Bloomington, IL and New York, NY (October 14, 2024) – Eastside Golf, the lifestyle golf brand changing the cultural perception of the game, and State Farm® are shining a light on the golf talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) with the inaugural Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational presented by State Farm. This year’s invitation-only tournament will support HBCU golf programs with a best-in-class competitive experience, giving them a platform to compete on a world-class golf course at a level parallel to the National Championships hosted by the NCAA D1.
“Our time playing on the Morehouse golf team was an incredibly formative and rewarding experience for us, and set the groundwork for where we are today. We know firsthand the challenges facing many collegiate golf programs, especially in the HBCU world, whether that’s lack of funding, access to practice courses, uniforms or transportation,” said Olajuwon Ajanaku, founder and Creative Director of Eastside Golf. “Our intent with our sponsor State Farm in hosting the Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational is to create an unparalleled experience and tournament environment with all the bells and whistles at one of the top courses in the nation. We hope to be able to build this event to attract other D1 & DII colleges and universities to compete against HBCUs in the future making this a sought-after event for years to come.”
State Farm has been helping people protect what matters most for more than 100 years. We are committed to building stronger, safer and better-educated communities to create a better today and tomorrow. Through our support of HBCUs, we help people find success, reach their potential, and realize their dreams.
“We believe few things in today’s world capture our attention, ignite our passion, and connect our communities like sports,” said Kristyn Cook, Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer, State Farm. “We’re excited to help launch the first-ever Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational, presented by State Farm, to support these HBCU athletes and give fans a venue to see their hard work and talent on display.”
From November 2nd – 4th, four men’s and four women’s teams from HBCU collegiate programs will play 54 holes at the renowned Omni PGA Frisco Resort in Frisco, TX: home of the PGA of America Headquarters. The top team finishers from each division will be rewarded withone-of-a-kind championship Red Jackets, designed exclusively for the Invitational by Eastside Golf and State Farm. Taking inspiration from professional golf’s prestigious green jacket, the Eastside Golf Red Jacket is poised to become the ultimate signifier for collegiate golf talent.
Teams participating in the inaugural Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational presented by State Farm are:
Men’s Division
Florida A&M University
Morehouse College
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
Southern University
Women’s Division
Alabama State
Delaware State
Howard University
Prairie View A&M University
Earl Cooper, co-founder and CEO of Eastside Golf said, “The largest collegiate golf programs see this type of event as the norm. They’re playing on top-tier resort courses withfancy locker rooms and all the amenities, while the majority of programs have much different experiences. At the end of the day, we all have the same, authentic love for the game, but it’s time we give HBCU programs the recognition and elevated experiences they deserve. We hope this year’s Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational with our sponsor State Farm is the first of many for years to come.”
As part of the experience, Eastside Golf and State Farm are supporting each team with travel stipends, lodging, meals and transportation as part of their participation. Teams will also receive exclusive Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational merchandise. The event will kick off with a celebrity Pro-Am, featuring supporters of the Eastside Golf mission of changing the perception of golf to make it a game for anyone and everyone.
The Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational further bolsters Eastside Golf’s longstanding efforts to support and promote HBCU golf programs. Eastside Golf founder Olajuwon Ajanaku and co-founder Earl Cooper won a national title in 2010 during their tenure on the Morehouse College team, and since founding the company in 2019, have contributed nearly $300,000 to the program.
Launched in 2019, Eastside Golf is actively transforming perceptions of the game through its apparel which has been embraced by golf professionals, celebrities, fashion influencers, and professional athletes including NBA stars Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum, NFL greats Patrick Mahomes and Victor Cruz, musician DJ Khaled and President Barack Obama. Its signature swingman logo, a young Black man dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans with a gold chain around his neck and a club in mid-backswing, is a depiction of Ajanaku, and is meant to convey that you can bring your authentic self to the game of golf, with full confidence.
Eastside Golf boasts notable relationships with global brands including Mitchell & Ness, seven collaborations with Jordan Brand, and strategic partnerships and licensing deals with major entities such as the NBA, MLB, Mitchell & Ness, Bridgestone and Mercedes-Benz USA. The brand was profiled in Hulu’s “Grails: When Sneakers Change the Game,” a six-episode docuseries on how Ajanaku and Cooper are driving social and cultural change in golf.