Nissan is now an Official Partner of the NCAA – including an Official Corporate Partner of NCAA Men’s Basketball and the Final Four. The automaker is already a staple of college football with its Heisman Trophy partnership,

The NCAA partnership began September 1 – the first day of the NCAA’s academic calendar.

“Through our Heisman Trophy sponsorship, Nissan has been synonymous with college football for well over a decade, and now, we are leveraging that momentum to expand our commitment with another icon of college sports,” said Allyson Witherspoon, Vice president, Marketing Communications and Media, Nissan North America, Inc. “There are few things in athletics more exciting than NCAA March Madness, and we can’t wait to bring our exciting portfolio of vehicles and innovative technology to the hardwood this basketball season.”

As an Official Corporate Partner of NCAA Men’s Basketball, Nissan will have a robust presence on linear television and streaming in the form of commercial inventory, in-game features and vignettes throughout the season. CBS Sports and Turner Sports jointly manage and collaborate on the NCAA’s Corporate Champion and Partner program.

“We look forward to our partnership with Nissan, and we are pleased that the company, with its strong brand, has committed its support to NCAA student-athlete achievement, intercollegiate athletics and higher education,” said Ellen Lucey, NCAA Director of Championships & Alliances, Corporate Relations, Marketing and Branding.

And of course, March is when the excitement really begins. Throughout the NCAA Tournament, digital will be a key space for Nissan to connect to consumers as they follow the excitement of NCAA March Madness^® across all platforms and devices. On the ground, Nissan will have a robust on-site activation presence at the 2020 Men’s Final Four in Atlanta.

 

Extreme E, the pioneering electric off-road racing series, today revealed its first race location, confirming that Greenland will host the Arctic stage of the championship when season one gets underway in 2021.

The news, which will see Extreme E make history as the first-ever motorsport series to be held in the country, was revealed near Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland, by Alejandro Agag, Founder of Extreme E, together with Jess Svane, Greenland’s Minister for Industry, Energy and Science (seen at right and left in photos above and below).

Speaking at the race site which is next to the Russell Glacier, Alejandro Agag said: “I am incredibly excited to be bringing Extreme E’s unique electric racing format to the front line of the global climate emergency here in Greenland. I promised Extreme E would break ground in motorsport and this really proves I meant it.

“As well as being a serious motor race series, Extreme E has a strong sporting purpose to promote the adoption of electric mobility in the fight to lower global emission levels, an issue we can no longer ignore, especially here in Greenland.

“Together with Greenland’s government, backed by climate experts from Cambridge University, we will create a sensational sporting competition with the most incredible natural backdrop, which, crucially, will double as a catalyst for positive awareness, education, and scientific research, aiming to leave only positive impact behind when we depart.”

A first of its kind event in motorsport, Extreme E will see electric SUVs race head-to-head in five remote environments in a mission to use the power of sport to shine a global spotlight on the biggest climate threats facing our planet.

In addition to confirming Greenland, which is experiencing unprecedented effects of global warming, four further locations, which have already been damaged by climate change or human interference, are being scouted in the Himalayas, Desert, Rainforest and an Indian Ocean Island. Issues affecting these locations include deforestation, rising sea levels, melting glacier ice, desertification, and plastic pollution.

Jess Svane, Greenland’s Minister for Industry, Energy and Science, said: “I am very happy that Extreme E will race in Greenland in 2021. This shows that Greenland is not only a beautiful travel destination sought out by lovers of nature, adventure seekers and wildlife explores, it is also a place with a bright future in business development.”

Jess Svane further adds. “We are also very pleased with Extreme E’s vision to highlight climate change. This correlates perfect with our own green agenda. Greenland is a green country and today around 70% of all public energy supply is from renewable energy resources and we are firmly committed to increase this further in the years to come”

Race organisers will now work closely with the Government of Greenland and local experts, joining forces in an aim to leave behind only positive legacy, focusing on restoration projects relating to local population needs, with planning and mitigation efforts designed to minimise the impact of the circuit layout and the racing itself.

Organisers will also ensure that thorough environmental, social and governance assessments are carried out in each location with a local third party to safeguard environmental protection, social inclusivity and fair political practices. 

Professor Peter Wadhams, of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at Cambridge University, is a world leading authority on ice melt who has led 55 Arctic expeditions. He joined and advised race organisers during their recent recce.

Prof Wadhams explains: “As soon as I heard the idea for Extreme E, I was very excited. Transport is responsible for 30 per cent of the use of fossil fuels, which are the main cause of global warming, so Extreme E’s overall principle of encouraging electric vehicle use, is very important to our planet’s future.

“On August 1^st, which was one of the days that I was in Greenland with the race team, the ice cap lost twelve and a half billion tonnes of ice, a new daily record loss. If you consider what that level of daily loss does to global sea levels, it’s very scary indeed. It really is a crisis – this is happening now, today and we need to act fast to have any chance of slowing it down.”

Peter adds: “The site we have found here in Greenland is ideal. It is a sandbar, made of rockflour that has naturally been transported off the glacier over years. Racing over that area won’t have a harmful effect on the environment, but the potential awareness and education that could be generated through the powerful sporting platform will be enormous.”

