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Outback to sponsor Tampa bowl game another 4 years

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By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 13, 2009

TAMPA - Tampa's own OSI Restaurant Partners will continue as title sponsor of the Outback Bowl for four more years.

OSI, which operates Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and other chains, had been in the last year of its contract as the college football game's title sponsor. Today, bowl officials announced the company has renewed as title sponsor through January 2014.

Mike Schulze, the bowl's director of communications and sponsorships, wouldn't release financial terms of the deal.

Aside from naming rights, OSI also gets to participate in Outback Bowl promotional events, including hosting dinner for the teams in the annual game. Each year, the bowl features a team from the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences at Raymond James Stadium.

Schulze said the bowl is especially proud of the renewal because so many sporting events across the country have lost sponsors because of the recession.

OSI lost about $739 million last year because of declining sales and increased debt payments, although more than $600 million of those losses were paper losses related to the value of its business, regulatory filings show.

The company has had some success lately reducing the size of its bond debts.

OSI has been the title sponsor since 1995. Before that, the bowl was called the Hall of Fame Bowl.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865.

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