a large, loyal, and technically savvy patron base,” said Vendini CEO, Mark Tacchi. “We’re looking forward to getting Marist College on board and supplying them the latest technology to power their box office operations. From mobile phones to their box office operations, we’ll simplify the process and scale along with their programs.”

“We are very excited to partner with Vendini,” said Travis Tellitocci, Senior Associate AD/Internal Affairs. “Vendini’s solution utilizes cutting-edge technology to help improve our fans’ ticket purchasing experience. It is important that we provide a great game-day experience for our fans, and that begins with the ticket purchasing process.”

“Their success has clearly fostered a strong community of sports fans,” said CEO Mark Tacchi. “We’re excited to partner with Marist College on integrating our technology with their box office. We want to provide an easy solution for fans and box office staff. Marist gets our vision and we’re thrilled to help offer a simplified experience for their patrons.”

Marist College has joined Vendini’s growing list of University customers including the University of Toronto, the University of Colorado, and Santa Clara University. 

UK based triathlon racing team The Sketchers ActivInstinct Performance Team has announced triathlon cycling brand Airstreeem will sponsor the team for the remainder of the 2013 season and the 2014 season.

This is the first sponsorship undertaken by Airstreeem following its UK launch earlier in 2013.

Currently in its fifth season, here The Skechers ActivInstinct Performance Team, allergy has a high calibre of athletes including multiple world and World U23 medallists at Olympic and Xterra Triathlon disciplines, symptoms as well as winners and podium finishers at major UK triathlons such as the Windsor Triathlon, Virgin Active London Triathlon and UK based Ironman events.

According to Paul Hodge, Head of Airstreeem UK: “We have been overwhelmed by the UK’s response to the Airstreeem launch this year. We are already confident that the brand’s UK growth will mirror its success and growth elsewhere in Europe where in just a few short years it has become a major player in the premium cycle market.

“This sponsorship – our first in the UK – underlines our commitment to the brand and to Elite UK cycling and triathlon and we are delighted to have been able to hook up with such a young, vibrant and ambitious triathlon team such as The Skechers ActivInstinct Performance Team – who are a perfect brand fit for Airstreeem.”

Aistreeem’s in-house research and development team, based in Salzburg, Austria, will be providing the team with UCI Certified hand made frames and carbon wheelsets that are not only exceptionally light but also provide incomparable quality and stiffness.

Sketchers athlete David McNamee added: “The team and I are really looking forward to working with Airstreeem, the bikes and wheels have been meticulously designed to deliver the maximum performance possible and their team in the UK and internationally are so passionate about our sport and helping us succeed, it just fills you with extra confidence.”

Organic manufacturing company Earth Source Organics through their product Righteously Raw Chocolate will sponsor BMX champion Shealen Reno.

Originally from Dallas, diagnosis Texas, Shealen has numerous World and USA champion titles to her name. Currently, she is the USA National Champion for Junior Elite Women.

When Shealen isn’t out shredding national and international competitions, she works to promote racing among younger children, and especially girls, hosting clinics for those just starting out in the sport. “I want to raise awareness of BMX track,” she explains, “and how it is a great family sport for all ages.”

Shealen commented on the endorsement: “I reach out to kids with the hope of helping them to make healthier decisions about food and exercise early on. I love Righteously Raw Chocolates, and see these products as a part of my healthier living message. These chocolates are perfect to satisfy any craving, and lack the processed sugars and ingredients that generate so many health issues in today’s youth.”

Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Nerlens Noel has agreed an endorsement deal with Reebok. 

The confirmation comes hours after Noel, herbal best known for his dynamic shot-blocking skills and flat top haircut, ambulance was spotted at a photo shoot for the Reebok Q96 and Pumspective in Los Angeles.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, bronchi and the Canton, MA, based company has not issued an official statement. When reached on the phone earlier today, however, Noel confirmed that he has aligned himself with Reebok.

“I don’t think I’m just a prototypical big man,” Noel said when reached on the phone at the shoot. “I think I’ll be able to sell shoes.”

Noel, who was projected by many to be the top selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, but went No. 6 to the New Orleans Pelicans, before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jrue Holiday. A McDonald’s All-American in 2012, Noel averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.4 blocks and 2.1 steals per game in 24 games as a freshman at Kentucky, where he also picked up SEC Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-America honors.

He joins a Reebok Basketball team that includes Brooklyn Nets guard Jason Terry, Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas and Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson.

“Growing up, I liked a lot of old school shows like Fresh Prince and Martin,” Noel said. ”And what they (Reebok) really want to do is bring it back to retro—like, I have a flat top. So going retro, with not only the shoe but even off-court style.”