KHSAA lands sponsor for girls’ state tourney that could help keep event in Rupp
Mingua Beef Jerky will become the title sponsor the KHSAA’s girls’ Sweet Sixteen beginning this season, a move that could help keep the event in Lexington and Rupp Arena.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association announced the deal Thursday. While terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed, both parties indicated it would extend beyond 2020.
“Mingua Beef Jerky is excited to partner with the KHSAA on such an outstanding event as the girls’ Sweet Sixteen. As a family-owned Kentucky business, we are proud to support the kids of our state in helping them achieve their dreams,” said Curtis Mackley, vice president of Mingua Beef Jerky. “Playing at Rupp Arena is definitely a dream come true and we are happy we can help keep the girls’ tournament at Rupp.”
The girls’ tournament moved to Rupp Arena last year after stints at Northern Kentucky University’s BB&T Arena and Western Kentucky’s E.A. Diddle Arena. Rupp saw 40,851 fans come watch last year, the second highest attendance mark in the event’s history. The 2019 event set four of the top 10 single session attendance marks.
But even with that success, KHSAA officials indicated they could not keep the tourney in Lexington without the emergence of a title sponsor, something it had at both NKU and WKU over the years. The existing deal with Rupp Arena ends this season. While no future site has been announced, the Mingua sponsorship indicates Rupp Arena to be the frontrunner for the near future.
“We couldn’t be happier to see the great folks at Mingua Beef Jerky step forward in support of this great event for 2020 and in all likelihood, for many years to come. We are blessed with so many corporate partners with Kentucky roots that truly understand that both our events and their products are part of the fabric of our commonwealth,” noted KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “This is another example of the corporate community stepping forward to ensure that we can hold our events at premier venues in the state and provide an optimal experience for the participants and fans.”
Mingua Beef Jerky, a Bourbon County-based company, already had a sponsorship relationship with the KHSAA.
The 2020 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen will be played March 11-15 at Rupp Arena. Ticket information will be posted at KHSAA.org when they go on sale to the public.
