Dragon Seats, Liberty Mutual and Nashville Sports Council Expand Sideline Partnership for 2026 Liberty Mutual Kickoff Game

Following a successful activation at the 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, Liberty Mutual will again sponsor Dragon Seats' climate-controlled benches and Dragon ShadERs — this time across both sidelines for the season-opening matchup between Ole Miss and Louisville

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the success of their sideline activation at the 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, Dragon Seats and Liberty Mutual are expanding the partnership for the 2026 Liberty Mutual Kickoff Game at Nissan Stadium. Liberty Mutual will serve as the exclusive sponsor of Dragon Seats' climate-controlled benches and Dragon ShadERs across both Ole Miss and Louisville sidelines for their season-opening matchup on Sunday, Sept. 6.

Dragon Seats' climate-controlled benches and overhead Dragon ShadERs will provide both programs with a consistent, premium sideline environment designed to maximize player safety, performance and comfort. At the same time, integrated Liberty Mutual branding across the equipment will give the game's title sponsor a distinctive, highly visible presence within the field of play.

The partnership was coordinated with the Nashville Sports Council, host of the event at Nissan Stadium, and brought together by Pivotal Sports and Entertainment.

"After seeing the impact of the Dragon Seats activation at last year's Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, we were excited to build on that success for the 2026 Kickoff Game," said Jenna Lebel, Chief Marketing Officer of Liberty Mutual Insurance. "It expands Liberty Mutual's presence within the game while aligning our brand with equipment designed to support the safety and performance of the student-athletes on both sidelines."

"One of the things we're always looking to do is build on partnerships and activations that work," said Scott Ramsey, President and CEO of the Nashville Sports Council and Music City Bowl. "The response to Dragon Seats and Liberty Mutual at last year's Music City Bowl gave us a great foundation, and expanding the concept across both sidelines for the Kickoff Game creates an even stronger experience for the participating teams, our partner and the event."

"The best partnerships aren't one-off activations — they create a platform that brands and properties want to build upon," said Rob Temple, Chief Executive Officer of Pivotal Sports & Entertainment. "What started at the 2025 Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl proved the value of this inventory, and we're proud to help expand it for another major event at Nissan Stadium."

"For us, the most exciting part of this partnership is that Liberty Mutual experienced the platform firsthand at last year's Music City Bowl and wanted to bring it back in an even bigger way," said Franklin Floyd, Chief Operating Officer of Dragon Seats. "That validates what we believe this equipment can deliver — first and foremost for the athletes, by helping maximize safety and performance, but also for partners looking for an authentic and highly visible way to be part of the game. We're excited to outfit both Ole Miss and Louisville and build on what we started together in Nashville last season."

The Liberty Mutual-branded climate-controlled benches and Dragon ShadERs will debut when Ole Miss and Louisville open their 2026 seasons at the Liberty Mutual Kickoff Game on Sunday, Sept. 6, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

About Liberty Mutual

At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. For more than 110 years we have helped people and businesses embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow by providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care.

A Fortune 100 company with more than 40,000 employees in 27 countries and economies, we are the ninth largest global property and casualty insurer and generate more than $50 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

We operate through three strategic business units: US Retail Markets, providing auto, home, renters and other person and small commercial lines property and casualty insurance to individuals and small businesses countrywide; Global Risk Solutions, delivering a full range of comprehensive commercial and specialty insurance, reinsurance and surety solutions to mid-size and large businesses worldwide; and Liberty Mutual Investments, deploying more than $100 billion of capital globally to build enduring businesses, drive economic growth, and secure Liberty Mutual's promises.

For more information, visit www.libertymutualinsurance.com.

About the Nashville Sports Council, Inc. 

The Nashville Sports Council, Inc. is a private, non-profit, membership-based organization of area companies and individual sports enthusiasts. Created in 1992, the Nashville Sports Council's mission is to positively impact the economy and quality of life of the Greater Nashville Area by attracting and promoting professional and amateur sporting events. The Nashville Sports Council has hosted hundreds of major sporting events, generating more than $1.4 billion in direct economic impact for the region. For more information, call 615-743-3120 or visit NashvilleSports.com. Follow the Nashville Sports Council on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

About the Music City Bowl 

The Music City Bowl (501(c)(3) non-profit organization) is an annual post-season collegiate bowl featuring the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences. Since its inception, the bowl has produced over $400 million in direct economic impact. Distributed nationally to millions of viewers and listeners on ESPN and ESPN Radio, the bowl is Nashville's holiday tradition. For more information, call the Bowl office at 615-743-3130 or visit the Bowl online at www.MusicCityBowl.com. 

About Pivotal Sports and Entertainment

Pivotal Sports & Entertainment is a boutique, senior-led advisory and representation firm specializing in sports, media and entertainment. The agency partners with leading properties, brands and media companies to unlock enterprise value through innovative rights strategies, sponsorship development and commercial frameworks. PivotalSE currently represents Dragon Seats on commercial strategy and the Nashville Sports Council on sponsorship sales initiatives. 

For more information, visit www.PivotalSE.com

About Dragon Seats

Dragon Seats is the leading provider of climate-controlled benches and innovative sideline solutions. Trusted by the National Football League, NFL Member Clubs, the Southeastern Conference, the Big Ten Conference, dozens of top Power-4 college football programs, the PGA Tour, MLB and NCAA baseball bullpens and dugouts, and premium lifestyle environments, Dragon Seats is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and has a 35-year track record of innovation around the sidelines. Its mission is to maximize player safety, performance and comfort in all weather conditions, earning its reputation as The #1 Bench in Sports.

For more information, visit www.dragonseats.com

Sophia Zegarra: [email protected] | 216.450.1851

SOURCE Dragon Seats