Fox Sports Net to Air the Farmers Insurance Group(R) Angel City Classic

Fox Sports Net to Air the Farmers Insurance Group(R) Angel City Classic

HBCU Football Game Will be Viewed Nationally by Millions of Fans

...event will also feature a tribute to famed musician Isaac Hayes

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark your calendars and get ready for a fantastic football game to be nationally televised on the Fox Sports Network September 27, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. from the Los Angeles Coliseum. Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is proud to bring to Southern California, the unique exposure to the excitement and thrill of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) by sponsoring a football game between two powerhouses, Prairie View A & M University from Prairie View, Texas and Morehouse College, from Atlanta, Georgia.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080605/LATH062)

"We are honored to be the title sponsor of the Farmers Insurance Group Angel City Classic and welcome the Fox Sports Network to the Classic," noted Farmers Insurance Group CEO Paul Hopkins. "Everyone is invited to enjoy the game which includes the highly anticipated half-time battle-of-the-bands and after the game, a special tribute by Stax Records to world famous musician Isaac Hayes who died this week."

"This is absolutely fantastic," said Black Educational Events CEO John T. Fleming. "Fox Sports Net coverage will allow the entire country to see firsthand the game, high school Band Clinic, Greek tailgate party, and the enthusiasm that these Historically Black Colleges and Universities elicit. We're thrilled that Fox, along with Farmers Insurance Group, share our goal of promoting educational opportunities for minority students through athletic competition and unbelievable musical exhibition."

"Farmers will also announce three recipients of the Farmers Insurance Group UNCF National Scholarship Awards for college students who are in their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year attending an HBCU or United Negro College Fund (UNCF) school during the September 26-27 weekend at a special Gala," explained Faye W. McClure, Farmers Vice President of Strategic Marketing. "It is Farmers way of saying we care about young people who could use a helping hand as they pursue a college education. We couldn't be more proud about helping these students achieve their dreams in life."

Stax Records VP of Artist & Repertoire, Collin Stanback, expects to see an outpouring of artists joining what will inevitably be a huge celebration for Hayes. "This is of course tragic news about the loss of such a giant in the music business. Stax Records was in many ways the house that Isaac built as a prolific songwriter and performer and I can't think of a more fitting way to show our gratitude for everything he gave us than to fill the L.A. Coliseum with all of his fans," said Stanback.

For more information, or to participate as a sponsor or a vendor, call the Farmers Insurance Group Angel City Classic office at 323-293-0940 or visit http://www.angelcityclassic.com/

Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers(R) is the nation's third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Property and casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group, Inc. manages but does not own. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Farmers insurers provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at http://www.farmers.com/.

About Black Educational Events

The primary mission of Black Educational Events, LLC (B.E.E.) is to produce classic events on the West Coast that showcase Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These events combine the entertainment of bands, dance teams and cheering squads with the competition and pride associated with an HBCU football game. Because youth in western geographies are thousands of miles away from these institutions, the events produced by B.E.E. also serve the higher purpose of increasing awareness, particularly among young people, of the educational and cultural opportunities offered by HBCUs.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080605/LATH062
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Farmers Group, Inc.

CONTACT: Kenneth Adams, +1-323-923-3016,
kenneth_adams@farmersinsurance.com, or Jerry Davies, +1-213-400-4459,
jerry.davies@farmersinsurance.com, both of Farmers Group, Inc.

Web site: http://www.farmers.com/
http://www.angelcityclassic.com/

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