Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2013 Contact: Gay Pinder 410-704-4471 [email protected]

Towson University’s new event venue officially named SECU Arena

Partnership marks shared values and commitment to excellence

TOWSON, MD – ’s newly constructed state-of-the-art athletics and entertainment venue will now be known as SECU Arena.

SECU – ’s largest state-chartered financial cooperative – and Towson University today announced a new agreement that gives SECU exclusive naming rights to the new home of Tigers athletics and other community events. The venue will also be used for concerts, family shows, meetings, commencement ceremonies for TU university and other area schools, and small conventions.

Along with arena naming rights, and the media and signage package that accompanies it, comes a fully-engaged partnership with the university that will include the SECU Welcome Center at the arena, a SECU Information Center, and ATMs – all of which will add value to both sides of the partnership.

“We are excited about this new partnership with a highly respected Maryland institution of higher education that shares our values and our commitment to excellence. This agreement transcends simply putting the SECU name on the University’s new arena,” SECU President and CEO Rod Staatz said during today’s announcement inside the 5,200-seat arena. “This is a 360-degree relationship that will allow us to become integral partners with the university – including its students, alumni, and faculty, as well as the residents in the region – in ways that simply have not been available before.”

The partnership ties directly with Towson University’s and SECU’s ongoing work with young adults around the subject of financial literacy. SECU offers comprehensive financial education programs that provide young adults with consumer advice on issues impacting financial well-being and enables them to better understand their own personal financial situations. As a result of this new partnership, SECU will build on and expand these programs for the benefit of Towson University students.

“We are excited to embark on this new partnership,” Towson University President Dr. said today. “SECU is a valued community partner with a well-deserved reputation as a solid, customer-focused Maryland financial institution. This is a partnership that allows us to strengthen our existing programs and that benefits Towson University and our students, SECU and its members, and the entire community.”

The new arena opened to strong praise this past May and June as it hosted six Towson University commencement ceremonies along with 15 high school graduations, followed by the Special Olympics of Maryland and three nights with the world famous Harlem Globetrotters.

SECU Arena features four premium mezzanine level private suites, approximately 340 premium club seats around the top of the lower bowl, and 120 courtside seats. The interior is column free, providing unobstructed views from anywhere in the arena.

Additional amenities to the “green” environmentally-certified building include a 1,500-square foot hospitality room, a 680-square foot multipurpose room on the mezzanine, and an 800-square foot team store on the concourse level. The new arena features a four-level, center-hung scoreboard along with a unique “more than 360-degree” video fascia display.

The local design architect for SECU Arena was 's Hord, Coplan, Macht, in association with Sasaki Associates of Boston. Sasaki, known for its experience with athletic facilities, was involved in the master planning for the Beijing Olympics. The Gilbane Building Company of Laurel, Md. was the project's construction manager.

The naming rights agreement announced today between SECU and Towson University was fostered by Team Services, LLC, a leading naming rights agency based locally in Rockville, MD. Team Services also brokered similar agreements for M&T Bank Stadium, FedEx Field, the Comcast Center and the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY, among many others.

About SECU Founded in Baltimore in 1951, SECU is the largest state-chartered financial cooperative in Maryland, with over 225,000 members. SECU is ranked among the top 50 credit unions for total assets in the U.S. As of June, 2013, assets were $2.6 billion. Headquartered in Linthicum, MD, SECU has 22 branches and 106 ATMs throughout Maryland. SECU also provides access to over 70,000 surcharge-free ATMs through the CO-OP and Allpoint networks. For more information about SECU, visit secumd.org

About Towson University Founded in 1866, Towson University is recognized as one of the nation's best regional public universities, offering more than 100 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and applied professional fields. With nearly 22,000 students, the university is among the largest public universities in Maryland and has the second largest enrollment among University System of Maryland institutions. Additionally, Towson offers the most comprehensive sports program in the metropolitan Baltimore area, fielding 19 varsity teams that compete in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Since joining the league in 2001-02, the Tigers have won CAA titles in men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s swimming and diving, baseball, volleyball, and men’s golf. Last year, the Tigers enjoyed their finest year since joining the CAA as Towson captured a combined seven CAA regular-season and Tournament championships. For more information, visit www.towson.edu.

About Team Services, LLC Team Services, LLC, based in Rockville, Maryland, is an industry-leading partnership marketing agency. The company specializes in providing high-level sponsorship sales, marketing and consulting services to professional franchises, universities, and corporations. Team Services has completed naming rights partnerships on behalf of clients in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA and leads “Fuel Up to Play 60,” a national fitness and nutrition program co-owned by America’s Dairy Farmers and the NFL. To learn more about Team Services, log on to their website at www.teamservicesllc.com.

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