Rutgers, SHI International Corp. Agree to Naming Rights Partnership

July 17, 2019
From: https://scarletknights.com/news/2019/7/19/football-rutgers-shi-international-corp-agree-to-naming-rights-partnership.aspx

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and SHI International Corp. today announced a multi-year partnership, making the IT solutions provider the Official Naming Rights Partner of Rutgers Stadium. The agreement will name the 52,454-seat venue, which serves as home to Rutgers football and men's and women's lacrosse, as SHI Stadium.

Rutgers will host its first sporting event at the new SHI Stadium on Friday, Aug. 30, when the Scarlet Knights celebrate its history as the Birthplace of College Football and the sport's 150th anniversary.

"This partnership formalizes the strong bond that has existed between Rutgers and SHI for almost 30 years," said Thai Lee, President and CEO of SHI International. "Nearly 350 Rutgers alumni currently work at SHI, and more of our employees earned their degree at Rutgers than any other single college or university. With deep roots in New Jersey and influence felt around the globe, both SHI and Rutgers share a history, culture, and commitment to excellence that will make this partnership especially rewarding."

"As the State University of New Jersey, we are thrilled to partner with SHI," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "Headquartered right here in Somerset, SHI proudly embraces its strong Rutgers ties. As we celebrate the 150th Anniversary of college football here at the Birthplace, we are delighted to partner with a company that shares in our Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. This partnership will positively impact athletics, the university and the New Jersey community."

As part of the agreement, SHI (pronounced using the initials S H I) will enjoy significant brand exposure through signage in and around the stadium, including exterior stadium signage, scoreboard signage, campus directional signage and logo placement on the field. Additionally, SHI will receive promotion through a variety of print, digital, radio and television assets.

Rutgers, which played the first college football game in New Brunswick in 1869, began playing in Piscataway at the "Old" Rutgers Stadium in 1938. Rutgers Stadium was then built on the site of the "Old" Rutgers Stadium as a 41,500-seat venue in 1994. The stadium was again expanded in 2009 to its current seating capacity of 52,454.

SHI International Corp., a Somerset-based company, is a global provider of technology solutions and products with over 20,000 customers in the United States. Founded in 1989, SHI is the largest minority and woman-owned business enterprise in the country. From software and hardware procurement to deployment planning, configuration, data center optimization, IT asset management and cloud computing, SHI offers custom IT solutions for every aspect of the business environment.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding football, follow the program on Twitter @RFootball.

ABOUT SHI
Founded in 1989, SHI International Corp. is a $10 billion global provider of technology products and services. Driven by the industry's most experienced and stable sales force and backed by software volume licensing experts, hardware procurement specialists, and certified IT services professionals, SHI delivers custom IT solutions to Corporate, Enterprise, Public Sector, and Academic customers. With over 4,000 employees worldwide, SHI is the largest Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) in the U.S. and is ranked 8th among CRN's Solution Provider 500 list of North American IT solution providers. For more information, visit https://www.SHI.com.

Press Resources:
SHI Corporate Website: http://www.SHI.com
SHI Blog: http://blog.SHI.com
SHI Twitter Handle: @SHI_Intl

ABOUT RUTGERS ATHLETICS
The Rutgers Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (Rutgers Athletics), comprised of 24 men's and women's varsity sports serving more than 600 student-athletes, is a member of the Big Ten Conference and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Rutgers is the Birthplace of College Football, hosting the first-ever collegiate matchup on Nov. 6, 1869, a 6-4 victory over Princeton. Rutgers Athletics is uniquely positioned in the nation's largest media market with over seven million television households, along with access to the Big Ten Network and its nearly 60 million homes across the U.S. and Canada. Established in 1766, Rutgers University is the State University of New Jersey and eight oldest higher education institution in the country. As a premier academic institution, Rutgers is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.