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BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYSJuly 24, 2013Scott JenkinsCHICAGO, ILLINOIS THE MODERATOR: Our next speaker is Tournament of Roses, Scott Jenkins. (Video played.) SCOTT JENKINS: Good afternoon. I hope you enjoyed that video. On behalf of the Tournament of Roses and all its volunteers members and staff, I'd like to thank Commissioner Jim Delany for giving us this opportunity to speak briefly with you today. Since 1946, we have had a unique, exclusive, and most cherished partnership with the Big Ten Conference. Earlier this year we announced that this great relationship had been extended, along with that of ESPN through 2026. We couldn't be more proud of all that we've accomplished, as well as all that is yet to come. As many of you already know, and you just saw, January2014 marks a significant time in Tournament of Roses history. For more than a century, each January, Pasadena, California, has served as America's New Year's celebration. Fans from across the country and around the globe tune in to watch and listen to The Rose Parade followed by the granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl game. This January we'll not only celebrate the 125th Rose Parade and 100th Rose Bowl game, but we'll also serve as host for the final BCS National Championship game. And without looking down the road too far, we're also thrilled to be one of the first to host a semifinal game in January2015 as part of the new college football playoff. As we at the tournament have begun to refer to it, the future has created a perfect trifecta for us to celebrate the postseason. The 100th Rose Bowl game, the BCS Championship game, and the first semifinal game. So while I am clearly partial, the scene seems to get more magical each year as the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains in Pasadena brings to life the pageantry associated with college football. Each summer we join together in the midst of significant change from conference realignment to coaching moves, to postseason shifts. However, I think we all appreciate the tremendous success and accomplishments that college football has brought to the lives of so many athletes, students and fans. It has been widely reported that we are on the precipice of college football becoming second only to the NFL as the nation's most popular sport. College football is an up‑and‑down roller coaster ride that continues to excite us all, and we anticipate it will become even more successful in the future. I'd like to spend just a couple of minutes sharing some of the highlights and celebrations surrounding the 100th game, including details on a special project that we just announced last week. This past April we unveiled the 100th Rose Bowl game commemorative logo, which will be used exclusively this year. The logo incorporates aspects of our traditions including Pasadena‑based architecture and those famed San Gabriel Mountains that turn orange and purple with setting of the afternoon sun on our game day. On display here today is a specially designed trophy by Tiffany&Co. which underwent modifications to include 24‑carat gold accents to the sterling masterpiece. Later this summer, along with Whitman Publishing House and their Vault series, we will release a book about the 100th Rose Bowl game. We give special thanks to your colleague, Malcolm Moran, for his vision and exceptional journalistic skills in making this book a must‑have for college football fans and Rose Bowl game enthusiasts. In conjunction with the Football Writers Association of America, the Rose Bowl game will also announce on Selection Sunday, December8, 2013, an all‑century class by decade. Finally, we're excited to share our news about the new Rose Bowl brick campaign. Fans will have an opportunity to purchase personalized pavers and bricks that will be incorporated into a mosaic outside of Gate A under the iconic marquee at the Rose Bowl Stadium. Brick prices start at $100, with optional incentives for replicas and display cases. There will be approximately 27,000 bricks as part of the design varying in size and finishings. Proceeds of the brick campaign will help improvement projects necessary to support the future of the Rose Bowl game and the historic Rose Bowl Stadium. Public sale of the bricks will begin in August with project installation slated for April of 2014. For more information about our brick campaign, I encourage you to visit rosebowlbricks.com. Before I open it up for questions, I again would like to thank our partners at the Big Ten Conference, and we extend our wishes to the Big Ten for another century of great accomplishments and lifelong memories. Also like to thank all the media here in attendance today. As you heard, the Rose Bowl game started with very humble beginnings, and as the video depicted, has ushered in the latest trends in media innovation, while sharing this beloved sport with the world. From the very first radio transmission to the first colored television and now the various social media platforms, you continue to tell our story and share the passion, strength, tradition and honor associated with the Rose Bowl game. Thanks for listening. THE MODERATOR: Questions. SCOTT JENKINS: I would like to point out that I stand between you and Jim Delany. The fewer questions we have, the faster you're going to get to the commissioner. Q. Obviously there were a lot of negotiations and things that went into the new playoff format, but can you just speak from your mind how important it was to maintain that position the Rose Bowl has in the traditional slot that everybody knows about at 4:00, 5:00 on January the1st, and just maintaining that tradition going forward, how important was that to keep all that together? SCOTT JENKINS: Very important. We're proud of our history and traditions, and it's a great way to celebrate the new year with hope and joy from Pasadena with our parade and game. As you know, our parade is in the morning. The game is in the afternoon. And we think it holds a treasured spot in American history. And I think the fans across the country look forward to that. We are pleased to keep that. More important, we treasure our association with the Pac‑12 Conference and the Big Ten Conference. That agreement was entered into in 1946. First game was in 1947. And that is something we very much treasure and cherish. So we were pleased to maintain all of that. Thank you for asking. Q. Is this trophy‑‑ is this just a centennial trophy or will the new design be carried on next year's game? SCOTT JENKINS: This is one‑of‑a‑kind. We wanted to make the 100th Rose Bowl game a special trophy. And so by adding these gold attributes to it, we think it designates that this is one‑of‑a‑kind, the 100th Rose Bowl game. I'd like to make a presentation to our commissioner, Jim Delany. If Jim would come up and join me. Mr.Delany, by the way, he was my climbing partner a year ago in Tanzania, and we summited on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro on August8th last year. So, Jim, it's my pleasure to present the Big Ten Conference with a commemorative brick recognizing our long association at the Rose Bowl, and we hope that you will display it proudly in your new offices. Jim, congratulations. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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