Huntington Bank Signs 10-Year Sponsorship Deal with Michigan State Athletic Program

Michigan State University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Huntington Bank have entered into a 10-year athletic sponsorship agreement, herbal school and bank officials announced today.

Huntington’s investment will provide significant support for the current $10 million Spartan Stadium improvement projects, illness featuring a new state-of-the art video scoreboard system.

“MSU continues to play a critical role in educating our youth and giving them opportunities to remain in Michigan to help the state grow and prosper.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Huntington Bank will receive sponsorship recognition on the scoreboards and video displays in football, basketball and hockey venues, including the new video scoreboard system that will be installed in Spartan Stadium for the 2012 season.

Huntington Bank will also be featured in game programs, television and radio broadcasts as well as the official website of Spartan Athletics, msuspartans.com. Additionally, the bank will receive title sponsorship of the Huntington Club located on the 4 floor of the Spartan Stadium tower and the Huntington Club Suites located on the 7 level in the Spartan Stadium tower. The club and suite levels in Munn Ice Arena will be branded in a similar manner.

Athletic Director Mark Hollis is pleased to welcome Huntington into the Spartan family. “Given the magnitude and the duration of the Huntington sponsorship agreement, it will have a significant positive impact on our entire athletic program,” said Hollis. “Not only will it benefit our student-athletes, coaches and staff, it will also help to enhance the experience of loyal Spartan fans who continue to support MSU with unmatched enthusiasm and loyalty.”

“Huntington is deeply committed to investing in education, jobs and housing in Michigan,” said Huntington Board Lead Director Dave Porteous, who is a former chairman of the MSU Board of Trustees and current member of the Board of Trustees of the Michigan State College of Law. “MSU continues to play a critical role in educating our youth and giving them opportunities to remain in Michigan to help the state grow and prosper.”

“Michigan State University plays a key role driving the state’s economic progress for not only mid-Michigan but also the entire state,” added Huntington’s Michigan President Jim Dunlap. “We are delighted to be partnering with this growing institution and look forward to lighting up the scoreboard at the first home game of the Spartans.”.

Prior to the season opener, new high-definition Panasonic video screens and scoreboards as well as a new sound system will be fully operational in Spartan Stadium. The new scoreboard/video screen in the south end zone is 5,300-square feet, compared to its predecessor, installed in 1998, that measured just 567-square feet. The top of the new south end zone structure reaches 130 feet. In addition, two new video boards as well as an LED ribbon board have been added to the north end zone. The LED ribbon board covers 4,500 square feet (450-feet long and 10-feet high). Combined the south and north video screens/scoreboards will total 13,300-square feet. The $10 million project replaces a 14-year-old scoreboard, message board and audio system.

Huntington has originated more than $1.5 billion in loans to businesses around Michigan in the first year of a four-year, $2 billion program, the bank’s Michigan leaders announced today. The loans have aided more than 2,500 Michigan businesses.

It has also rolled out a $100 million affordable housing program aimed at helping Michigan residents. And last year, it opened a new branch in downtown Grand Rapids, two branches in downtown Detroit and one in Pontiac.