JOURNAL SPORTS
The Sugar Bowl and the Louisiana High School Athletic Association are together again.
Monday, the organizations announced a landmark partnership through which the Sugar Bowl will serve as the title sponsor of all 16 LHSAA-sanctioned sports state championships. The six-year agreement was collaboratively secured by the LHSAA and Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company.
“The Sugar Bowl is honored to have the opportunity to once again partner with the LHSAA to serve as the title sponsor for its championship events,” said Jeff Hundley, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Bowl. “We have worked with the LHSAA for many years and expanding our current agreement allows us to support even more great young athletes throughout the state.”
The Sugar Bowl, which was founded in 1934, and the LHSAA, which was founded in 1920, are two of the most venerable sports organizations in Louisiana. The two organizations have worked together for many years, including the Bowl serving as the title sponsor for the LHSAA championship events from 2014- 2020.
The Sugar Bowl has been the presenting sponsor of the LHSAA football state championships since 2020, meaning it has had the opportunity to recognize 140 high school football state champions from 50 different high schools since 2014.
With this new agreement, the football state championship, which features title games in eight divisions, will now be entitled the “LHSAA Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Classic.”
“The LHSAA was founded over 100 years ago to serve student-athletes across the entire state of Louisiana, and that remains our constant focus,” said Eddie Bonine, executive director of the LHSAA. “This partnership will drive additional visibility for our efforts and enable us to continue creating first class events for our student athletes.”
He said it will also elevate the visibility and prestige of high school athletics across Louisiana through investment in recognition, access, and opportunity for student-athletes.
The Sugar Bowl will fund annual scholarships for outstanding student-athletes as well as continuing to support the CFP Foundation’s “Extra Yard for Teachers” program. The CFP and the Sugar Bowl have contributed over $5 million to support Louisiana teachers since 2019.
Additionally, students will benefit from elevated championship experiences including branded awards, on-field recognition, and enhanced event production, while expanded digital, broadcast, and promotional platforms increase visibility for schools and athletes statewide.
“This partnership, in bringing together two like-minded non-profit organizations, will have a multiplicative impact in supporting their communities in Louisiana,” said Brent Vander Mey, Group Vice President of High School and Youth at Playfly Sports. “At Playfly, we’re excited that this deal bridges high school and college athletics, providing additional reach that will amplify both of their efforts to unique audiences.”
In addition to high school events, the Allstate Sugar Bowl is involved in numerous sporting events and recognition programs for athletes at all levels. All of these activities serve the organization’s original mission of generating tourism for the region through athletics. To that end, Bowl events last year generated over $360 million in economic impact for the region, and over the last decade have created over $2.6 billion in impact, producing over $190 million in direct tax revenue for New Orleans and Louisiana.
With the new LHSAA arrangement, the Sugar Bowl Committee now sponsors or administers 43 annual events, all of which will play a role in driving economic benefit for the city and state.