THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996 TAG: 9606210653
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 64 lines
Less than a year after a $12 million budget deficit in the school system prompted talk of eliminating sports in the Beach District, Salem High has entered into a three-year deal with Pennzoil Co. to outfit its varsity basketball teams.
Corporate sponsorship of high school sports has taken hold across the country, especially in North Carolina and California. But Salem's deal with Pennzoil is believed to be the first of its kind in Virginia.
``Nationwide attendance is dropping and we're not making as much money as we used to,'' Salem's student activities coordinator Mark Harrison said. ``This isn't a matter of money to run athletics. It's money to run schools.''
Salem will receive 60 basketball uniforms, 30 for boys and 30 for girls, over the next two years from the deal. Harrison wouldn't say how much that is worth, but another Beach District official placed the value at about $6,000.
Pennzoil gets exclusive advertising rights to Salem's boys' and girls' basketball games for three years. That will consist of an 8x4 sign in the gymnasium, its corporate logo on the skirt surrounding the scorer's table and on rosters distributed to fans, and a public address spot during games. Pennzoil had hoped to have its logo displayed on the basketball uniforms, but wasn't able to reach an agreement with the school district.
``This is a real positive step,'' Harrison said. ``We've made an effort to be resourceful.''
Beach District schools are allotted between $18,000 and $20,000 a year for equipment, including uniforms, said Ed Jones, Virginia Beach grade level coordinator for high schools. The Pennzoil deal gives Salem an extra 15 percent to spend for other athletic needs over the next two years.
``Uniforms are a big-ticket item and we had a need for basketball,'' Harrison said. ``We can take the other money we get now and put it in the back pocket of soccer and track and our other sports. It helps everybody.''
Recruiting business involvement has been a popular topic at athletic directors' conferences lately, Western Branch's Chris Ake said.
``I'd love to be able to do it,'' she added. ``But I don't have the time.''
Salem's search for corporate sponsorship was initiated by a basketball parent, whom Harrison declined to name. The parent approached a neighbor, Pennzoil senior sales representative Pat Roe, about involving the company. Their first conversation took place on a backyard deck.
Roe and Harrison wrote a proposal and sent it to Pennzoil headquarters in Houston.
``To tell you the truth I didn't think it would fly,'' Roe said. ``But it was the first of the year and money was good. In 19 years of working for Pennzoil I've never heard of them doing something like this.''
Ken Tilley, executive director of the Virginia High School League, said he encourages schools to seek corporate contacts. Tilley said some state schools receive corporate support for academic competitions and scholarships, but he isn't aware of another deal like Salem's.
Harrison said he limited the deal to basketball because the concept was so new, but would consider sponsorships of other sports.
``We in the Beach District need to consider selling the rights to our tournaments,'' he said. ``There is a world of opportunity out there. Some of these ad budgets are huge and for just pennies on the dollar we can give them exposure worth their nickel. It's a positive thing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.] by CNB