News

In a drawing on December 14, Suffolk Director of Athletics Jim Nelson won a trip to the Rose Bowl courtesy of the ECAC, Groople, and All Worldwide Travel. The sweepstakes contest was open to all individuals and was heavily promoted within the membership to both coaches and Athletics Directors to kick-off the new ECAC Travel Program that features Groople, Inc. as the Official Hotel Booking Agency and All Worldwide Travel, as the Official Airline Agency of the conference.  The sweepstakes ran from October 15 through December 14.  The winner, which was drawn at random, won an all inclusive package (hotel for two nights, airfare, and game tickets for two) to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. for two people.

Nelson attended with his youngest son, Dan, and stayed for three nights.

"My trip to the Rose Bowl was just spectacular," said Nelson. "My youngest son Dan and I enjoyed the warm Southern California weather...a refreshing change from the snow and chill we have been experiencing in Boston. In addition to the Rose Bowl game, where we sat only twenty rows back from the field close to the U.S. band, we were able to attend the parade in the morning.  Our hotel in Chinatown was centrally located between downtown and Pasadena. We took the gold line out to the parade and the game as it was only a block away from the hotel, a ride of only twenty minutes. Indeed, a most memorable trip that I and Dan will long cherish." 

The new ECAC Travel Program is designed to assist ECAC member institutions with scheduling their travel plans for regular season and postseason road games, and offers exclusive rates on all Wyndham brand hotels, discounted rates on other hotel chains, and an easy turn-key solution for team travel bookings.  The booking engine URL is http://www.groople.com/ECAC.