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

ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the college basketball season heating up, the buzz is growing in anticipation of NCAA® March Madness® and the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award, where fans across the nation will have a say in determining the best student section in college basketball.

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Fans can vote for the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award in three ways:

1. Via a direct link: www.mystudentsectionrocks.com or http://bit.ly/1fzbsNx
2. Via College Colors on Facebook: www.facebook.com/collegecolors
3. Via Twitter: Using your designated school-specific hashtag and #beststudentsection within a tweet. School-specific hashtags can be found upon placing an initial vote at www.mystudentsectionrocks.com.

The Naismith Student Section of the Year Award, which is presented through a partnership between the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), the licensing affiliate of IMG College, and the Atlanta Tipoff Club, administrators of the Naismith Awards, is dedicated to celebrating student fans that support their college basketball team with passion and devotion.

The Naismith Student Section of the Year Award will be determined through two rounds of public voting, combined with a scoring of the finalists by the Naismith Awards Board of Selectors. The Board of Selectors will review criteria such as rank during the two rounds of public voting, video submission showcasing the spirit of the student section, any organized efforts to promote voting for the award, as well as the group's support of any philanthropic organization during the season. Complete details on the selection process can be found at facebook.com/collegecolors.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the level of participation and excitement surrounding the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award as the contest enters its third year," said Eric Oberman, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "Now is the time for students, alumni, and fans of these schools across the country to make their votes count and help push their schools to victory."

"College basketball student sections embody the energy, passion and enthusiasm that create a uniquely coveted home court advantage, and we want to celebrate that," added Catherine Gammon, Senior Vice President of Brand Development for CLC. "We are encouraging all fans to make sure the students of their favorite school are recognized for the spirit they display by casting votes daily."

Besides bragging rights, the winning student section earns a $10,000 donation to their school's general scholarship fund and will be honored during a home basketball game. In addition, the school with the highest number of public votes in each represented conference will earn a $250 donation to their school.

The 2014 campaign marks the third year of the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award. The University of Kansas won the inaugural award in 2012, while Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) took home top honors in 2013.

Participating schools include:

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 trademark 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, CLC is a full-service licensing representative, which employs a staff of more than 90 licensing professionals who provide full-service capabilities in brand protection, brand management, and brand development. For more information on CLC, visit: CLC.com or IMGCollege.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 Collegiate Licensing Company