Races will take place over three days, within an area no larger than 10 km². Track designers have been tasked with carefully selecting course options, which provide the most challenging, exciting racing action whilst crucially generating no negative impact from environmental nor social perspectives. Routes will be designed to incorporate existing obstacles and features with elevation changes and jumps without the need to adapt the environment.

Additionally, organisers are in early development for plans to track and monitor team’s emission levels in each location, with sporting and financial incentives being considered for those which achieve the lowest overall outputs.
Season 1 is set to get underway in early 2021. Greenland is the first of the five race locations to be confirmed, with recces currently taking place in other regions and further announcements to be made over the coming months.

Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.

Another unique feature of Extreme E is its floating garage, the RMS St. Helena. The former Royal Mail cargo-passenger vessel is undergoing a modernisation and refit in order to lower its emissions. It will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s footprint as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through an on-board laboratory.

In addition to live race action, Extreme E has joined forces with Academy Award winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens, producer of The Cove and Before The Flood, who will direct a Netflix style documentary series to highlight the specific climate threats facing each ecosystem.

Extreme E is operated in association with Formula E – the organiser of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Extreme E is committed to sustainability and minimising environmental impact – as well as playing its part in re-building and restoring areas already impacted by climate change.

Olympians Danka Barteková and Virginie Faivre (in photo) will bring the vital perspectives of athletes to the International Federation (IF) Forum 2019 after being announced as speakers at the annual three-day gathering in Lausanne.

The pair will offer valuable insights into the lives of elite athletes under the IF Forum 2019’s umbrella theme of ‘Athlete Centred Sport’ at the event, which will take place from 28-30 October 2019 and is organised by SportAccord for GAISF members and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Slovak skeet shooter Barteková is the IOC Athletes’ Commission Vice Chair, while Swiss freestyle skier Faivre is the President of the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee.

Faivre, a three-time FIS (International Ski Federation) world champion in halfpipe, will give the Keynote Address on the opening day of the IF Forum 2019 on Monday, 28 October. The opening day’s Welcome Session will also include input from IOC President Thomas Bach and Philippe Leuba, State Councillor, Department of Economy & Sport, Canton of Vaud. Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF, will deliver the Opening Address.

Barteková, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and has recorded some impressive results in 2019, will take part in a Fireside Chat entitled ‘The Athlete’s Perspective’ on Tuesday, 29 October.

With ‘Athlete Centred Sport’ as the event’s focus, safeguarding athletes, athlete welfare, future financial wellbeing, protecting clean athletes and strengthening athletes’ voices will be among the topics under discussion during the Sessions, Workshops, Keynotes, Scene Setters and Fireside Chats.

Faivre said: “It is so important to involve athletes in strategic discussions and I applaud all IFs and administrators who are getting athletes involved and including their feedback in the heart of their long-term strategies.”

“I look forward to discussing my experiences as an athlete, providing insights from my days of competitions and particularly highlighting areas which are crucial to athletes, from scheduling, communications and facilities as well as life after competition. In addition, I will also reflect on how we at Lausanne 2020 are looking to put the athlete at the centre of our plans for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020.”

Barteková said: “Good organisation that is focused on athlete welfare makes for better sport and a more entertaining and enticing proposition for fans and other partners.”

The IF Forum 2019 will bring together more than 200 leaders from over 100 International Sports Federations at the Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne.

The gathering is limited to a small number of Partners, giving them exclusive access to an authoritative networking environment and recognition as a supporter of the Sports Movement. Presentation slots have been scheduled as part of exclusive rights and benefits available to Partners of the invitation-only event, with numerous other opportunities to engage directly with sport’s decision-makers, including VIP functions and social activities.

With attendance strictly limited to the International Sports Federations and the event’s Partners, delegates will discuss best practice in an intimate and inspirational environment, strengthening links within the global sports family as they gain a greater understanding of their role in supporting athletes and how they can benefit from ‘Athlete Centred Sport’.

To discuss partnership opportunities and take advantage of exclusive access to the IF Forum, contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070.

For further information about the IF Forum, please download the brochure here or visit: https://www.sportaccord.sport/if-forum.

As the F1 New Balance Esports Series continues its rapid growth, China has now been added to the eco-system. The China Championship kicked off in Shanghai on August 4 as the first dedicated Chinese competition in the F1 e-series. The event at the CapitaMall LuOne in downtown Shanghai marked the start of a mission to scout the top sim racers in China’s previously untapped pool of talent. Julian Tan, Formula 1’s Head of Growth & Esports speaks to iSportconnect TV about the importance of the series for F1 as a whole and how gaming is becoming a path for developing motorsport talent.

The 2018 F1 New Balance Esports Series drew a record audience of 1.2 million across selected TV networks and 3.2 million people on a dedicated live stream, with 70% of viewers tuning in to watch the final were below 34 years old. There were over 100 million social media impressions and 20 million online video views of F1 Esports content accumulated over the course of the series.