FINDLAY, Ohio — Cooper Tire today announced it is the new Official Tire Partner of the Big Ten Conference, putting the brand front and center on the Big Ten Network’s television, digital and radio properties throughout 2016, reaching millions nationwide.

Cooper will also be seen in-stadium with venue signage during men’s and women’s basketball, hockey and football, including the Big Ten Football Championship Game, Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments and other conference championships and tournaments.

The Big Ten Network is the premier destination for college sports fans to immerse themselves in the Big Ten experience. Capturing the conference’s passion and tradition with unparalleled coverage of more than 1,000 sporting events each year, the Big Ten Network is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering America’s most storied collegiate conference.

“Cooper has always had a passion for college sports and we’re excited to bring that passion to life as the Official Tire Partner of the Big Ten Conference,” said Jessica Egerton, Cooper’s Director of Brand Development. “The Big Ten shares the kind of commitment to performance that Cooper has when it comes to innovating and producing quality tires. The Big Ten and Cooper make a great team,” she added.

Big10_property logo image“The history of the Big Ten spans 120 years since the conference was established in 1896. Teaming up with Cooper, a company that has been producing quality tires for more than a century and is one of only two major tire companies headquartered in the U.S., is a great fit,“ said Scott Bailey, General Manager of Big Ten Sports Properties. “There’s a lot in store for the Big Ten in 2016 and we’re looking forward to cheering on victories with Cooper as our Official Tire Partner. Securing the partnership was a collaborative effort between BTN and Learfield’s Big Ten Sports Properties, multi-media rights holder of the Big Ten.”

Watch for Cooper throughout the 2016-17 Big Ten academic year. For more information, visit www.BigTen.org or www.CooperTire.com. Join the conversation by connecting with Cooper on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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About Big Ten Network
Headquartered in Chicago, BTN is the first internationally distributed television network dedicated to covering one of America’s premier collegiate conferences. With nearly 1,000 sports events across all platforms in high definition, BTN is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country. The network is on the air 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. www.bigten.org

About the Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,500 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber CompanyCooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: CTB) is the parent company of a global family of companies that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of passenger car and light truck tires. Cooper and its subsidiaries also sell medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. Cooper’s headquarters is in Findlay, Ohio, with manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design operations within its family of companies located in more than one dozen countries around the world. For more information on Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com, www.facebook.com/coopertire or www.twitter.com/coopertire.

Contact:
Michelle Rehbein
Cooper Tire
419.424.4251
mrrehbein@coopertire.com