Orangetheory Fitness inked a one-year agreement with The University of Texas at Austin, making the fitness chain the presenting sponsor of Texas Athletics’ Hype Squad for more than 100 Texas Longhorns events throughout the 2016-17 school year.
“Orangetheory Fitness has a history of partnering with elite athletic organizations, from the New York Yankees to Olympic Athletes,” said Terry Blachek, co-founder and area owner of Orangetheory Fitness. “As we expand in Central Texas, it makes perfect sense to support the Texas Longhorns, and with our high-energy workouts, the Hype Squad was an ideal fit.”
During the past two years, Texas Athletics marketing officials brought in a dedicated interactive squad – the Hype Squad – that appears at all ticketed home sporting events.
“We are grateful that Orangetheory Fitness sees the value our Hype Squad members bring to Texas Athletics competitions and events. Through positive energy and movement, the Hype Squad is integral to setting the tone for our fans, who give back that energy to our student-athletes and coaches,” said Chris Plonsky, women’s athletics director and executive senior associate athletics director for external services at Texas. “We hope this exciting partnership with Orangetheory Fitness allows their innovative cardio and strength training philosophy to take hold as Orangetheory expands into and around the Austin area.”
Orangetheory Fitness arrived in Central Texas with its first studio in 2014. Since then, Orangetheory has opened seven locations in Austin with plans to expand into the surrounding areas. The company recently announced that it’s tripling in size in this region, opening 10 new locations in Central Texas by the end of 2016, including studios in Dripping Springs, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Austin and San Antonio, among others. The fitness studio currently has 33 locations in Texas, and there are more than 450 locations worldwide.
Hype Squad members are selected through extensive on-campus recruiting efforts, interviews and tryouts. In 2015-16, 24 UT students debuted as the inaugural Hype Squad. They volunteered their time to train and study with performance professionals, including workshops by entertainment consultants and local improv instructors.
Photo courtesy Orangetheory Fitness
