NCAA® National 6th Fan School Pride Contest Tips Off

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), CBS Sports and Turner Sports announced today the launch of the NCAA 6^th Fan – an exciting new nationwide online competition that will determine which Division I school has the most school pride and supportive fans.  All schools with a Division I men's basketball program are eligible to compete in this national social media contest throughout the regular season.

NCAA.com, managed by Turner Sports, serves as the official online and mobile destination for the online competition. At www.ncaa.com/6thfan, fans can vote for their favorite Division I school to help them earn the title of NCAA 6^th Fan "National Champion" and ultimate bragging rights. In addition to voting, fans can see the latest standings, daily vote leaders, and which schools are gaining momentum through the site's interactive maps and social platforms. Fans can vote daily on NCAA.com, or via Twitter using #6thFan and their school's unique hashtag. Fans also can connect their Facebook to the site to vote and register for a chance to win prizes.

Votes accumulate and will be set up in a March Madness^®-style bracket. The field will narrow to a Sweet 16^®, Elite 8^®, Final Four^® and then a national championship match-up between the top two vote getters. The school that finishes with the most votes will be announced as the winner on Selection Sunday, March 16.

In addition to earning the ultimate fan bragging rights, a $100,000 general scholarship contribution will be presented to the winning school.  Each of the 16 schools with the most fan votes during the first round will be awarded $10,000 in general scholarship funds, with each having the flexibility to award the dollars to a randomly selected student or to the school's general scholarship fund.

"The NCAA is excited to use this platform to engage directly with our Division I men's basketball fans to offer them the ultimate fan experience," Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice president of men's basketball championships. "We know that there are thousands of loyal fans who demonstrate their passion for college basketball on a nightly basis from November through the Final Four, and this contest provides their schools an opportunity to benefit from having the most supportive fans."

One randomly selected participant who registers and votes on NCAA.com will win an all-expense paid trip to the 2015 Men's Final Four in Indianapolis April 4-6.  Additionally, iPad Airs will be awarded in each of the five rounds to a randomly chosen individual who votes via NCAA.com in that round. 

Clark Kellogg, a CBS Sports analyst and former NBA player, will be the official spokesperson for the 6th Fan campaign and will participate in media interviews to increase awareness of the program and drive fan voting. "I'm excited about participating in the NCAA 6th Fan Contest," said Clark Kellogg, lead studio analyst for CBS Sports. "It should be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see which school's fans are the most FANATICALLY FANTASTIC!"

For the fourth consecutive year, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will provide live coverage of all 67 games from the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV. 

SOURCE NCAA