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ATHLETIC DEPT INFO

NJC Athletics

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Bank of Colorado retains naming rights for event center

January 23, 2009

Rob Haley
Sports Information Coordinator
Northeastern Junior College

The Bank of Colorado may be known for the motto,  “The Way Banking Should Be”, but the support  from the Bank of Colorado reaches  many more  than those “just banking”.  Traditionally the Bank of Colorado has shown their support and commitment to the community with contributions to students, schools and Northeastern Junior College to name a few. 

One major commitment the bank made began more than a decade ago (1997), with the acquisition of the naming rights of the new athletic facility that was being constructed to replace Jackson Hall on the NJC campus.  This facility would become home to not only the athletic teams of Northeastern Junior College, but it would establish itself as the hub for major activities in the Northern part of the state.   The monetary contribution made by the Bank of Colorado helped fund the facility and get the Bank of Colorado Event Center on its feet.  

“The Bank of Colorado came forward and made a commitment when no one really knew how successful the facility could be,” said NJC Athletic Director Jerrod Samber, “They saw the value it would have for the community and NJC.  We had a feeling the Event Center was going to be great, but it has surpassed what many thought it would be.  We couldn’t have done it without the generosity of the Bank of Colorado.”

 Sometimes it may be tough to put an exact value on the impact a facility has on a community, but the value of the Bank of Colorado Event Center is quite evident.  Many people from all over the world have visited the Sterling community to attend one of the many events hosted at the Bank of Colorado Event Center.  Thousands of patrons have attended NJC Athletic games, hundreds of High School athletic games, hundreds of youth athletic contests, multiple conventions, classes, concerts, and fitness center clients have graced the campus and the local businesses supporting the local economy.

“The Bank of Colorado Event Center has become just what we wanted it to be,” said Samber, “It is the facility that the local and surrounding communities can use for many different reasons, not only athletic events.  In fact, we are attracting people from all over the state of Colorado and bordering states using the facility for multiple types of events. The Bank of Colorado Event Center name has become well known and has developed quite an identity for what it offers.”

When the ten year contract with the Bank of Colorado had run out, in October, the moniker would either change to something new or it would possibly continue to operate using the Bank of Colorado name.  A sealed bid process took place with the Bank of Colorado outbidding several interested parties and the identity it had created from the building’s inception ten years earlier was preserved.   “The Bank of Colorado Event Center and Northeastern Junior College are huge assets to our community, says Bank of Colorado –Sterling ,President Steve Meier, “It is our the privilege of our banks in northeastern Colorado (Akron Brush, Ft. Morgan, Holyoke, Sterling and Yuma) to be part of it.  We are very fortunate to have a facility, such as the Event Center, in our area that solidifies our community as the hub of northeastern Colorado.

With the new 10 year contract comes some upgrades and maintenance on the already beautiful building.  “We stripped the floor down to the bare wood and repainted the main arena with a new look, we have also upgraded some of our workout and electronic equipment and refinished flooring in the training rooms,” stated NJC Athletic Director Jerrod Samber, “The upgrades are great and reflect our goal of having one of the most state of the art, top notch, well utilized facilities in Colorado.  The Bank of Colorado has made a commitment to the community of northeastern Colorado and NJC. We are also committed to offering something truly unique and special to our community.  We are very grateful for the efforts of the Bank of Colorado and we look to continue to offer the citizens of northeastern Colorado something they can be proud of.”