Press Release
BASF and Michigan Athletics bring ‘Team Chemistry’ to life

BASF and Michigan Athletics bring ‘Team Chemistry’ to life ANN ARBOR, MI, & WYANDOTTE, MI, February 11, 2013 – BASF and the University of Michigan Athletic Department (U-M), Ann Arbor, Michigan, have entered into a unique alliance designed to bring innovation and sustainable development together via one of the most powerful connectors in college life - athletics. “Team Chemistry,” a term often used when talking about teamwork and sports, is the platform for this relationship as BASF and U-M work to highlight the importance of team chemistry between players, coaches, fans and venues on and off the field. “One of the goals of the alliance is to facilitate discussions between thought leaders at U-M and BASF to find connections and create innovative solutions that can be put in place in order to create a better fan experience while driving towards more sustainable operations,” said Greg Pflum, Vice President and General Manager – Midwest Hub for BASF North America. “The BASF facilities in Southfield, Michigan and Wyandotte, Michigan, will be involved in supporting the alliance.” BASF has introduced the Team Chemistry Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award as one aspect of the alliance. The award will recognize one group in the athletic department from across all sports at least once a month that embody the best qualities of team chemistry and its importance both on and off the field. “This is a forward-thinking partnership between BASF and Michigan Athletics that focuses on team chemistry and the issue of sustainability at our venues,” said Dave Brandon, the Donald R. Shepherd, Director of Athletics at U-M. “One of the reasons why BASF chose to align its brand with Michigan was because of our leadership in academics, teamwork and athletics. We are grateful that BASF chose to create a monthly team recognition award as part of this partnership. It’s a terrific way to honor one of our athletic teams or departments for their accomplishments.” Another innovative element of the alliance is the “BASF Team Chemistry Challenge” program, which is open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Michigan. The challenge, which will launch Feb. 11, will focus on lessening the environmental impact on game days at the university. Whether it’s in the stadium, in the arena, during the tailgate or in or out of a venue, BASF is challenging the students to harness the power of team chemistry to lessen the environmental impact that game day can create. The winning solution can come from areas such as improving athletics venue operations, transportation or sustainability tied to U-M’s sports programs and providing creative engineering or architectural enhancements to improve the fan experience. Entries will be judged by a panel of BASF and U-M representatives. The grand prize winner will be announced in early spring and a total of $25,000 will be awarded to the top teams that create the winning solutions. “Our innovative solutions positively affect so many facets of life at U-M that we determined the most appropriate connection point for our relationship is through something that many students, faculty members, staff, community members and alumni are passionate about – athletics,” said Pflum. “The relationship between BASF and U-M will actively engage the students and the surrounding community to demonstrate how chemistry creates a sustainable future.” IMG College, the multimedia rights partner of University of Michigan, brokered the unique alliance and will oversee activation of its elements to showcase innovation and sustainable development. To learn more about BASF and Team Chemistry, please visit us at: www.basf.us/teamchemistry To register for the Team Chemistry Challenge, please visit us at: http://www.mgoblue.com/promotions/basf-team-chemistry-challenge.html About IMG College IMG College is the nation’s leading collegiate multimedia, marketing and licensing/brand management company, representing more than 200 of the nation’s top collegiate properties, including the NCAA and its 89 championships, NCAA Football, leading conferences and many of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. Headquartered in Winston Salem, N.C., IMG College is the leader in connecting brands with the largest and most demographically attractive fan base in sports through partnership opportunities in multimedia rights, licensing, events and hospitality, marketing, stadium and arena development, stadium seating solutions, ticketing, sales and consulting. IMG College produces nearly 30,000 hours of radio programming on the largest sports network in the country, manages nearly 5,000 hours of local television programming, is the leading publisher of college sports publications and is the largest manager of university athletic websites. IMG College is a division of IMG Worldwide, a global sports, fashion and media business. For more information, please visit www.imgworld.com BASF - The Chemical Company BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us. BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com. Media Inquiries: Susan Jackson BASF Corporation Tel: (248) 304-5413 E-Mail: [email protected] Andrew Giangola IMG College Tel: (646) 871-2402 E-Mail: [email protected]