Charlotte Sports Foundation and Ally Financial Unveil 2024 Ally Tipoff Lineup and Extend Partnership through 2026

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF) and Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY), a financial services company with the nation's largest all-digital bank and who has become a leading brand in women's sports, announced today the lineup for the 2024 Ally Tipoff. This year's event is scheduled for Sunday, November 10 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte and will be a doubleheader, featuring #1 South Carolina taking on #11 NC State and a rematch of last year's game with #2 Iowa and #13 Virginia Tech.

In addition to unveiling the 2024 Ally Tipoff lineup, Ally and CSF have agreed to a multi-year partnership extension. This extension, which runs through 2026, will allow the two Charlotte organizations to continue to bring elite women's college basketball to the local community.

"We believe the Ally Tipoff is the premier regular season women's basketball event in the country," said CSF executive director Danny Morrison. "Ally has been a tremendous partner and with the support of ESPN Events and the Spectrum Center, we know we will build on last year's success and create an unmatched player and fan experience."

Last year's meeting of Iowa and Virginia Tech was unforgettable with Iowa winning 80-76. The game featured superstar Caitlin Clark leading the Hawkeyes with 44 points and Georgia Amoore pacing the Hokies with 31 points, including a half court buzzer beater.

As much of a success the game was on the court, it equaled that success off the court as well. The game set a record with an attendance of 15,196, which is the largest regular season women's basketball game in North Carolina history. Also, last year's game averaged 548,000 viewers, which at the time was the most-viewed regular season women's college basketball game on ESPN2 since 2017.

"Ally Tipoff is THE 'tipoff' event for the women's college basketball season. Last year's success proved what we at Ally talk about all the time – the insatiable fan demand that's out there for women's sports, especially for these major matchups early in the season," said Stephanie Marciano, head of sports and entertainment marketing at Ally. "Along with our partners at Charlotte Sports and ESPN, we cannot wait to watch four of the top programs in the country compete in this doubleheader. The Queen City and every fan around the country who tunes in will not be disappointed."

Ally has quickly become a leader in women's sports because of its commitment to media equity and intentional expansion of its sponsorship portfolio. In addition to the Ally Tipoff and its relationship with Charlotte Sports, Ally has a long-standing relationship with the NWSL and recently announced several new sponsorships, including: partnering with the United States Golf Association, becoming the presenting partner of the U.S. Women's Open; entering the WNBA by Ally Bank becoming the official retail banking partner of the Las Vegas Aces; and introducing several player-direct relationships. Each of these deals are built to make women's sports unmissable.

The games for the 2024 Ally Tipoff will be broadcast on ESPN platforms with specific details announced at a later date. For more details, please visit AllyTipoff.com, or sign up for updates on tickets via the Charlotte Sports Foundation newsletter.

Additional Quotes:

"This is the type of event we love to play in – high-level opponent, regional so our FAMS can be part of the game, and backed by a sponsor who has invested in growing women's sports We appreciate the Charlotte Sports Foundation and Ally Financial for coming together to create what should be a great day of women's basketball in Charlotte – a place I know appreciates great basketball." – Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina

"Ally is an unbelievable supporter of women's athletics and women's basketball in particular. We are so thankful to them and the Charlotte Sports Foundation for this awesome opportunity for our student-athletes. We're honored to participate in such a premier event." – Wes Moore, head coach of NC State

"We are excited to once again play in the Ally Tipoff. The tipoff was one of most exciting events of the early season for us Hawkeyes to compete in.  The arena, the support, the competition, the treatment of our athletes was all first rate.  We look forward to returning to Charlotte!" – Lisa Bluder, head coach of Iowa

"I am very excited to have our Hokies participate in the Ally Tipoff put on by the Charlotte Sports Foundation. Last year's game against Iowa was a memorable game and gave our team much needed experience playing in a big-time event with an incredible atmosphere. The commitment to women's sports was on full display and we are honored to do it all again." – Kenny Brooks, head coach of Virginia Tech

Charlotte Sports Foundation
The mission of the Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF), a 501(c)(3), is to provide leadership for sports-based initiatives that result in a positive impact on the economy and quality of life in the Charlotte region. CSF was created in the spring of 2013 as a combined entity of Charlotte's two primary sports development groups, Charlotte Collegiate Football and the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission. Its origins can be traced to the vision of Charlotte civic leaders after the very successful hosting of the 1994 NCAA Men's Final Four. 

The Foundation also provides support for recruitment and operation of other local sporting events, and spearheads Charlotte's continued growth as a preferred host for premier national and regional sporting events. The events include college basketball's Jumpman Invitational presented by Novant Health, the Ally Tipoff, college football's Duke's Mayo Bowl, ACC Football Championship Game and Duke's Mayo Classic, and the Meck Mile presented by Albemarle, which launches on Memorial Day weekend 2024. 

The Board of Directors that guides the Charlotte Sports Foundation boasts a dynamic roster of top Charlotte civic and business leaders. Please visit www.CharlotteSports.org for more information. 

About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a financial services company with the nation's largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading auto financing business, driven by a mission to "Do It Right" and be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company serves approximately 11 million customers through a full range of online banking services (including deposits, mortgage, and credit card products) and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. The company also includes a robust corporate finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, as well as auto financing and insurance offerings. For more information, please visit www.ally.com.

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.

Media Contacts:
Miller Yoho
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Justin Nicolette
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704-301-4544

SOURCE Ally Financial