Vote for your favorite coach and help them raise money in the “Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge”

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

Infiniti announced that it will once again sponsor the “Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge” as part of its partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NCAA and ESPN. Now in its sixth year, the program consists of 48 NCAA^® Division I men’s basketball coaches competing for fan votes in a four-round contest that helps raise money for charities of the coaches’ choice.

Infiniti, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, has pledged to make donations throughout the competition totaling over $345,000. The farther the coaches advance in the competition, the more money is raised for their respective charities. The winning coach will receive $100,000 to benefit his charity of choice.

Beginning January 4, fans will decide who the winner is over a 10 week period, casting votes on a custom online microsite at www.espn.com/infiniti. Voters can cast one vote per day for a coach’s charity.

The first round of voting takes place January 4 and runs through January 24, with half of the coaches advancing to a second round, held between January 25 and February 14. From February 15 to February 28, the 16 advancing coaches from round two will compete in a third round where only four coaches advance to the final, fourth round. From February 29 to March 13, fans can vote for one coach per day with the top vote-getting coach and charity announced on March 13, 2016.

Among this year’s group of participating 48 coaches are University of Arizona coach Sean Miller, competing for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona; Auburn University coach Bruce Pearl, competing for the Children’s Harbor, Inc.; Clemson University coach Brad Brownell, competing for the Outdoor Dream Foundation; University of Colorado coach Tad Boyle, competing for Special Olympics Colorado; Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski, competing for the Emily Krzyzewski Center; University of Kansas coach Bill Self, competing for the Assists Foundation; Louisiana State University coach Johnny Jones, competing for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank; University of Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, competing for Coaches vs. Cancer; Oklahoma State University coach Travis Ford, competing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma; University of Virginia coach Tony Bennett, competing for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville; and Wichita State University coach Gregg Marshall, competing for Wichita Children’s home. While only one coach will win the grand prize, Infiniti has guaranteed each coach a donation of at least $1,000 to his chosen charitable organization.

“Every year Infiniti looks forward to partnering with NABC, NCAA and ESPN to raise money for many deserving charities with the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge,” said Allyson Witherspoon, director of marketing and media, Infiniti USA. “With the sixth year of competition heating up, we’re eager to see which coach raises the most funds for their charity of choice.”

”The significant contributions made by men’s college basketball coaches in their own communities and across America are amplified by the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge,” said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. ”In the past five years through the Challenge, college basketball fans across the country have joined with these outstanding coaches to raise funds and awareness for a great number of charitable organizations.”

“The Infiniti Coaches Charity Challenge is a great way for fans to team with coaches in an effort to raise awareness and funds for causes that positively impact so many people,” said Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president for championships and alliances. “We’re proud to partner with Infiniti, NABC, ESPN and some of the best coaches in intercollegiate athletics who are viewed as role models for our student-athletes when they give back to their communities.”

ESPN will promote the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge across many different platforms including ESPN broadcast, ESPN.com and several social media platforms.

About Infiniti

Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.

Infiniti design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi, near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing.

Infiniti is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its iconic design and innovative driver-assistance technologies. More information about Infiniti and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

About NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 450,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.NCAA.org and www.NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals, members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. [NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest “Phog” Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

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Infiniti USA Communications
Kyle Bazemore
Senior Manager, 615-739-8404
kyle.bazemore@infiniti.com