Hyundai Begins Sponsorship Program With Texas, Auburn Through IMG College

Hyundai began a sponsorship program that features vehicle and information displays during football games at 15 universities, including Ohio State, Texas and defending national-champion Auburn.

Hyundai Motor America reached the agreement through IMG College, a division of the management and marketing agency IMG Worldwide. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed in a news release. It’s the largest U.S. sports sponsorship for Hyundai Motor America, which has headquarters in Costa Mesa, California, and is a subsidiary of South Korea-based Hyundai Motor Co. (005380)

Hyundai’s agreement comes two weeks after United Parcel Service Inc., the world’s biggest package-delivery company, added 68 schools to its sponsorship program through a partnership with IMG College.

Hyundai will bring vehicle and information displays to 64 football games this season at Ohio State, Texas and Auburn, along with Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and Virginia Tech. The company said it plans to add nine more IMG partner schools next season.

Hyundai will have on-campus and in-stadium displays, marketing and hospitality, in addition to on-field promotions.

IMG College is the nation’s largest collegiate sports marketing company, acquiring and consolidating media rights for more than 200 schools over the last several years.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net