Cranbury, NJ, January 1, 2010 – Sod from the actual playing surface of the BCS Citi National Championship Game will be made available to football fans as a game-used collectible for the first time this year.

The sod, freshly installed for the January 7 meeting to decide the national championship between the University of Texas and the University of Alabama, will be used only once – for this historic game, which features two unbeaten teams, the Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram of Alabama, and the Maxwell Award winner, Colt McCoy of Texas.

At the conclusion of the game, the painted end zones and the 50 yard line logo will be carefully removed by Stadium Associates, LLC and preserved for fans forever.  This will be the second such removal and preservation that Stadium Associates has coordinated recently.  ”We understand sod and take very special care to preserve this live plant material much like you would flowers from a wedding”, said David Galbraith, Vice President of Operations and Founder at Stadium Associates.

Galbraith added, “It takes many weeks to remove all the moisture and then prepare the 3” x 3” piece of history.  When we are done though, this piece of history will last forever just like you see in museums”.  Each collectible will be encased in a UV glass top display case marked with the description of the event.  (If a historic moment occurs during the game, that portion of the field will also be made available).  Each piece will include the Collegiate Licensing Company’s hologram verifying its authenticity along with game details.

Stadium Associates will be gifting the first 100 pieces to the athletic departments at both universities for their own distribution.

Those Texas and Alabama fans who searched out access to pre-order and reserve their piece of history before the game is played, will be able to watch the game on ABC, knowing that the game-used sod they are viewing will soon be in their own homes as a handsome display piece that will show their team support.

Sod from each end zone and the BSC logo at the 50 yard line will be available for $99.99 each (plus S & H).  Fans who want the complete set of a piece of each end zone and the BCS logo can buy this combination of one each for $249.00 while supplies last at  www.stadiumassociates.com.  (Allow 6-8 weeks for the freeze dried process and encasement)

The items will be marketed by Stadium Associates, the company that is the Major League Baseball Authentic Collection Team Sod™ licensee and who will this spring make Game-Used Phillies Sod™ available through exclusive arrangements with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Stadium Associates launched the concept of Licensed Sod with Major League Baseball and New York Yankees Sod™ in early 2009 and was featured as a Sunday, page one story in the New York Times March 22, 2009.

Stadium Associates is fully licensed by the Collegiate Licensing Company and is the     exclusive vendor for Game-Used Sod from The Rose Bowl Stadium.

Media: Marty Appel Public Relations (212) 245-1772