College Basketball Fans Encouraged to Vote for Naismith Student Section of the Year Award

ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Who has the best student section in college basketball? Is it Arizona's "Zona Zoo," Duke's "Cameron Crazies," or Gonzaga's "Kennel Club?" What about Kentucky's "eRUPPtion Zone?" College basketball fans everywhere will have a say in determining the most deserving school by voting now for the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award.

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By visiting www.facebook.com/ILoveCollegeHoops , fans can vote for one of the nearly 80 Division I basketball schools that submitted a nomination. The Naismith Student Section of the Year Award, which is presented through a partnership of The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), a division of IMG College, and the Atlanta Tipoff Club, administrators of the Naismith Awards, is dedicated to celebrating fans that love college hoops and provide support to their college basketball team with devotion and passion.

"We are excited that so many Division I basketball schools are touting their student section as the best in college basketball," said Eric Oberman, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.  "Now it's time for students, alumni, and fans of these schools across the country to make their votes count to help their school win this award."

Nearly 80 schools representing 21 conferences are vying for the title. The Big East and Big Ten Conferences have the most schools participating followed closely by the ACC and Big 12. Participation also includes athletic conferences ranging from Conference USA and the Pac-12 to the Big Sky, the MAC, and Southland.

The Naismith Student Section of the Year Award will be determined through two rounds of public votes, combined with a scoring of finalists by the Naismith Awards Board of Selectors, which will review criteria such as the student section's name and attendance, as well as photos, video, and a write-up submitted by the nominating school.  Complete details on the selection process can be found at facebook.com/ilovecollegehoops.

"College basketball student sections love college hoops and bring the emotion, energy, and spirit that defines the home court advantage, and we want to celebrate that," added Tim Hawks, Senior Director of Brand & Retail Development for CLC. "We need fans to vote now and vote often to help ensure their school—and not their rival—gets recognized for the spirit they pour into supporting their team."

The winning student section gets bragging rights, while the winning school will receive $5,000 for its athletic association.

Participating schools include:
Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona Wildcats
Arkansas Razorbacks
Baylor Bears
Boston College Eagles
Cal Bears
Central Florida Knights
Clemson Tigers
Colorado Buffaloes
Drexel Dragons
Duke Blue Devils
East Carolina Pirates
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Florida Atlantic Owls
Florida Gators
Florida State Seminoles
Fordham Rams
Fresno State Bulldogs
George Mason Patriots
George Washington Colonials
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Illinois Fighting Illini
Indiana Hoosiers
Kansas Jayhawks
Kentucky Wildcats
Louisville Cardinals
LSU Tigers
Marquette Golden Eagles
Marshall Thundering Herd
Memphis Tigers
Miami Hurricanes
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan State Spartans
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Missouri State Bears
Montana Grizzlies
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nevada Wolf Pack
New Mexico Lobos
North Carolina A&T Aggies
Northwestern Wildcats
Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Ole Miss Rebels
Penn State Nittany Lions
Pitt Panthers
Providence Friars
Purdue Boilermakers
Rhode Island Rams
Rice Owls
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Sam Houston State Bearkats
San Diego State Aztecs
SMU Mustangs
Saint Louis Billikens
Syracuse Orange
Temple Owls
Tennessee Volunteers
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas Longhorns
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Tulane Green Wave
UC Davis Aggies
UCLA Bruins
Utah Utes
Utah State Aggies
Vanderbilt Commodores
Villanova Wildcats
Virginia Cavaliers
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
West Virginia Mountaineers
Western Carolina Catamounts
Wisconsin Badgers
Wyoming Cowboys

About The Collegiate Licensing Company

CLC is a division of global sports and entertainment company IMG. Founded in 1981, CLC is the oldest and largest collegiate licensing agency in the U.S. and currently represents nearly 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, The Heisman Trophy and the NCAA. The mission of CLC is to be the guiding force in collegiate trademark licensing and one of the top sports licensing firms in the country. CLC is dedicated to being a center of excellence in providing licensing services of the highest quality to its member institutions, licensees, retailers and consumers. Headquartered in Atlanta (Ga.), CLC is a full-service licensing representative, which employs a staff of more than 80 licensing professionals who provide full-service capabilities in brand protection, brand management, and brand development. For more information on CLC, visit: www.clc.com or www.imgworld.com.

About The Atlanta Tipoff Club

The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969.  Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.

The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.

SOURCE The Collegiate Licensing Company