TaxSlayer.com announced a multiyear partnership with The Gator Bowl Association as the new title sponsor beginning with the 2012 Gator Bowl.
The TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl will be played at 1 p.m. Jan. 2 at EverBank Field and it will be televised on ESPN2.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Gator Bowl Committee in supporting the Gator Bowl Games,” said Jimmy Rhodes, president of TaxSlayer.com.
“As the country’s sixth-oldest Bowl game, we believe that TaxSlayer.com further enhances the Gator Bowl’s image as one of the premier Bowl games in the nation,” said Greg Smith, chairman of The Gator Bowl Association.
The 2012 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl marks the 67th game for the Gator Bowl Classic and the 2012 game will showcase a team from the Southeastern Conference against a team from the Big Ten Conference.
A source familiar with the deal who asked not to be identified said earlier Thursday that the contract is for three years.
The Gator Bowl Association had set a date of July 1 to find a title sponsor. After that date it planned to adjust its budget and proceed without a title sponsor.
The title sponsor is key in being able to present a top payout to attract top college teams to the end of the season games. The total payout to the 2011 Gator Bowl featuring Mississippi State University and the University of Michigan was $5.4 million.
TaxSlayer.com provides tax preparation software for professional and personal use. It launched its software for professional tax practitioners in 1992 and its software for individual filers in 1998. The company also is sponsoring the NASCAR race teams of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Aric Almirola and Josh Wise.
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