BMO Harris Bank Hits the Court Running With Multi-Year Northwestern Wildcats Sponsorship

CHICAGO, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BMO Harris Bank announced today they have entered into a multi-year partnership agreement with Northwestern University Athletics that will support the student-athletes, alumni and mission of Northwestern University Department of Athletics and Recreation.

As the official banking and investment partner of the Northwestern Wildcats, BMO Harris Bank's renewed and expanded sponsorship will support the overall operations of the athletic department at Northwestern and help enhance the university's N Club facility, an event venue that hosts the N Club letter winner association and NU student-athletes before and during sporting events.

The N Club is a national alumni club for individuals who earned a varsity letter while competing for Northwestern University. The N Club provides support to Northwestern Athletics, has funded an endowed athletics scholarship which is awarded annually, and sponsors networking events to strengthen and connect the community of former NU student-athletes. Most recently, the N Club launched a pilot mentoring program that matches former student-athletes with current student-athletes from four different sports at Northwestern. A successful pilot program may lead to the expansion of this program to more teams in the future.

"Carrying forward our partnership with Northwestern and supporting the N Club allows us to join forces with a leading organization that shares our commitment to excellence and improving the overall quality of life in our communities," said Sue Oleari, North Shore Market President, BMO Harris Bank N.A. "We look forward to expanding their efforts with the renewal of our sponsorship and creating an even more enjoyable experience for Wildcat fans, family and players alike."

"BMO Harris Bank has long been a vibrant and active member of the Chicagoland community, and we are privileged to be renewing our partnership," said Jim Phillips, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Northwestern University. "BMO Harris Bank has made a significant difference in the lives of our scholar-athletes, both in the classroom as well as within their respective arenas, and we are thrilled they are continuing to support the Wildcats."

In addition to helping upgrade the N Club facility, BMO Harris Bank will have a greater brand presence on the court and throughout Welsh-Ryan Arena, the university's basketball facility.

About Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern University sponsors 19 varsity athletics programs. A charter member of the Big Ten Conference dating to 1896, 17 of the Wildcat sport programs compete in the Big Ten with women's lacrosse competing in the American Lacrosse Conference while women's fencing is a member of the Midwest Conference. Northwestern perennially ranks among the top 50 schools in the nation in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, paced by the 2011 women's lacrosse team's sixth national championship in the last seven years. Also of note, the football program has appeared in three straight bowl games while the men's basketball program also has advanced to postseason play each of the last three years. A total of 20 Wildcat student-athletes earned All-America accolades a year ago while 53 notched All-Big Ten distinction.

Off the field, Northwestern student-athletes excel in both the classroom and the community. The 19 programs combined to post a school-record 201 Academic All-Big Ten selections along with 51 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars and two Capital One Academic All-Americans last academic year. Northwestern student-athletes volunteered over 6,000 hours of combined community outreach in 2010-11. 

About BMO Harris Bank

Based in Chicago, BMO Harris Bank N.A. provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through approximately 700 branches and approximately 1,350 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.  BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S.  Deposit and loan products and services provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank(SM) is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches, and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion.

BMO Harris Bank is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Banking deposit and loan products and services are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Brokerage products are offered through Harris Investor Services, Inc. (HIS), a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC-registered investment advisor. Insurance products are offered through Harris Bancorp Insurance Services, Inc. (HBIS). Investment banking services are provided by BMO Capital Markets Corp. (BMOCMC) and BMO Capital Markets GKST, Inc. (GKST), a Municipal Bond Dealer and member FINRA and SIPC. Financial planning and investment advisory services are provided by Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, Inc. (Harris SBSB), an SEC registered investment advisor. Family Office Services are provided by Harris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services are offered by Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services LLC (Harris myCFO), an SEC-registered investment advisor and wholly-owned subsidiary of Harris myCFO, Inc. Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors (Stoker Ostler) is an SEC-registered investment advisor. Investment advisory services to institutional clients are provided by Harris Investment Management (HIM) or its wholly-owned subsidiary HIM Monegy (Monegy), SEC-registered investment advisors. Products offered by HIS, HBIS, BMOCM, Harris SBSB, Harris myCFO, Stoker Ostler, HIM, and Monegy, which are affiliated companies and wholly owned subsidiaries of BMO Financial Corp.,: Are not insured by the FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, not a deposit of or guaranteed by any Bank or Bank Affiliate, may lose value. The purchase of insurance or an annuity is not a condition to any bank loan or service. Not all products and services are offered in every state and/or location.

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SOURCE BMO Harris Bank