The following comes from a press release from the Chick-fil-A Bowl:
Gary Stokan, 11-year president and architect of the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s rise in status within the bowl industry, was elevated to president and chief executive officer of the 41-year-old Chick-fil-A Bowl the bowl’s Executive Committee announced today.
David Epps, a 14-year veteran and the bowl’s former vice president of marketing and sales, has been promoted to chief operating officer. In addition to maintaining his current functions related to marketing and sales, Epps will take on additional executive responsibilities in his new role.
“These moves underscore and reflect the Executive Committee’s confidence and commitment to our senior staff,” said Chick-fil-A Bowl Chairman Scott McCune. “Their individual and collective passion for excellence is at the heart of the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s success.”
During Stokan’s tenure, the Chick-fil-A Bowl, an affiliate of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, has made great strides within the college football bowl landscape, and emerged as one of the nation’s premier bowls. Recent milestones include:
•A string of 12 straight sellouts
•Position as the highest-attended non-BCS bowl game in the country
•A team payout that has increased every year since 1998 and has shown more than a 100% increase over that time
•The acquisition of the first selection from the ACC (after the BCS)
•Holding the number-two overall rating and four of the top 10 most viewed bowl games in ESPN broadcast history
•The creation of the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game (Alabama vs. Clemson in 2008 and Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in 2009, nationally broadcast on ABC)
•The creation of the Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater at Reynolds Plantation coach and celebrity golf tournament (nationally broadcast on CBS)
•Position as the number-one bowl in charitable and scholarship giving — eclipsing $1.2 million in 2008 and more than $4.6 million in the last seven years
•Annual economic impact of $30-35 million on the city of Atlanta
•Successful renegotiation of the Chick-fil-A title contract ($22 million, five-year rollover agreement)
•Successful renegotiation of ESPN, ACC and SEC contracts
In the new executive structure, Stokan will delegate operational management of the Bowl’s budget, title sponsor relationship and supervisory oversight of the Bowl’s Sales and Events divisions to Epps. This will allow Stokan to focus more on the long-term strategic direction of the Bowl and its brand extensions, its contracts with the ACC, SEC and ESPN, and new business development.
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