CHS to Sponsor 24 Division I Colleges

CHS Inc. one of America’s leading cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company, will embark on a highly integrated collegiate sports sponsorship platform with 24 Division I universities in 19 states designed to reach the farmer-owned cooperative’s rural owners and customers.

The platform centers on college football season and will be driven primarily through digital and social media assets. Learfield Sports, athletics multimedia rights holder to 99 collegiate properties throughout the country, secured the multi-year CHS partnership on behalf of its 22 university partners involved – Colorado State, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, K-State, University of Louisiana at Monroe,Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Missouri State, Montana, Montana State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Purdue, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Texas Tech and Wisconsin. Rounding out the 24 schools are North Dakota Stateand Nebraska.

“College sports are part of the fabric of rural communities. This partnership provides CHS with a meaningful way to reach the farmers, ranchers and cooperatives who own us and allows us to share agriculture’s story to a broad audience,” said Linda Tank, vice president, CHS Enterprise Marketing and Communication. “The strong digital component and opportunities to recognize farm families fit well with our rural values and commitment to agricultural technology and innovation.”

CHS will sponsor a “Farm Family of the Year” photo contest powered by Learfield Sports and its digital partner Think Social. Fans will be encouraged to submit photos of themselves, family and friends wearing team gear in a sweepstakes driven via social engagement campaigns on the official Facebook accounts of each team with promotional support on the official school websites. The two-week-long campaign will be driven by a heavy social media push and provide the winning family with a VIP home game experience.

“We’re excited to help CHS build brand awareness in both existing and new markets by tapping into the incredibly loyal and passionate collegiate fan base,” said Learfield Sports’ Executive Vice President, National Sales Roy Seinfeld. “We specialize in developing innovative programs for clients looking to capitalize on the massive platform that is college sports, and we are extremely happy to be partnering with CHS.”