Atlantic University Sport and the City of Moncton announce plans for 2011 Uteck Bowl

September 19, 2011 (MONCTON, N.B.) – At a press conference held this morning at the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium, Atlantic University Sport and the City of Moncton announced plans for the upcoming Uteck Bowl presented by Bud Light, to be played Friday, November 18th, 2011.

This will mark the first time a CIS Semi-Bowl game hosted by Atlantic University Sport (AUS) will be played outside the city of Halifax, N.S.

“Atlantic University Sport is excited and proud to be hosting the 2011 Uteck Bowl in the City of Moncton”, said Phil Currie, Executive Director of Atlantic University Sport and chairman of the Uteck Bowl Organizing Committee. “The beautiful new Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium is a world class facility, our partnership with the City of Moncton has been exceptional and we are looking forward to exposing our product to a new market.”

Currie also announced today that The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and M. Yvon Fontaine, President and Vice-Chancellor of the Université de Moncton, will serve as the co-Honorary Chairs of the 2011 Uteck Bowl, citing their vision, involvement and personal connection with making the new campus stadium a reality.

“The addition of the new facility on campus has been a catalyst for bringing new events to the City of Moncton that might not otherwise have an opportunity to be hosted here,” said Currie. “Minister MacKay and President Fontaine’s passion and pride were instrumental in making that happen and it is a pleasure to be able to recognize their contributions and have them involved in the event.”

Mr. MacKay was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1997. He was re-elected in his northern Nova Scotia constituency in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Prior to his appointment as Minister of National Defence, Mr. MacKay served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway.

“The 2011 Uteck Bowl is an excellent opportunity for Atlantic Canadians to enjoy high calibre competition, for top student athletes from across the country to test their mettle, and for the Université de Moncton to showcase its impressive new stadium. I am gratified to be playing a part in this year’s event, and wish all the athletes the very best when they take to the field in November,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence.

In 2000, Mr. Fontaine became the eighth President of the Université de Moncton, Canada’s largest French-language university outside Québec with campuses in Edmundston, Moncton and Shippagan.
Mr. Fontaine has been a member of the Atlantic University Sport Board of Directors for the past twelve years and in 2010 he oversaw the completion of the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium on the Moncton campus.

“I am honoured to have been asked to act as co-Honorary Chair for this great event alongside the Honourable Peter MacKay,” Université de Moncton president Yvon Fontaine said. “The Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium has been a welcome addition to our university and has already proven to be a great venue for hosting football. I look forward to the Uteck Bowl with great anticipation.”

“We are very excited to have the Uteck Bowl coming to Moncton,” says Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc. “This is an excellent event with a rich tradition. Moncton has some of the best football fans and this is an excellent opportunity for our residents to experience even more high quality football in our region.”

The schedule of events and ticket information for the 2011 Uteck Bowl was also announced today.

Currie confirmed that TSN will be returning to broadcast the event with the kick-off time set for 7:30pm local time.

Currie also announced plans for the “Rogers Red Zone”, a tailgate party presented by Bud Light, inside the stadium which will open two hours prior to the game and continue for the duration of the game. Access to this zone, which will include live music, interactive activities and give-aways, can be purchased for an additional $5.00.

“The team at Labatt is very proud of its long term partnership with Atlantic University Sport and excited to have the Uteck Bowl come to Moncton, New Brunswick,” said Dave Valiquette, District Sales Manager, Labatt. “As always, we’re proud to say “I’m in” for the AUS and its hardworking university athletes.”

“This year in Moncton we will be changing the branding of the event to Bud Light to align with our many local grassroots, community and international football sponsorships, including our recent six-year partnership announced with the NFL in Canada,” continued Mr. Valiquette. “Kick-off can’t come soon enough!”

Tickets for the game will range from $15-$30 and will go on sale Tuesday, September 20th. All tickets can be purchased through the Moncton Coliseum Box Office at 506-857-4100 or by visiting [url]www.tickets.moncton.ca.

The Uteck Bowl is hosted by Atlantic University Sport every two years. This year, the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions will travel to Moncton to participate in the contest with a trip to the Vanier Cup on the line.

The AUS football conference currently consists of four participating universities, including Acadia, Mount Allison, Saint Mary’s and StFX. The Uteck Bowl has traditionally been held at Huskies Stadium in Halifax, regardless of which AUS team qualifies.