AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT), ESPN and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association are pleased to announce that Goodyear has become the title sponsor of the Cotton Bowl, beginning with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic to be played on Jan. 1, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

The sponsorship further positions Goodyear as a major corporate brand participant in college football, with the company's blimp fleet serving as one of the most recognizable sights above stadiums while providing aerial coverage of key games for decades. 

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, as a member of the "New Year's Six" – the top bowl games included in the College Football Playoff Semifinal rotation – will host a top matchup annually. This includes a semifinal game on Dec. 31, 2015 as the sponsorship continues.

"Like many of our customers, we at Goodyear are passionate about college football and are excited to team up with the Cotton Bowl and ESPN in bringing this legendary game to football fans on New Year's Day," said Steve McClellan, president, Goodyear North America. "We are thrilled to share in the excitement of the inaugural year of the college football playoff format through support of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic."

"This is a terrific marriage between two iconic brands," said Dan Novakov, chairman of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. "We are extremely grateful for Goodyear's support and excited to have a company so passionate about college football by our side as we embark on the College Football Playoff era."

ESPN will have exclusive coverage of the 2015 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and the all-new College Football Playoff beginning with the 2014-2015 season, featuring the four top teams as ranked by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.

Ed Erhardt, president, ESPN Global Customer Marketing and Sales, said, "Goodyear and the Goodyear Blimp have been associated with sports for decades. It only stands to reason that they should help inaugurate this most exciting era of the College Football Playoff.  We look forward to building on our long-standing relationship with both the Cotton Bowl and Goodyear to create a spectacular experience for college football fans."

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs approximately 69,000 people and manufactures its products in 50 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com.

The Cotton Bowl Classic was formed in 1937 with the mission of providing the most innovative of all college football bowl games and to be a leader in creating premier college sports experiences for universities, student athletes, sponsors and the community. Since the inaugural game in 1937, the Classic has contributed more than $200 million to participating institutions. Each year, football fans attending the Cotton Bowl Classic generate more than $30 million in direct spending for the North Texas community.

ESPN, the world's leading sports entertainment company, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by The Hearst Corporation.

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company