Valvoline™ Gives Fans Polling Power to Showcase Their College Football Expertise

LEXINGTON, Ky., July 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Valvoline™ and SportingNews.com announced the launch of the Sporting News Fan Poll backed by the Valvoline Engine Guarantee.  The poll – which opens to entries today and runs through August 31 – allows fans to vote on their college football preseason top 25 for head-to-head comparison with expert predictions and mainstream media-generated polls.

College football fans' unbridled passion often translates to constant tracking of their favorite teams before, during and after the season. They are up-to-speed on the make-up of their alma mater's squads – not to mention their opponents and rivals – oftentimes making them just as equipped as the pundits to make accurate predictions on what should happen each season. History has shown that the end-of-season rankings often reflect that the experts' preseason rankings were far from guaranteed. Now, Valvoline and SportingNews.com are helping shine the spotlight on the fans – the true "experts" – to prove they know what should happen this coming season. Fans can submit their picks by visiting SportingNews.com/fanpoll.

"The Sporting News Fan Poll backed by the Valvoline Engine Guarantee is a place for the truly devoted to show off their deep college football knowledge. We're excited to help provide a stage for fans to contend with traditional media polls and talking heads and see which guarantees really hold up when all is said and done," said Peter Demko, Director of Marketing, Global Brands at Valvoline.

Debating Guarantees

In addition to weekly fan polling results, Valvoline is partnering with SportingNews.com to sponsor a fully-integrated college football preseason destination, complete with weekly content from experts Matt Hayes and Steve Greenberg, entitled "Count on It." The two columnists will face off each week tackling college football's hottest topics leading up to the season's kickoff, and offering their views on what they think should happen – both on and off the field.

Guaranteeing Your Picks

While they're not giving up their secrets to predicting the college football season, Hayes and Greenberg are offering a few tips for those fans looking to submit their polls and test their mettle against the experts:

• Continuity is Key: Consider teams that finished strong toward the end of last season and look at their returning starters. Teams with 14+ starters returning have a chance to make a big impact.
• Eye on Experience: Look at teams with experienced quarterbacks. At least one of the starting quarterbacks in the national championship game has been an upperclassman or has significant experience.
• Keep it Simple: Although no college team has repeated as national champion since 1997, the same schools pop up near the top again and again. Keep recent juggernauts high in the poll.

A Guarantee For Your Engine

The Valvoline Engine Guarantee, sponsor of the fan poll, is delivering one sure thing during this unpredictable college football season. Fans who register their vehicle at engineguarantee.com and use Valvoline motor oil regularly can ensure their car or truck's engine is protected up to 300,000 miles. To guarantee your engine for optimal performance season after season, visit engineguarantee.com to sign up.  Registration required by 125,000 miles; see valvoline.com for detailed benefits and limitations.

Participants can choose to opt-in to the Valvoline Engine Guarantee program at various levels. Use Valvoline Premium Conventional motor oil for a guarantee up to 150,000 miles; MaxLife® or DuraBlend® Synthetic Blend motor oils for a guarantee up to 225,000 miles; and, for maximum protection and a guarantee up to 300,000 miles, use SynPower® Full Synthetic or MaxLife® Full Synthetic motor oils.

About Valvoline

Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc., has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One® appearance products, Car Brite® car restoration products, Zerex® antifreeze, SynPower® performance products, Pyroil® automotive chemicals and MaxLife® products created for higher-mileage engines. With more than 800 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change® is a leader in serving the quick lube market.

About Sporting News

Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011, Sporting News is a multi-media company catering to real sports fans. Its content is available through a bi-weekly publication, Sporting News Magazine; the world's first and only daily digital sports publication, Sporting News Today; the online source for real-time, breaking sports news and information, SportingNews.com; the ultimate premium destination for fantasy content, tools and information, Sporting News Fantasy; a video and community-based website, Rowdy.com; and 11 annuals covering all major sports.  Sporting News also serves as the national sales representative for CineSport, a leading video reach vehicle in the sports category. Sporting News is a division of American City Business Journals, Inc., publisher of 40 city business journals, SportsBusiness Journal, SportsBusiness Daily, NASCAR Illustrated and Inside Lacrosse.

SOURCE Valvoline