Fidelity to Serve as First Official Sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football

Hall of Fame and Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of

not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher edu-

cation, recently announced an expanded initiative between the

two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a commitment to higher education.

As part of the agreement, Fidelity will serve as the first presenting sponsor of the NFF National

Scholar-Athlete Awards in the 53-year history of the prestigious program, which honors outstand-

ing student-athletes with scholarships to continue their post-graduate education. The firm will also

sponsor the NFF Scholar-Athlete Reception and additional activities associated with the NFF

Annual Awards Dinner honoring the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class in New York City

in early December.

To promote the achievements of the recipients, Fidelity will work with ESPN to produce a series of

short television segments about the 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, which annually recog-

nizes the top 15 individuals in the country for their academic success, football performance and exem-

plary community leadership. The segments will also include a special feature on the recipient of the

William V. Campbell Trophy winner, who is recognized by the NFF as the top football scholar-athlete

in the nation. All of the segments will air on ESPN’s College Football Live on Thursdays from

September through early December.

“Fidelity has a long-standing commitment to supporting higher education institutions across the

country,” said John Ragnoni, executive vice president, Fidelity Tax-Exempt Retirement Services. “This

new partnership with the National Football Foundation gives us the opportunity not only to recog-

nize athletic accomplishments, but also to support and showcase students who are excelling in the

classroom, on the field and in their communities.”

Fidelity will also continue to support the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program. The

salutes are a series of on-field plaque presentations at universities and colleges across the United States

that honor the annual College Football Hall of Fame inductees at their respec-

tive alma maters.

“Millions of Americans and higher education employees look to Fidelity to

help them save for retirement, and their commitment to excellence makes

Fidelity the perfect corporate partner for our programs that highlight the best of

the best,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We know that Fidelity’s

participation will significantly raise the visibility of our efforts while strengthen-

ing our key relationships at colleges and universities from coast-to-coast.”

The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, launched in 1959, were the

first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes post-graduate scholarships

for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Fidelity

becomes the first official sponsor of the program, which has awarded more

than $9.5 million to 740 individuals since its inception. The program current-

ly provides $300,000 each year in post-graduate scholarships to 15 of the

nation’s top scholar-athletes from all levels of collegiate play. Fidelity’s spon-

sorship of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards will provide the program

unprecedented visibility through a series of innovative marketing initiatives.

Notable past NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients include for-

mer NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon

(UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC

anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home

of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); record-setting NFL quar-

terback Peyton Manning (Tennessee); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker

(Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Tim Tebow (Florida).

Fidelity Investments is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with assets under administration of more than

$3.6 trillion, including managed assets of more than $1.6 trillion, as of July 31, 2011. Founded in 1946, the firm is a leading

provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and many other

financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial interme-

diary firms. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com. (Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member

NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917. © 2011 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.)

Fidelity Investments and NFF Announce New Sponsorship

2011 October Issue 12 www.footballfoundation.org

ABOVE: Peyton Manning, a 1997 NFFNational Scholar-Athlete from Tennessee.

LEFT: Derrick Brooks, a 1994 NFFNational Scholar-Athlete from Florida State.

BELOW: Mark Harmon, a 1973 NFFNational Scholar-Athlete from UCLA.

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