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Infiniti Tips Off Fifth Annual Coaches' Charity ChallengeInfiniti is once again proud to partner with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NCAA and ESPN (News - Alert) to sponsor the "Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge." Now in its fifth year, the program consists of 48 NCAA® Division I men's basketball coaches competing for fan votes in a four-round online bracket tournament that helps raise money for charities of the coaches' choice. As an official corporate partner of the NCAA, Infiniti will make total donations throughout the competition of $349,000. As coaches advance throughout the competition, donations totaling $249,000 will be awarded to each of their charities of choice; the farther the coaches advance, the more money they raise. The final winning coach will receive a total of $100,000 to benefit his charity of choice. Beginning January 5, fans will decide who the winner is over a four-round, 10-week period, casting votes on a custom online microsite at www.ESPN.com\Infiniti. Voters can cast their votes for one coach's charity each day. The first round of voting takes place January 5 and runs through January 25, with half of the coaches advancing to a second round, held between January 26 and February 15. From February 16 to March 1, the 16 advancing coaches from round two will compete in a third round where only four coaches advance to the final, fourth round. From March 2 to March 15, fans can vote for one coach, per region, per day, with the top vote-getting coach and charity announced on March 15, 2015. Included in this year's group of 48 coaches are Alabama coach Anthony Grant, competing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama; Baylor coach Scott Drew, competing for the Scott and Kelly Drew Endowed Scholarship; Arizona coach Sean Miller, competing for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona; Colorado coach Tad Boyle, competing for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver; and Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, competing for Wichita Children's Home. While there can only be one winner, Infiniti has guaranteed each coach a donation of at least $1,000 to their charity of choice, with the amount donated increasing the longer they stay in the competition. "Infiniti is inspired by the determination and athleticism shown during the NCAA Finals," said Michael Bartsch, Infiniti's Vice President of the Americas. "It's with that same spirit that we're excited to once again partner with NABC, NCAA and ESPN to raise money for many deserving charities with the "Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge." "Men's college basketball coaches make significant contributions regularly in their own communities and across America," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "The Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge has had a tremendous impact over the lst several years and is yet another opportunity for our coaches to raise awareness and gain support for many very worthy causes." "Having the opportunity to collaborate with Infiniti, one of our NCAA corporate partners, the NABC and its membership, and ESPN on the Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge allows all of us a chance to help individuals and worthwhile charities," said Keith Martin, NCAA managing director of championships and alliances. "The Challenge is an excellent way to unite sports and outreach in a beneficial way." ESPN will be promoting the Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge across many different platforms including ESPN broadcast, ESPN.com and several social media sites. 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 and China. Production in the UK will start in 2015, bringing with it significant expansion of the brand's portfolio. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017. As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the four-time FIA Formula One World Championship winning Team. More information about Infiniti and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, 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 460,000 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. Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for Nissan North America.
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