Quicken Loans Inc. to Sponsor Inaugural 2011 Carrier Classic Basketball Tip-off

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Quicken Loans Inc., the nation's largest online retail mortgage lender, today announced it will be the title sponsor of the inaugural 2011 Carrier Classic, a first-of-its-kind basketball game to be played on a U.S. aircraft carrier honoring service men and women on Veterans Day, November 11, 2011.  

The 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic, an NCAA Division I Men's Basketball matchup between the Michigan State Spartans and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, will tip-off the 2011 college basketball season.  The game will be played in front of 7,000 military personnel and spectators on the flight deck of the United States Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson, docked at Naval Base Coronado in the San Diego Harbor.  ESPN will televise the event at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).

Quicken Loans is proud to partner with Morale Entertainment, the United States Navy, ESPN, Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina for this epic event.  

"We are extremely proud to be the title sponsor of the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic and to commemorate and honor the millions of American men and women who have valiantly served our country," said Jay Farner, President of Quicken Loans.

"At Quicken Loans, it is our mission to provide an experience to our clients that is 'Engineered to Amaze.'   Playing a basketball game on the United States Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson is truly amazing, which is why we are so excited to be a part of this historic game combining two powerhouse basketball programs, competing in an incredible environment, and providing national recognition for the amazing service of the active members of the military, veterans and their families."

In 2011, Quicken Loans improved the financial situations of 10,832 active and retired military clients by providing assistance in purchasing or refinancing their homes.

Troops and veterans will be entertained and honored during this rematch of the 2009 NCAA Championship game.  Hall of Fame basketball legends Magic Johnson of Michigan State University and Michael Jordan of the University of North Carolina will serve as honorary coaches for their respective alma maters.  

Johnson is the newest partner of Detroit Venture Partners, a Detroit-based venture capital firm that invests in seed and early-stage technology companies, founded in part by Dan Gilbert, Chairman of Quicken Loans.  This week, Johnson began appearing in television commercials promoting Quicken Loans and the company's new Android phone giveaway.  

"We are excited that Quicken Loans has joined Morale Entertainment Foundation in honoring the service of the current members of the United States Armed Forces and in recognizing the service of the millions of veterans and their families who have gone before them.  Their participation as title sponsor will help make this inaugural 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic a tremendous event," said Mike Whalen, Director of the Morale Entertainment Foundation.

In honor of Veteran's Day and millions of people who have served in the Armed Forces, Quicken Loans will also be making a donation to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, which provides financial, educational and other assistance to members of the Naval Services, family members and survivors.  For more information, please visit www.quickenloanscarrierclassic.com.

About Rock Holdings Inc:

Rock Holdings Inc. is the parent company for several financial services related businesses and employs more than 4,000 team members. These client-focused and technologically-driven companies include Quicken Loans, the nation's largest online home lender and One Reverse Mortgage unit, the fastest growing reverse mortgage lender in America; Title Source, a nationwide leader of title insurance, property valuations and settlement services; Quicken Loans Mortgage Services (QLMS), a mortgage origination platform servicing community banks and credit unions across the country; In-House Realty, the preferred real estate partner of Quicken Loans that matches clients with trusted real estate agents in all 50 states; and, Quizzle.com, the online innovator and website where consumers manage their home, money and credit. Rock Holdings, Inc. also recently moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit.

About Quicken Loans Inc:

Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation's largest online retail mortgage lender and among the five largest overall retail home lenders in the United States. The company closed a record $29 billion in retail home loan volume across all 50 states in 2010, and closed its 1 millionth loan. Quicken Loans employs approximately 3,700 team members and generates loan production from five web centers located in Michigan, Ohio and Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Michigan as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among all home mortgage lenders in the United States by J.D. Power and Associates for 2010. "QuickenLoans.com" has been named "Best of the Web" by Forbes and Money magazines. The company also has been named to FORTUNE magazine's list of the country's "100 Best Companies To Work For" eight consecutive years, ranking as high as #2, and named in the Top-15 of Computerworld magazine's "100 Best Places to Work In Technology" for six years in a row. Quicken Loans ranked #1 in the Detroit Free Press' 'Top Workplaces of 2010' List. Last year, the company moved its headquarters and 1,700 of its 3,700 full-time team members to downtown Detroit. For more information about Quicken Loans, please visit www.quickenloans.com.

SOURCE Quicken Loans Inc.