Gildan Named Title Sponsor of Bowl Game in New Mexico

ESPN and Gildan Activewear Inc. announced a multi-year title sponsorship that will begin with the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The entitlement of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl is part of a collegiate partnership reached by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, and Gildan Activewear, one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of branded T-shirts, sweatshirts, sport shirts and socks. The sixth annual game will kickoff at noon MST (2 p.m. EST) on Sat., December 17, 2011 at the University Stadium in Albuquerque.

"This is a tremendous day for our event," said Jeff Siembieda, executive director of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. "Gildan is a remarkable company with a strong brand and a great worldwide reputation. We thank everyone involved with Gildan for seeing the potential in this bowl game and look forward to a long relationship."

"We are proud to partner with ESPN to kick off the collegiate football postseason and have our brand name associated with the Gildan New Mexico Bowl," said Glenn Chamandy, president and CEO, Gildan Activewear. "With close to 600 million shirts and over 600 million pairs of socks sold in North America last year, Gildan is already a part of the lives of families and student-athletes across the US. This sponsorship, and the related events in the weeks preceding the football game, is a way for us to support active living, take part in the community, and share our passion for football with all fans."

"ESPN is proud to have a leader in the apparel business as the title sponsor," said Clint Overby, ESPN senior director of events. "The Gildan New Mexico Bowl combines the very best in intercollegiate athletics—great sponsors, great destination and great teams competing against one another. We are excited about the new relationship and about the game in December."

The Gildan New Mexico Bowl also unveils a new primary logo, which is an evolution of the "5th Annual" logo utilized for the 2010 event. Created by Tim DeLisle of DeLisle and Assoc. of Mauldin, S.C., the logo depicts the Sandia Mountains and blue skies of Albuquerque and New Mexico. The Zia symbol, which is the centerpiece of the New Mexico state flag, is also incorporated to honor its long-standing relationship with the local Native American community. The blue sky and outline of the football coordinate with Gildan Activewear's main color to complement the look. The red and gold in the Zia are brought together in the lower half of the logo to create the synergy for the text "New Mexico Bowl" with "Albuquerque" standing out in a white font to complete the mark.

For more information, visit Gildan Activewear's website.