August 8, 1997
Cox Communications And SDSU Announce 12-Year Strategic Partnership
CONTACT: Tamara Shackelton, Capener, Matthews & Walcher (619) 238-8500, Ext. 257 or Judith Morgan Jennings Cox Communications, (619) 266-5382
SAN DIEGO -- Linking technology and education, San Diego State University, in conjunction with the Associated Students, and Cox Communications today announced a long-term, multi-faceted agreement that will extend well into the 2lst Century.
The Cox/SDSU agreement includes naming rights for the new 12,000-plus-seat, multi-purpose arena, named Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl, joint community outreach programs, a sports television package, and substantial telecommunications investments.
"This opportunity has value that goes beyond a business relationship. It provides us the means to develop truly new ways of providing education to future students," SDSU President Stephen Weber said.
"In an increasingly complicated, competitive world, access to information and the ability to instantly apply that knowledge will be invaluable to SDSU students' success and prosperity," Cox Communications
General Manager Bill Geppert said. "We are excited about extending our commitment to the community we serve."
Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl is the centerpiece of SDSU's $52 million Aztec Bowl Student Activity Center, financed by the Associated Students of SDSU. Scheduled to open the summer of 1997, Cox Arena will be the premier facility for SDSU athletics and will host a variety of programs including lectures, concerts, plays, cultural events and various athletic competitions.
President of SDSU's Associated Students Carlos Razo said: "This partnership will provide an invaluable service to support the educational needs of today's students with tomorrow's technology."
Cox Communications and SDSU have been partners in education since 1993 when Cox provided a fiber-optic cable link enabling Clear View Charter School students in Chula Vista a distance learning exchange program with SDSU professors.
"Cox Arena will bring Aztec basketball and volleyball back to campus," Athletic Director Rick Bay said.
"This partnership represents an enormous step forward for athletics at this university and in San Diego as a whole. " SDSU Athletics also will benefit from dramatically expanded television coverage of Aztec sports including five (5) football and ten (10) basketball games on Cox 4 San Diego.
As a part of this agreement, Cox Communications will become the primary provider of telecommunications services, including high-speed internet access, distance learning and a variety of telephony applications.
Outreach programs will include an expansion of the current Cox/SDSU distance learning programs to include selected schools, potential linkage between SDSU and a college in Mexico and SDSU student internships at Cox.
Cox Communications currently employs more than 1,100 individuals in San Diego County. To date, Cox San Diego has deployed more than 70,000 glass miles of fiber-optic cable, positioning San Diego as the most "wired" city in the state.
For more information about Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl, please call (619) 594-0234, or visit the arena's Website at www.sdsu.edu/arena.