A Chicago suburb is now the title sponsor for the 2018 Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, the annual football bowl game announced Tuesday.
Elk Grove Village reportedly spent $400,000 to close the deal that will see its municipal slogan “Makers Wanted” the title of the event: “Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.”
“Elk Grove Village is home to the largest industrial park in the United States, spurred by our village’s commitment to being beyond business-friendly,” said Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson in a joint statement with ESPN Events. “Our relationship with the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl and ESPN Events is a perfect opportunity to use college football to share our message with the entire country. We were impressed by how the bowl game has been developed in the Bahamas over the past four years, and we share in the excitement that this event brings to their community.”
Elk Grove Village officials could not be reached Tuesday evening for further comment.
The Bahamas Bowl said the deal marked the first time a “non-tourist municipality” had ever sponsored a bowl game. The football organization praised the Chicago suburb for its transportation options for manufacturers and said the village was committed to supporting its industrial park tenants.
“We are excited to have Elk Grove Village as the title sponsor of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl,” said Richard Giannini, executive director of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl. “It is a unique sponsorship that allows Elk Grove Village and its thriving business community to take the Makers Wanted message to a national audience on ESPN. We thank Mayor Craig Johnson for his innovative vision, and we look forward to another great bowl game this year.”
The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl will take place in Nassau, Bahamas on Dec. 21, 2018 at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium between teams from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.
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It will be televised in the United States on ESPN.
