Mt. McKinley Bank Renews NSI Sponsorship Through 2011

Mt. McKinley Bank has agreed to renew its title sponsorship of the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational women’s basketball tournament hosted by the Alaska Nanooks through the year 2011. University of Alaska Fairbanks Director of Athletics Forest Karr made the announcement Thursday.

Mt. McKinley’s sponsorship will give the Invitational $60,000 over the three years of the agreement. This allotted money will provide opportunities for the student-athletes to play against a variety of quality opponents from all over the country.

"We greatly appreciate Mt. McKinley Bank’s unyielding support of women’s athletics at the University,” said Karr. “At a time when universities are being asked to do more with less funding, Nanook Athletics needs community support more than ever. Mt. McKinley's generous sponsorship will help keep the tournament fiscally responsible in the near future."

Mt. McKinley Bank has been the title sponsor for the North Star Invitational since its inception in 2001.

“Mt. McKinley Bank is pleased to continue as the original title sponsor of the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational basketball tournament in its 8th year,” said Bart Lebon, Executive Vice President for Commercial Lending. “We welcome this opportunity to support Nanook Athletics and look forward to many more years as the title sponsor.””

The round-robin formatted tournament includes the Gannon Golden Knight of Erie, Pennsylvania, the Henderson State Reddies of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the West Florida Argonauts of Pensacola, Florida, and the host Alaska Nanooks.

Invitational action tips off on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26), when Henderson State takes on West Florida at 5:30 p.m. followed by a tilt that pairs the Golden Knights and the Nanooks at 8:30 p.m.