Fans, The Canes Need Your Support
Sept. 9, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Does the University of Miami have the state’s No. 1 fans? The new Florida Fan Game will decide by pitting UM against five other Florida universities in a contest highlighting football and tourism.
Head football coach Al Golden is leading the Hurricane charge, starting with a wave of TV spots and videos calling on fans to play in support of UM and in support of tourism.
The contest, hosted by VISIT FLORIDA, aims to tap the energy of football fans, students, alumni and other university supporters and convert it into support for tourism, the Sunshine State’s No. 1 industry and top employer. Fans will play by inviting thousands of friends, relatives and colleagues to visit Florida.
The competing schools are UM, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida. The school whose fan base sends the most invitations by Dec. 5 wins.
The grand prize for one lucky fan is an 11-day, six-person vacation across Florida, including Gainesville, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee and Tampa. Fans who play can win other prizes, too, including game tickets and great deals on Florida travel, while helping their university win the title and statewide bragging rights.
Coach Golden is challenging Miami fans to support the Hurricanes by inviting everyone they know to visit Florida. He stressed that supporting tourism grows Florida’s economy and creates job opportunities for Florida graduates.
“I’m challenging all Canes fans to win this game for the University of Miami and for the state of Florida,” Coach Golden said. “Our fans ARE Florida’s No. 1 fans, and we’ll prove that by being No. 1 at inviting tourists from around the country to visit this beautiful state. Anybody who visits Miami wants to come back again, and that’s great for our economy and our university.”
Fans will play through the game site Facebook.com/ShareaLittleSunshine where they will find Florida travel invitations representing each of the six universities. Fans can personalize their invitations and send them to their Facebook friends, adding a point each time on behalf of the selected school. Recipients will get an invitation to come for a getaway or vacation, accompanied by a $25 coupon for Southwest Airlines flights into Florida, and links to deals on hotels, restaurants and attractions.
Day to day throughout football season, the online scoreboard will track the number of invitations sent by each school. The highest total on Dec. 5 wins and that school claims the title of “Florida”s No. 1 Fans.”
The Florida Fan Game is an initiative of VISIT FLORIDA’s Share A Little Sunshine program, engaging Floridians to support state tourism by inviting others to visit the Sunshine State.
VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing organization, is hosting the Florida Fan Game, with support from its tourism partners, Southwest Airlines, IMG College, and the six participating universities, led by their head football coaches.
