Ent Federal Credit Union to sponsor ‘Steel and Silver Series’

The ‘Steel and Silver Series,’ an all sports competition between CSU-Pueblo and UCCS, will get a new look in 2008-09.

Ent Federal Credit Union, the leading credit union in the southern Colorado area, serving residents in both Pueblo and Colorado Springs, has purchased the naming the rights to the ‘Steel and Silver’ series trophy. 

“The Ent Federal Credit Union Trophy” will be awarded to the school that wins the annual competition, beginning with the 2009 presentation.  The first trophy, designed by Joan Aaland, was handed out this year for the first time to the 2007-08 winner, UCCS.  The Mountain Lions have won the competition each of the first three years of the series’ existence.

With Ent’s sponsorship of the trophy, Ent will donate $3,000 to the general scholarship fund of the winning school.

“We are pleased to be associated with this intercollegiate prize and to support the educational goals of CSU-Pueblo and UCCS,” said James Moore, Ent senior vice president. “We look forward to a long association with both schools and to a competitive all-sports series for many years to come.”

Ent’s announcement of sponsorship comes in the same year that the scoring system will be revamped to a ‘winner take all’ format. 

In each of the nine intercollegiate athletics programs that both schools sponsor – men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s golf, women’s cross country, softball, volleyball, and women’s track and field – the school that earns the most wins in head-to-head competition will be awarded four points.  If the head-to-head competitions are split evenly, each school will be awarded two points.  The school with the best cumulative grade point average among student-athletes in the school’s common sports will also be awarded five points.  The school with the most points at the end of the academic year will be awarded the trophy, with the presentation taking place in the home city of the winning school.

The first competition to take place between the two schools as part of the 2008-09 ‘Steel and Silver Series’ is Sept. 21 when the school’s men’s and women’s soccer teams square off in Colorado Springs.