FDU, Bogota Savings Bank Announce Landmark Naming Rights Agreement

HACKENSACK, N.J. – FDU Athletics and Bogota Savings Bank have reached a multi-year, exclusive naming rights agreement that brands the venue the Bogota Savings Bank Center. Formerly called the Rothman Center, today's announcement solidifies a longstanding partnership between the Knights and Bogota Savings Bank, one of the oldest banks in New Jersey founded in 1893.

The first athletic event inside the Bogota Savings Bank Center will be FDU women's basketball's home Northeast Conference matchup with Stonehill on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. ET on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run App.

"This announcement was a logical next step in our longstanding friendship with Bogota Savings Bank," said FDU Senior Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut. "We are proud to continue to align with an organization that is ingrained in the fabric of New Jersey – specifically in our home of Bergen County – to make a positive difference in our area and beyond.

Hurlbut continued, "I speak for everyone at FDU when I say we look forward to the tremendous impact of the agreement on all those who wear the Burgundy and Blue for many years to come. I cannot wait for what the future holds inside the Bogota Savings Bank Center. Today is truly a great day to be a Knight!"

With this announcement, FDU becomes the only NEC member with a corporate naming rights partner for its primary indoor venue. It continues the Knights' historic athletic momentum punctuated by the men's basketball's 2023 NCAA tournament first round victory over #1 Purdue, arguably the "greatest upset in college basketball history." FDU is also in the midst of an eight-game basketball television broadcast agreement with the YES Network, the first in FDU history. Also in July 2023, FDU updated its athletic identity with a brand-new logo and visual presence.

"We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with Fairleigh Dickinson University Athletics," said Kevin Pace, President & CEO of Bogota Savings Bank. "This partnership is not only about supporting a great athletics program but also reflects our belief in the power of education and athletics to shape a stronger community. We are proud to name the Bogota Savings Bank Center and be the official sponsor of the esteemed men's basketball team. We hope the Center continues to be an arena of triumphs and success for the Knights! Together, we look forward to creating impactful initiatives that will positively influence both our bank and the students at FDU.

Pace continued, "This sponsorship goes beyond traditional branding; it's about investing in the future of our community. By aligning with FDU Athletics, we aim to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders, both on and off the court. The Bogota Savings Bank and FDU Athletics partnership represents a significant milestone, blending sports, education and community development in a synergistic alliance that has a positive lasting impact."

In addition to the naming rights, Bogota Savings Bank will also open a branch inside the Center to serve the Hackensack and FDU communities. Other elements of the partnership include a financial literacy program for student-athletes and ATMs throughout FDU's Metropolitan Campus.
"FDU continues to seize the moment and build momentum from last season's March Madness run," commented FDU President Michael Avaltroni. "As we formulate new partnerships through our strategic plan, FDU Will Soar, I'm proud we will be expanding this alliance which will no doubt elevate our Metropolitan Campus and the FDU brand by continuing to partner with Bogota Savings Bank."

Dedicated on Sept. 9, 1987, the Bogota Savings Bank Center – originally the George and Phyllis Rothman Center – serves as the headquarters for FDU's NCAA Division I athletic department and hosts contests in basketball, volleyball, indoor track and field and women's fencing.

With seating for 1,852 fans, the 40,000-square foot Bogota Savings Bank Center has hosted dignitaries such as former U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Leah Rabin, the wife of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, esteemed poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou and in 2009, then-U.S. President Barack Obama.

Recent upgrades to the Bogota Savings Bank Center include: the Michael and Denise Clarke Strength and Conditioning Center (2022); men's basketball's updated locker room and player lounge/film room (2023); the centerpiece of Knights history, FDU's new "Champions Live Here" wall, celebrating all of FDU's championships (2023); locker rooms for women's volleyball (2020), men's volleyball (2022) and men's and women's track and field (2022) and a student-athlete mental health space (2022), among other venue improvements.

FDU's student-athlete nutrition station, which will be located in the Rothman Lobby of the Bogota Savings Bank Center, is currently under construction. Additionally, FDU is set to commence a major renovation of the Stratis Lounge on the mezzanine level this summer after the University received an NCAA grant to enhance the space.

Since 2019, FDU has amassed 19 NEC championships and appeared in 12 NCAA team tournaments. FDU women's basketball has appeared in back-to-back WNITs following NEC regular season crowns. Men's track and field's Salif Mane is the most decorated student-athlete in FDU history as the senior enters the 2023-24 indoor track and field season coming off a runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and placed fifth at the NCAA Championships outdoors, both in the triple jump. Mane, who trains inside the Bogota Savings Bank Center, is a three-time First Team All-American and has collected gold at the Northeast Conference Championships both indoors and outdoors.

A longstanding sponsor of FDU Athletics, Bogota Savings Bank has supported FDU's student-athletes with scholarship opportunities and financial literacy programming, among other initiatives throughout the years. In addition to their titular naming rights of the arena, Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor of FDU men's basketball.

The venue name change is effective immediately. The Center's lobby has been renamed the George and Phyllis Rothman Lobby and the walkway outside the venue along the Hackensack River has been dedicated to the Rothmans as University Walk will now be known as Rothman Walk.

About FDU Athletics
The Knights are home to 21 NCAA Division I teams. A member of the Northeast Conference, FDU has had tremendous success in the classroom, in athletic competition and giving back to the Bergen County community. Since 2019, the Burgundy and Blue have captured 19 Northeast Conference championships. In 2020, FDU student-athletes were also recognized for their efforts in the community by winning the NEC Building Communities Award with over 3,000 community service hours. Other recent milestones include men's basketball winning three NCAA tournament games since 2019 and women's basketball capturing two-straight NEC regular season titles and WNIT berths. In addition to recent championships, FDU also holds two NCAA National Championships in the sport of women's bowling (2006, 2010).

Connect with FDU Athletics on X, @FDUKnights, on Instagram, @FDUKnightsAthletics, and on the web at FDUKnights.com.

About Bogota Savings Bank
Bogota Financial Corp. is a Maryland corporation organized as the mid-tier holding company of Bogota Savings Bank and is the majority-owned subsidiary of Bogota Financial, MHC. Bogota Savings Bank is a New Jersey chartered stock savings bank that has served the banking needs of its customers in northern and central New Jersey since 1893. It operates from six offices located in Bogota, Hasbrouck Heights, Newark, Oak Ridge, Parsippany and Teaneck, New Jersey and operates a loan production office in Spring Lake, New Jersey. Its seventh location in Upper Saddle River will open in 2024.

Learn more at bogotasavingsbank.com.

About Fairleigh Dickinson University
Devoted to the preparation of world citizens, Fairleigh Dickinson University offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs in pharmacy, nursing practice, clinical psychology and school psychology; and an AACSB-accredited business school. Degree programs are offered on two New Jersey campuses and at two international campuses: Wroxton College, in Oxfordshire in England, and the Vancouver Campus, in British Columbia, Canada. For more information, visit FDU.edu.