Big South Announces Partnership With VICIS

SEATTLE, April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Big South Conference is pleased to announce that VICIS, the leader in football helmet innovation and technology, has been added to the league's lineup of top corporate partners. 

Under the multi-year partnership, Big South Conference head football coaches, trainers and equipment managers will have access to on-field safety-related educational seminars provided by VICIS personnel, as well as receive significant discounts towards the purchase of helmets and accessories, all with the goal of improving student-athlete safety in the sport of football.

The VICIS ZERO1 recently ranked first for the third consecutive year in the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Players Association's (NFLPA) Helmet Performance Testing, which assesses the performance of all helmets used in the NFL to determine their ability to best reduce the severity of head impacts. The ZERO1 outperformed 33 other helmets tested.

"We want to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our student-athletes, and that includes providing them with the opportunity to utilize the best protective gear available," stated Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander.  "VICIS is a leader in the industry and we are confident in their ability to provide student-athletes with the highest level of protection possible."

"We are proud to partner with Commissioner Kallander and the Big South Conference to provide broader access to our helmet technology," added Dave Marver, VICIS CEO and co-founder. "We also look forward to working together to better educate players about helmets so they can make well informed decisions this season and beyond."

The most technologically advanced helmet available, the ZERO1 features a deformable outer shell and a unique columnar layer designed to slow impact forces while enhancing player performance. Players from more than 1,200 high school programs and 150 professional and college teams are wearing the ZERO1. 

ABOUT VICIS (www.vicis.com) 
VICIS is a Seattle-based company focused on sports protective technologies. Its inaugural product, the ZERO1 football helmet, launched in 2017 and ranked first for three consecutive years in 2017, 2018, and 2019 NFL/NFLPA Helmet Performance testing, and was named one of TIME Magazine's 25 Best Inventions of 2017. VICIS was also named one of Fast Company's 2018 Most Innovative Companies. The company has recently unveiled the ZERO1 YOUTH helmet, the first football helmet truly optimized for kids. The ZERO1 YOUTH received the highest rating in Virginia Tech's 5-STAR Ratings for Youth football helmets.

The VICIS football coalition, whose charge is to promote safety in football and other sports, is driven to ensure kids can continue to play and enjoy sports safely.  This coalition is made up of parents, coaches, doctors, and players including Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks, Alex Smith of the Washington Redskins, and multiple NFL Hall of Fame members such as Jerry Rice and Roger Staubach.

WHAT'S THE BIG SOUTH?
Founded in 1983, the Big South Conference has been an exemplary leader in college athletics, dedicated to developing student-athletes through the pursuit of excellence in the classroom, community and field of play.  The league's growing presence as an NCAA Division I athletic conference is made evident by its multitude of athletic accomplishments, innovative marketing and media partnerships, increased television packages and most importantly, its commitment to fostering the academic, personal, social, athletic and leadership development of its student-athletes.  Comprised of 11 member institutions (Campbell University, Charleston Southern University, Gardner-Webb University, Hampton University, High Point University, Longwood University, Presbyterian College, Radford University, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate and Winthrop University, plus football members Kennesaw State University, Monmouth University and the University of North Alabama) sharing a common geographic region and similar academic values and purposes, the Big South's remarkable history of achievement is characterized by the league's 19 championship sports and the profound academic and life successes of its more than 4,000 student-athletes.  The Big South Conference: Where Winners Are Made.

ABOUT VAN WAGNER SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Collegiate Services division of Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment (VWSE), the exclusive sales representative for corporate marketing and sponsorship program for the Big South Conference. In addition to aligning corporate partners with the conference's 150,000 students, faculty and staff, and over a half million living alumni, VWSE offers customized marketing opportunities that include broadcast assets: venue signage; impact promotions; digital and social platforms; promotional rights to athletic marks; campus-wide activation; access to tickets; hospitality and more.

SOURCE VICIS

Related Links

https://vicis.com