Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic airing on VERSUS!!

The 20th Anniversary of the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic to Air Live on VERSUS, September 27 at 4 p.m. ET

Historic rivalry to air nationally for the first time

ATLANTA, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The 20th anniversary of the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic will air live on VERSUS on September 27, at 4 p.m. ET, marking the first time that the game will be televised nationally.

VERSUS, a national cable sports network in more than 73 million homes, will air the match-up between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) rivals Tennessee State University and Florida A&M University live from the Georgia Dome. This year's game marks the 10th consecutive year in which the two teams have taken to the field for the Classic.

"We are very excited for the opportunity to televise this year's 20th anniversary game on a national platform available to more than 73 million U.S. viewers," said Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations for VERSUS. "We feel that given the tradition and historic rivalries featured in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, it is truly an event of national significance."

The 100 Black Men of Atlanta, organizers and hosts for the game, commissioned Atlanta-based sports marketing agency Career Sports & Entertainment to plan the games broadcast, media and marketing strategy. A unique element -- traditionally characteristic of HBCU football games -- to be showcased will be the McDonald's Halftime Show -- an immensely popular Drumline-style battle of marching bands.

"This rivalry is absolutely drama-filled! With its highly electric marching band battle, we have a very unique sports property here with the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic," said John T. Grant, CEO, 100 Black Men of Atlanta. "Our organization has been putting this game on for 20 years now and has witnessed hundreds of thousands of patrons flock to Atlanta to enjoy the annual festivities. We've noticed that the nature of sports programming has evolved to engage fans even more than in the past. We're very excited about adopting new elements to the production that will enhance the fan's overall experience."

The Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic has generated more than $115 million for Georgia's economy, as well as more than $5.8 million has been contributed to participating schools over the past six years. Proceeds from the game serve to fund the 100 Black Men of Atlanta's Project Success initiative -- a youth development program that stresses academic achievement and career guidance.

For more information on the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic,
visit http://www.atlantafootballclassic.com.

About the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic

First organized by the 100 Black Men of Atlanta in 1989, the Back of America Atlanta Football Classic has evolved into the second largest recurring college sporting event in Georgia. Culminating in a sold-out college football game between rival programs, complete with a full marching band showdown, the Classic's week-long agenda of events includes a town hall meeting on African- American health issues; a collegiate symposium; health, job & college fairs; the Georgia Power Parade of Excellence; and the Friday-night Battle of the Bands.

Bringing 150,000 visitors into the city, the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic generates nearly $30M in Georgia's economy each year and now has a permanent exhibit located in the Georgia Dome commemorating its success. A blue-chip roster of sponsors, including: Abbott, Aetna, Allstate, AstraZeneca, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Life Financial Group, Bank of America, Coors, Delta, Ford, Georgia Power, Jack Daniels, MARTA, McDonald's, NASCAR, Russell Corp, Tyson, AT&T and UPS join title sponsor Bank of America to make these events possible.

To date, the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic has raised more than $2.6M over the past four years to fund the organization's post-secondary preparation and tuition assistance program for at-risk youth, Project Success, and almost $7M in contributions for the participating universities.

About VERSUS

VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the Indy Racing League and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.

100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. (100) is a coalition of some of Atlanta's most influential men organized to empower Atlanta's challenged communities. Together they channel educational and economic resources toward these communities' students and future leaders.

The majority of the organization's community work is performed through its flagship program, Project Success. Through Project Success, the 100 provides educational support, cultural enrichment and scholarships to carefully selected students from Atlanta Public Schools.

For more information: http://www.atlantafootballclassic.com/

‘Maddenpalooza’ Headlines 20th Anniversary

As the start of the 2008 NFL season approaches in earnest, one much-awaited event remains. At 12 a.m. EST on Aug. 12, sports fans won’t have to wait any longer as they will finally have the chance to get their hands on the popular video game franchise Madden NFL 09.

Making this year’s game even more special, Electronic Arts will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Madden by celebrating its release with the biggest product launch event in its history.

“‘Maddenpalooza’ will be the single largest launch event in video game history,” said EA Sports president Peter Moore. “As we continue to extend the EA Sports brand, Madden acts as a leading vehicle to connect with our fans.”

With more than 70 million copies sold, the franchise is gearing up to put the finishing touches on its 20th anniversary release party. The launch event, “Maddenpalooza,” will celebrate its top-selling game with a fan festival featuring music, sports and gaming at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Launch festivities will take place on the afternoon of Aug. 11 leading up to the midnight release.

Anthony Stevenson, Senior Product Manager for Madden, explained, “We plan to pay homage to Madden’s history in a big way throughout the entire night at ‘Maddenpalooza.’ We’ll have former cover guys there to sign autographs, tons of imagery from all the old games and live musical performances from bands who have contributed to the Madden soundtrack over the years.” Headliners for the live musical performances will include Good Charlotte and Busta Rhymes.

“This event is a way to celebrate the history and future of Madden,” said Chris Erb, Director of Marketing for Electronic Arts. NFL PLAYERS Chief Operating Officer Andy Feffer agreed, adding, “The magnitude of ‘Maddenpalooza’ and the 20th anniversary of the Madden game are impressive. The fact that the Madden phenomena has grown to these proportions demonstrates the great innovation of EA Sports as an organization. We are thrilled to be partners with the leaders in the video game industry.”

The history of the Madden launch event dates back to 2006, when EA personnel began to realize that gamers were actually taking the day off from work and school in anticipation of purchasing a copy of the game.

Erb said, “With the growth of the EA Sports brand, we felt the launch of the game deserved an impact similar to that of a theatrical release.” So, in August 2006, EA trekked down to Madden, Miss. (the only town named Madden in the United States) and held an event, “Maddenoliday,” which featured retired NFL stars Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk and Warren Moon.

“The idea was to do more to connect with our allegiance of followers,” Erb said. The Xbox-sponsored event included donations of Xbox 360 consoles to the town of Madden for everyone to get a first look at the game.


In 2007, EA took things a step further as “Maddenoliday” took place on the grandest of stages, New York City. Players and fans were able to compete against each other on the Jumbo-tron in Times Square. Not to leave any stone unturned, the midnight release of the game culminated with a countdown on the Reuters building, with New York Giants great Tiki Barber presenting the sale of the first game at a nearby Toys “R” Us.

So, how will next week’s “Maddenpalooza” top “Maddenoliday” from the previous two years?

“We want this year to be different and fresh. But most importantly, we want to get the fans more involved then ever before,” Erb said. “So, what we’ve done for the first time this year is create an interactive fan experience where the event is open to the public.”

Although the event is open to the public, there is still a bit of a VIP twist to it, as only the first 1,000 fans in line are guaranteed access. But those inside will not be disappointed—the newest version is extremely realistic, featuring authentic NFL stadiums, action shots from several angles and many added features.

Once inside, the event will include over 300 gaming kiosks, player autograph stages, the aforementioned live musical performances and even the chance to compete against NFL players on Madden NFL 09, “the best Madden to date,” according to head producer Phil Frazier. “It’s the most adaptable, visually stunning and deepest experience you’ve ever seen. I’m still amazed when I see the game in motion,” he said.

Madden fever is in full swing, and for the 20th time, there is no doubt that EA will deliver in a big way for its loyal customers. Fans have the date circled on their calendars, and don’t be surprised to see the most faithful Madden players camping out in front of the Rose Bowl. Some view it as the opportunity of a lifetime—to others, it’s simply this year’s Maddenoliday.