Friday, August 7, 2015
by Alaska Sports Information

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – On Friday, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletic Department announced a five-year sponsorship agreement with longtime Nanook Athletics sponsor, Alaska Airlines.

Nanook Athletics once again teams up with Alaska Airlines, the official airline for the Alaska Nanooks, as the airline company purchased naming rights to the court inside the Patty Center. The court will now be known as the Alaska Airlines Court, while the building will maintain its name of the Patty Center. The sponsorship also includes airline travel and monetary aid to the UAF Athletic Department, which will be used for student-athlete scholarships.

"We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Alaska Airlines by announcing today the naming of the Alaska Airlines Court," said University of Alaska Fairbanks Chancellor Brian Rogers. "The provision of airline travel and cash for student-athlete scholarships are both greatly appreciated by the University. We sincerely thank everyone at Alaska Airlines for all they do to contribute to the success of our student-athletes."

Director of Athletics Dr. Gary Gray echoed Chancellor Rodgers excitement about the sponsorship agreement.

"We are very excited that our basketball and volleyball programs will now be playing on the Alaska Airlines Court. We thank Alaska Airlines for their generosity in establishing this naming opportunity, and we look forward to working closely with them for many more years. The financial support for air travel, as well as student-athlete scholarship funding, is fantastic and will be a huge benefit for our entire athletic department."

In addition to the naming rights, Alaska Airlines helped with the rebranding of both the Patty Center entrance and the court. The court has recently been renovated to feature the Alaska Airlines Court wordmark, while the entrance of the Patty Center displays a new wrapping on the doors, featuring several sports that the Alaska Nanooks sponsor.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with UAF and the Nanooks, said Alaska Airlines Regional Vice President Marilyn Romano. "This partnership is important to Alaska Airlines, and supporting student-athletes as they compete, and achieve their academic goals, is a win for all."

The sponsorship agreement also entails that Alaska Airlines will continue to be the title sponsor of the annual hockey games between Alaska and Alaska Anchorage, which is known as the 'Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup'.