JAY COHEN
FILE - In this May 2019 file photo, Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson walks the $1 billion Elk Grove Technology Park which was the former 85-acre Busse Farm.Johnson came up with the idea of bowl sponsorship while he was in Wisconsin a couple winters ago. Elk Grove Village had been advertising on Chicago Cubs broadcasts, but it stepped back because of pricing and was looking for something new. Johnson was watching a bowl game on TV when it came to him. With some help from 4FRONT, a sports marketing company, Johnson and Elk Grove settled on a $300,000 deal with the ESPN-owned Bahamas Bowl. The village also considered the Hawaii Bowl and New Mexico Bowl. They used "Makers Wanted" in the bowl title as part of a campaign to promote a local industrial park. (Mark Welsh/Daily Herald via AP, File)
Bahamas Bowl sponsorship pays off again for Illinois village

By Jay Cohen Aug. 14, 2019 03:03 AM EDT
CHICAGO (AP) — Chad Bruner is a huge football fan. One day last December, he was