Wrestling Southern Conference

Arby?s to Sponsor SoCon Wrestling Championship

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Arby’s/Brumit Restaurant Group (BRG) has signed on to become the title sponsor of the Southern Conference Wrestling Championship, league Commissioner John Iamarino announced Thursday.

The three-year deal includes regular-season and championship media exposure for Arby’s as the title sponsor of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 tournaments, all of which will be contested in Asheville, N.C., at Kimmel Arena in conjunction with the Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships presented by General Shale.

“The Southern Conference is proud to partner with Arby’s and Brumit Restaurant Group, an Asheville-based company with a tremendous history in supporting local events,” Iamarino said. “The support the SoCon has received in the greater Asheville market continues to increase, and we are delighted to bring our wrestling championship to Asheville in conjunction with our basketball championships.”

Based in Asheville, BRG owns 44 Arby’s restaurants and three Which Wich Superior Sandwich shops in the Carolinas. The company is committed to growing both brands and more importantly to the growth and development of its people. Its Arby’s and Which Wich restaurants work hard to make positive impacts in the communities they serve.

“Arby’s is excited to enter this new relationship with the Southern Conference,” said Joe Brumit, president and CEO of Brumit Restaurant Group. “The greater Asheville market is fortunate to host the SoCon men’s and women’s basketball championships each March and we look forward to our partnership with the SoCon and the Arby’s SoCon Wrestling Championship.”

The 2015 Arby’s SoCon Wrestling Championship will be the 78th edition of the tournament and will be the fifth contested in Asheville after a four-year run there from 1992-95.

“The SoCon and its 10 member institutions look forward to our partnership with Arby’s and the Brumit Restaurant Group,” said Rick Thompson of SoCon Sports Properties. “Asheville has always been a great destination for the league’s premier event (basketball championships) and now adding the Arby’s SoCon Wrestling Championship the same weekend allows all the SoCon members, and their fan bases, a chance to attend all three events the same weekend. We will continue to enhance the experience of the student-athlete during championship week in Asheville.”

ABOUT BRUMIT RESTAURANT GROUP & WW VIBE
Brumit Restaurant Group, which operates Arby’s restaurants, was founded by Joe Brumit. When Brumit became a franchisee in 1988, he operated 13 Arby’s in western North Carolina. Brumit has brought in two partners, JoAnn Yoder, COO, who has worked with Brumit since 1989, and Greg Catevenis, CFO, since 2008. In 2012, the three partners formed WW VIBE, their Which Wich Company. Together with a very talented team of people, they operate 44 Arby’s and three Which Wich restaurants in North and South Carolina.

BRG and WW VIBE are committed to the growth and development of their people and making each community they serve a better place. In their commitment to give back to their communities, BRG and WW VIBE partner with and support many organizations, including Eblen Charities, United Way, Child Abuse Prevention Services, Special Olympics, Eliada Homes, Habitat for Humanity, AB-Tech, UNCA, Charlotte United Christian Academy, NC Autism Association and Toys for Tots, just to name a few.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
The Southern Conference, in its 94th season of intercollegiate competition, is a national leader in emphasizing the development of the student-athlete and helping build lifelong leaders and role models. The conference has been on the forefront of innovation and originality in developing creative solutions to address issues facing intercollegiate athletics. From establishing the first conference basketball tournament (1921), to tackling the issues of freshman eligibility (1922), to developing women’s championships (1984) to becoming the first conference to install the 3-point goal in basketball (1980), the Southern Conference has been a pioneer. The Southern Conference is the nation’s fifth-oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. The conference currently consists of 10 members in six states throughout the southeast and sponsors 20 varsity sports and championships that produce participants for NCAA Division I Championships.

ABOUT SOCON SPORTS PROPERTIES
SoCon Sports Properties, created in 2013, is the official multimedia rights holder for the Southern Conference. We provide the excitement and attraction of college athletics as a unique advertising and marketing opportunity to communicate your company’s message while influencing your business. SoCon Sports Properties (SSP) offers corporate customers a multitude of marketing and multimedia sponsorship opportunities that include television, venue signage at all of our Championship events, event impact and gameday marketing, as well as corporate marketing, promotions, hospitality, print and brand exposure on SoConSports.com.
SSP can build a customized marketing package for your business or corporation that capitalizes on our loyal fans throughout each season, during Championship events, as well as throughout the entire Southern Conference member institutions' footprint.

Please contact SoCon Sports Properties for more information on collaborating with the Southern Conference and its multiple media and marketing platforms and Championship events.

Contact Information: Rick Thompson, SoCon Sports Properties
702 North Pine Street Spartanburg, SC 29303
678-448-2115
rthompson@socon.org


-www.SoConSports.com-