Camping World, Orlando, Fla., ready for football.
The annual NCAA college football bowl game played in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium will now have a fitting sponsor: Camping World.
Camping World has signed a multiyear agreement with Florida Citrus Sports to present the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, the game most recently known as the Russell Athletic Bowl, that features teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences in late December of each year.
Camping World has already taken over as the naming-rights sponsor for the host venue, the City of Orlando’s 1936-built stadium, most commonly known as the Citrus Bowl. Following a $207-million renovation that wrapped up in 2014, Camping World signed on for the venue’s naming rights in April 2016.
It hosted a first-ever Camping World Kickoff game, with the inaugural event in 2016, pitting Florida State against Ole Miss in front of a sell-out crowd.
“We’re excited to extend our successful partnership with Florida Citrus Sports and the collegiate partners who participate in this great game each year,” said Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises. “The core platform we have in Orlando with the stadium naming rights and Camping World Kickoff game makes this expansion a natural fit. Florida is a key market for us and that, coupled with the nationwide exposure of this post-season bowl game, makes it an ideal opportunity.”
As part of the deal, Camping World expects to receive national exposure through television, radio and online media recognition during the television broadcast and outdoor and print advertising throughout Central Florida. Camping World will also be featured on signage and event collateral throughout bowl week and within the stadium. The two parties declined to divulge the length or value of the agreement. Russell Athletic lasted five years as the naming rights sponsor for the bowl game.
“Florida Citrus Sports is thrilled for the opportunity to deepen our relationship with Camping World, who has proven to be an incredible partner to our organization and to Orlando,” said Steve Hogan, CEO of FCSports, in a statement. “We’re also humbled that they chose to partner with us again and believe that to be a testament to the value that our community, our stadium and our events provide.”
This year’s Camping World Bowl will serve as the 28th edition of the game, the 17th in Orlando. It currently hosts the top non-New Year’s Six selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the second non-New Year’s Six selection from the Big 12 Conference. In 2016, Miami defeated West Virginia in front of over 48,600 fans in the 65,000-seat venue. Just over 40,000 fans attended the 2015 version of the game.
Camping World Stadium hosts three bowl games each postseason. It was the only stop on the Rolling Stones’ Zip Code Tour in 2015, hosted three Copa America Centenario games in 2016, hosted an outdoor Guns ‘n Roses in concert in 2016, housed the new MLS Orlando City Soccer team until its soccer-specific venue opened and, this month, became the first outdoor stadium in the country to host WWE Wrestlemania for a second time.