Grey Cup for sale?

The Canadian Football League is actively reaching out to companies to financially align with the Grey Cup, but only willing to offer presenting sponsorship rights rather than title sponsorship rights knowing it would be criticized for putting a brand name in front of a symbol strongly associated with Canada, Sportsnet.ca has learned.

Sources tell Sportsnet.ca the CFL is looking to secure a multi-year deal - a minimum of three but hoping for longer - at an annual fee of $7-8 million a year.

The Grey Cup is considered a cherished Canadian property, not unlike the Queen's Plate, so selling it properly is paramount to ensuring the integrity of the trophy and the league.

Offering the Cup as a presenting sponsor would not be seen as a sellout, sources say.

The Cup is headed into its 100th game next year, and it will include a year-long celebration that will include multiple events to highlight its importance. It is believed there will not be a better time to attract a presenting sponsor, given all that will be marketed into the game.

Sportsnet.ca has received a copy of the detailed information package the CFL is offering that shows the Grey Cup with a presenting sponsor (identified as ScotiaBank, though it's believed a similar package was sent out to other sponsors) and uses Icon, Opportunity and Partnership as key words.

The first page of the package has the heading Icon: An object of uncritical Devotion.

"Canada has many sponsorship opportunities, few are authentic icons," it begins. "Grey Cup is one of our greatest: a brand that transcends even its own sport and league. Almost 100 years old and, yet stronger than ever."

It is followed on the next page with the heading Opportunity: To host a national celebration. Underneath are facts indicating it is the largest single-day event in Canada, watched by 3.6 million Canadians and attended by 66,000 in 2008. It is billed as an "annual pilgrimage attracting tens of thousands of Canadians coast to coast." After that it goes into detail about media support and reach.

The next page is titled Partnership: A partnership woven into the fabric of the Grey Cup and the road that leads to it. It explains details of presenting entitlement, and concludes with "an opportunity for season-long brand presence, culminating in a significant profile for the month of November."

Sources say about six years ago, the CFL board of directors examined the idea of selling the Cup to a presenting sponsor for an annual fee of $7 million. The CFL decided that only certain companies would be approached, seeking a blue-chip brand rather than just anyone, and would go first to existing partners, such as ScotiaBank and RONA. Ideally, the company would have a strong Canadian attachment. Sportsnet.ca has learned that after discussing the idea among its board, the matter came to a vote and it was decided not to pursue the idea at that time.

But the information package is current, so it indicates that once again the matter is being pursued aggressively.

The package offers information about the CFL and its history and identifies seven separate methods of engagement. The last page notes key themes: biggest presence at the biggest events at the best possible time; multiple opportunities to engage and recruit new customers; create and foster meaningful stakeholder relationships; ownership position of Canada's largest, most iconic sports property."

If both the CFL and Grey Cup are stronger than ever, as the information package strongly indicates, then theoretically the timing would never be greater to attract a presenting sponsor.

Sources tell Sportsnet.ca that the economic climate might not be the best to attract the kind of money the CFL is seeking, and that lowering its financial expectations would devalue its brand. Moreover, it is suggested that sponsors, in particular the major ones already associated with the CFL, would be wondering how much more value they would gain spending money to have the attachment to the Grey Cup in addition to the money they are already spending.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.