2001 Hyundai-California Community College
Football Championship

Presented by Blue Diamond Growers

F A C T S H E E T

Date:Saturday, December 8, 2001

Site: Mineral King Bowl, Visalia

Time:Kickoff 1 p.m., team access 10 a.m.

Tickets: Adults and all advance tickets, $10. Children and seniors $3 (game day only).

Teams:The top ranked community college football teams from the north and south regions of the California

Format: Participants chosen based upon standing in COA/CCCFCA Regional Football Poll and bowl game results.

Sponsors: Hyundai Motor America is the statewide title sponsor. Blue Diamond Growers and Visalia Area Sports Association (VASA) are the game's presenting sponsors. Pepsi-Cola is a statewide COA sponsor. Spalding Sporting Goods is the official game ball provider. JCFootball.com is official external news source of the championship. Additional sponsors include Save Mart Supermarkets, Midtown Sports, Link’s Men’s and women’s Wear, Frank’s Liquors, Buckman Mitchell Insurance, City of Visalia, KJUG Radio, Serpa Auto, Visalia Economic Development Council, Convention and Visitor’s Burea, Visalia Times Delta, Groppetti Family Automotive, Bennett’s Office Supplies, The Allen Group and A.G. Edwards.

Sanction:The championship is sanctioned by the California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics (COA).

Host Hotel: The Holiday Inn Plaza Park at Visalia Airport is the official headquarters hotel. The property is located at 9000 W. Airport Drive in Visalia at the junction of Hwy. 198 and Hwy. 99. Telephone number is 559.651.5000. Room rate is $60 if reservations are made by Friday, November 30, 2001.

Operations:COA Associate Commissioner Stu Van Horn is the game director. The Game Operations Committee, co-chaired by Van Horn and Stan Simpson, conducts game management.

Festival: On game day, the Visalia Area Sports Association is hosting a special tail-gate party, beginning at 9:00 a.m. to be held at the Mineral King park, at the east end of the stadium in Visalia. Local radio station KJUG will be hosting several events. RV’s are welcome. Come join the fun! Sorry, no overnight parking allowed.

Game Events: This year’s game features several exciting attractions, including two special halftime activities involving fans of the game. Those include a drawing for a brand new Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, donated by Serpa Automotive and a field goal kick for cash worth up to $50,000. Also, the high-stepping Tulare High School band is back again this year to provide pre-game and half-time entertainment.

On Friday, December 7, the COA will host a special players banquet, to be held at the Holiday Inn Plaza Park beginning at 6:00 p.m. This is the official players banquet. The public is invited. Tickets are $25 pp. Contact the COA via email at Svanhorn@coasports.org to make your reservations. A reservation made is a reservation paid.

Post game events include the official awards ceremony, featuring the awarding of the finalist and state championship trophies, players medals, and individual awards honoring the game’s outstanding players.

Publicity: Credentialing and on-site media relations to be directed by COA Sports Information Director Dave Eadie. Glenn Haller, Antelope Valley College, is game-day statistics coordinator. Press Conference will be held on Friday, December 7 at 3:15 p.m. in the Visalia Elk's Lodge CCC Football Hall of Fame room.

In addition, Central Valley Save Mart supermarkets have again teamed up with the COA, Blue Diamond Growers and Pepsi. In November-December, Save Mart stores have created special in-store displays featuring point-of-sale posters promoting the game and 10,000 Pepsi bottleneck hangers, each coupon offering the bearer to discounts at the gate on game day. The promotion also includes a special Blue Diamond coupon offering a free two-liter Pepsi when purchasing two cans of Blue Diamond almonds. This coupon appears in the Save Mart coupon book being mailed in late November to nearly 500,000 Central Valley residents.

Television:The game will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Net and the COA Television Network. Consult www.coasports.org for more information.

Press Box:Game day only: 559.636.9653 (phone), 559.636.9617 (fax).

Contacts:Stu Van Horn: (916) 444-1600; Dave Eadie (916) 444-1699.