Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2007

State Farm Contact
Rich Pingeton
Rich.pingeton.sqvi@statefarm.com
309-766-8866

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today that State Farm Insurance Company has become the official sponsor of the top women's and men's college basketball players in the country. State Farm will be the new title sponsor of the WBCA and NABC's All-America Teams. The inaugural "State Farm Coaches' All-America Team" will begin in the 2007-2008 season.

"State Farm's sponsorship of the NABC and the WBCA All-America Teams is a natural extension of our sponsorship and support of not only collegiate athletics but the pursuit of higher education and the achievements of student-athletes. The values and characteristics needed to become an All-American mirror the principles State Farm has built its business around," said Mark Gibson, Assistant Vice President of Advertising for State Farm. "We are honored to be able to recognize these student-athletes for their dedication and commitment on the court."

For over 25 years, State Farm has supported and been involved in collegiate athletics and with higher education institutions. This includes a successful relationship with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the past three years. This partnership includes the sponsoring of NCAA Women's and Men's Basketball, the NCAA Women's and Men's Basketball Championships and affiliations with 90 colleges and universities.

State Farm has also been a proud sponsor of women's college basketball which began in 1993 as the sponsor of the Tip-Off Classic, kicking off the women's college basketball season every year. State Farm's support of women's college basketball has grown to include sponsorships of the Wade Trophy, the WBCA, the NCAA, the WNBA, USA Basketball and now the "State Farm Coaches' All-America Team".

"We are very excited to have State Farm as the sponsor of this prestigious award," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "State Farm has a long history of supporting women's athletics and it's a natural fit for both State Farm and the WBCA."

The first WBCA All-America Team was announced in 1975 at the NCAA Division I level. All other levels (Division II, Division III, NAIA and JC/CC) were added during the 1982-83 season. Since 1975, 1,330 outstanding student-athletes have been recognized as All-Americans. The Eastman Kodak Company was the title sponsor through the 2006-2007 season.

"It only seems fitting that State Farm is teaming up with the NABC and WBCA to sponsor the All-America teams for college basketball," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "The addition of this significant corporate partner can only enhance the recognition of the outstanding college athletes being honored with the most prestigious award of All-American."

The NABC has been selecting men's college basketball All-America teams for the past 61 seasons with almost 900 individuals honored in NCAA Division I alone. The first NABC All-America team was selected in 1946-47 with a first and second team for nine seasons in Division I before adding a third team in 1955-56. In Division II, NABC All-America recognition was first bestowed in 1966-67 and Division III honored teams beginning in the 1976-77 season.

About State Farm
State Farm® insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 74 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.8 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca™.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.

About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.