University of Tennessee Athletics
Gridiron Bash RV is Coming to Knoxville
February 18, 2008 | Football
MSL Sports and Entertainment president Shawn Garrity is on a grassroots 20-market tour to promote Gridiron Bash???, The Ultimate Fan Competition???, and the next stop is University of Tennessee!?? They???ll be rolling into town in their 42-foot RV, decked from head-to-toe in Gridiron Bash d??cor; and giving away freebies, such as t-shirts and mini-footballs ??? all to encourage people to rally behind Tennessee for a chance to win $1 million in the USA Today Bash for Cash Series???.??
The tour will stop in Knoxville from Wednesday, February 19 and stay through Sunday, February 24.
As part of Gridiron Bash???, Taylor Swift and Montgomery Gentry will perform live in concert at Neyland Stadium (second time ever for a live concert at Neyland) on April 18, the evening before Spring Games.?? The evening also will include introduction and participation of the football team, appearances by coaches and former Tennessee greats, and other fan festivities.??
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Shawn and Keith from MSL will be visiting with student groups, alumni, athletic personnel and government officials at each of the Gridiron Bash??? participating schools they visit in preparation and anticipation for what promises to be the biggest single day event in the sports and entertainment world.
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FERGIE, KELLY CLARKSON &?? MAROON 5 AMONG ABOUT 20 ARTISTS TO ???PLAY THE FIELD??? AT GRIDIRON BASH??? THE ULTIMATE FAN CO9MPETITION???
To Raise $12 Million+ for Universities and Draw One Million Attendees
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NEW YORK, NY, February, 2008 ??? MSL Sports and Entertainment has created and built?? a college football fan competition that will have prominent Division I schools around the country vying for a top prize of $1 million and, at the same time, hosting live concerts ??? all on the same day ??? at their football stadiums.???? The inaugural Gridiron Bash???, featuring simultaneous live performances by Fergie, Kelly Clarkson, ZZ Top, Maroon 5, Dwight Yoakam, Fall Out Boy, Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry, Goo Goo Dolls, Good Charlotte, O.A.R., Black Crowes, and a slate of other renowned artists, will take place Aril 18, the evening before Spring Games, and make history as the largest single-day sports and entertainment event ever.????
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In addition to the live concert, Gridiron Bash??? will include at each stadium a giant pre-concert Pep Rally, introduction of the following year???s team roster, Head Coach Chat, autograph sessions with school football legends, and The USA TODAY Bash for Cash Series????? fan component, which gives fans the chance to earn money for their schools.?? Winning schools will be determined by combining total attendance at Gridiron Bash??? with the number of fans who text/call in to vote for their school.?? The USA TODAY Bash for Cash Series??? winning university will receive a $1 million contribution to their General Scholarship Fund, with 2nd and 3rd place schools receiving $500,000 and $250,000 respectively, for a total of $1.75 million in scholarship prizes.??
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???We???re very excited by the caliber of talent this event is attracting,??? says Gary Cioffi, Chief Executive Officer of MSL, the creator and producer of Gridiron Bash???.?? ???In many cases, this marks the first time that top artists will be ???playing the field??? at these campuses, as universities consider their football fields a kind of sacred ground, and, prior to Gridiron Bash, have prohibited even the most sought-after acts from performing on them.???????
Grammy?? and VMA winner Fergie of Hip-Hop group The Black Eyed Peas (Fergie is also a Grammy nominee this year) will perform live at Penn State; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legends ZZ Top will appear at Texas A&M; Counting Crows will go live at University of Colorado; Goo Goo Dolls at Kansas State, and Taylor Swift and Montgomery Gentry will be at University of Tennessee.?? Other artist-university match-ups will be announced shortly.??????
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Tickets are available through university box offices and can also be purchased through www.gridironbash.com.?? On-sale dates for schools, including Utah, University of Iowa, Arizona State, West Virginia, Rutgers and South Carolina will be posted on the website in the coming days.???? MSL is finalizing partnerships with the following schools: Maryland, Washington, Kentucky, University of Texas at El Paso, Auburn, and Alabama.
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?????Many people don???t realize that annual Spring Games, which feature scrimmages showcasing the next year???s team, typically attract crowds of 50,000 + at major universities,??? says Cioffi.?? ???Now, with the fun Gridiron Bash activities added to the mix, college football fans will be in their glory.???
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With gate and merchandise revenue, parking, food and beverage sales, Gridiron Bash??? is anticipated to generate more than $12 million in combined revenue for the participating universities.?? Artists are selected based on school preferences and artist ties to a given area.
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About MSL Sports and Entertainment
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Manhattan-based MSL (www.mslsportsent.com) builds and develops cutting-edge entertainment properties with the purpose of connecting consumers, brands and media.?? In addition to rolling out trend-setting new properties -- such as the Gridiron Bash??? at Division I schools and the East Meets West All-American Game --?? MSL???s core services include branding, TV production (with assets including, Inside the Big East, numerous Division I Coaches Shows and other television properties), sponsorship sales, public relations, celebrity procurement and every aspect of event management.?? MSL also runs a nationally recognized scouting and recruiting service that works with universities, athletes and media organizations.
