How Yale Prez Turned To Corporate Boards To Keep Tennis in New Haven
School presidents juggle a lot of hats. According to an article in today's Yale Daily News, one of them includes courting sponsors when the local pro tennis tourney is in need of a new title.
After Pilot Pen dropped its 15 year title sponsorship of the New Haven men's and women's tennis event, tournament officials scrambled to find a title sponsor under a self-imposed September 30th deadline. The deadline came and passed with no sponsorship and the future of the tournament in doubt.
Yale University President Richard Levin turned to his own rolodex to court sponsorship from American Express and Aetna, helping secure the tournament's future in New Haven. Levin sits on the Board of Directors at both companies, according to the article.
Regarding those sponsorships, Levin said he only made the introductions and was not involved in negotiations. “I only made the connection and let Anne Worcester and the team deal with the marketing team at American Express,” Levin told the Yale Daily News.
The newly renamed women's only event, The New Haven Open at Yale, will be held next year from August 19 to 27.
