Power Company To Sell Fighting Illini Electricity
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WBBM/CBS) -- The University of Illinois is adding a quarter of a million dollars to its budget, thanks to a savvy business deal.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Michele Fiore reports, the university has agreed to let Texas-based energy company use the Fighting Illini name.
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The Branded Retail Energy Company of Dallas will sell power in Illinois under the name Fighting Illini Energy. The company already has similar deals with the University of Texas, Texas A&M University and Southern Methodist University.
But to get the rights to the name, the company must pay to use it. The cost will be at least $250,000 a year, the U of I says.
U of I assistant athletic director for corporate sponsorships Marty Kaufmann said the proceeds from the deal will go into the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics' operating budget.
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