Deal includes Diet Pepsi/Sierra Mist can sponsorship with DePaul Athletics

DePaul University has forged an exclusive multiyear partnership with PepsiAmericas and Gatorade to provide its products to DePaul’s students, faculty, staff and guests on its two Chicago and four suburban campuses.

The agreement includes opportunities for DePaul Athletics and its beverage providers to capitalize on DePaul’s membership in the BIG EAST Conference and to showcase its student athletes. The first promotion is set to launch this month and will entice millions of local shoppers to consider attending a DePaul basketball game by displaying team schedules on soda cans.

Beginning in the early weeks of 2007, Chicago-area consumers will begin to see DePaul men’s basketball Coach Jerry Wainwright and the team’s BIG EAST game schedule on 2 million cans of Diet Pepsi, while 1 million cans of Sierra Mist will feature women’s basketball Coach Doug Bruno and the women’s team schedule. Pepsi drivers are delivering mini printed schedules on their routes as well.

“Chicago has been recognized as America’s No. 1 sports city by the Sporting News, and DePaul contributes to that distinction,” said Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul’s director of athletics. “This partnership enables us to distribute news of our men’s and women’s basketball schedules to millions of Pepsi and Gatorade customers on campus and throughout the Chicago metropolitan market. It also allows us to work more closely on joint promotions with Allstate Arena, which has exclusive pouring rights with Pepsi.”

The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul’s president, said that the university evaluated comprehensive proposals from several providers and chose the Pepsi/Gatorade package because it offered the most value to the university. “Our relationship with these popular companies will generate strategic business revenue that will benefit all of our students,” he said.

The partnership is already on full display on I-294 just north of Devon Avenue, where a large billboard promotes ticket sales to DePaul basketball with the box office phone number, (773) 325-SLAM, along with logos for Pepsi and Allstate Arena.

In addition to the marketing partnership, Gatorade, the university’s new isotonic beverage provider, will provide nutritional, mineral replacement drinks and energy bars to student athletes.

“As a Chicago-based Pepsi bottler, we’re excited to bring the great taste of Pepsi to DePaul University,” said Bill Costello, director of On-Premise Sales for PepsiAmericas. “DePaul has a vibrant student community that embodies the core Pepsi elements of taste, variety and excitement.”

Financial details of the contract were not released.

DePaul’s intercollegiate athletic teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, BIG EAST Conference in 15 sports.