CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 14,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF)
and Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY), a financial services company
with the nation's largest all-digital bank and who has become a
leading brand in women's sports, announced today the lineup for the
2024 Ally Tipoff. This year's event is scheduled for
Sunday, November 10 at the Spectrum
Center in Charlotte and will be a
doubleheader, featuring #1 South
Carolina taking on #11 NC State
and a rematch of last year's game with #2 Iowa and #13 Virginia
Tech.
In addition to unveiling the 2024 Ally Tipoff lineup, Ally and
CSF have agreed to a multi-year partnership extension. This
extension, which runs through 2026, will allow the two Charlotte
organizations to continue to bring elite women's college basketball
to the local community.
"We believe the Ally Tipoff is the premier regular season
women's basketball event in the country," said CSF executive
director Danny Morrison. "Ally has
been a tremendous partner and with the support of ESPN Events and
the Spectrum Center, we know we will build on last year's success
and create an unmatched player and fan experience."
Last year's meeting of Iowa and
Virginia Tech was unforgettable with
Iowa winning 80-76. The game featured
superstar Caitlin Clark leading the
Hawkeyes with 44 points and Georgia
Amoore pacing the Hokies with 31 points, including a half
court buzzer beater.
As much of a success the game was on the court, it equaled that
success off the court as well. The game set a record with an
attendance of 15,196, which is the largest regular season women's
basketball game in North Carolina
history. Also, last year's game averaged 548,000 viewers, which at
the time was the most-viewed regular season women's college
basketball game on ESPN2 since 2017.
"Ally Tipoff is THE 'tipoff' event for the women's college
basketball season. Last year's success proved what we at Ally talk
about all the time – the insatiable fan demand that's out there for
women's sports, especially for these major matchups early in the
season," said Stephanie Marciano,
head of sports and entertainment marketing at Ally. "Along with our
partners at Charlotte Sports and ESPN, we cannot wait to watch four
of the top programs in the country compete in this doubleheader.
The Queen City and every fan around the country who tunes in will
not be disappointed."
Ally has quickly become a leader in women's sports because of
its commitment to media equity and intentional expansion of its
sponsorship portfolio. In addition to the Ally Tipoff and its
relationship with Charlotte Sports, Ally has a long-standing
relationship with the NWSL and recently announced several new
sponsorships, including: partnering with the United States Golf
Association, becoming the presenting partner of the U.S. Women's
Open; entering the WNBA by Ally Bank
becoming the official retail banking partner of the Las Vegas Aces;
and introducing several player-direct relationships. Each of these
deals are built to make women's sports unmissable.
The games for the 2024 Ally Tipoff will be broadcast on ESPN
platforms with specific details announced at a later date. For more
details, please visit AllyTipoff.com, or sign up for updates on
tickets via the Charlotte Sports Foundation newsletter.
Additional Quotes:
"This is the type of event we love to play in – high-level
opponent, regional so our FAMS can be part of the game, and backed
by a sponsor who has invested in growing women's sports We
appreciate the Charlotte Sports Foundation and Ally Financial for
coming together to create what should be a great day of women's
basketball in Charlotte – a place
I know appreciates great basketball." – Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina
"Ally is an unbelievable supporter of women's athletics and
women's basketball in particular. We are so thankful to them and
the Charlotte Sports Foundation for this awesome opportunity for
our student-athletes. We're honored to participate in such a
premier event." – Wes Moore, head
coach of NC State
"We are excited to once again play in the Ally Tipoff. The
tipoff was one of most exciting events of the early season for us
Hawkeyes to compete in. The arena, the support, the
competition, the treatment of our athletes was all first
rate. We look forward to returning to Charlotte!" –
Lisa Bluder, head coach of
Iowa
"I am very excited to have our Hokies participate in the Ally
Tipoff put on by the Charlotte Sports Foundation. Last year's game
against Iowa was a memorable game and
gave our team much needed experience playing in a big-time event
with an incredible atmosphere. The commitment to women's sports was
on full display and we are honored to do it all again." –
Kenny Brooks, head coach of
Virginia Tech
Charlotte Sports Foundation
The mission of the Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF), a 501(c)(3),
is to provide leadership for sports-based initiatives that result
in a positive impact on the economy and quality of life in the
Charlotte region. CSF was created in the spring of 2013 as a
combined entity of Charlotte's two primary sports development
groups, Charlotte Collegiate Football and the Charlotte Regional
Sports Commission. Its origins can be traced to the vision of
Charlotte civic leaders after the very successful hosting of the
1994 NCAA Men's Final Four.
The Foundation also provides support for recruitment and
operation of other local sporting events, and spearheads
Charlotte's continued growth as a preferred host for premier
national and regional sporting events. The events include college
basketball's Jumpman Invitational presented by Novant Health, the
Ally Tipoff, college football's Duke's
Mayo Bowl, ACC Football Championship Game and Duke's Mayo Classic, and the Meck Mile presented by
Albemarle, which launches on Memorial Day weekend 2024.
The Board of Directors that guides the Charlotte Sports
Foundation boasts a dynamic roster of top Charlotte civic and
business leaders. Please visit www.CharlotteSports.org for
more information.
About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a financial services company
with the nation's largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading
auto financing business, driven by a mission to "Do It Right" and
be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company
serves approximately 11 million customers through a full range of
online banking services (including deposits, mortgage, and credit
card products) and securities brokerage and investment advisory
services. The company also includes a robust corporate finance
business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market
companies, as well as auto financing and insurance offerings. For
more information, please visit www.ally.com.
For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit
https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.
For further images and news on Ally, please visit
http://media.ally.com.
Media Contacts:
Miller
Yoho
Miller@CharlotteSports.org
704-860-3499
Justin Nicolette
justin.nicolette@ally.com
704-301-4544
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