Baylor, Dr Pepper Announce New Partnership

WACO - Baylor University and Dallas-based Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas today announced a series of agreements that will net the university more than $7 million over 10 years. The partnership will make the soft drink invented in Waco 112 years ago the beverage of choice at the 12,000-student institution.
The agreements, which were jointly announced at a campus news conference by Baylor President and CEO Robert B. Sloan Jr. and Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas owner and chairman of the board Jim L. Turner, include pouring and vending rights as well as promotional and sponsorship rights for Baylor athletics.
All soft drink products dispensed on the Baylor campus will be beverages distributed by the bottling company, including Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper, 7UP, A&W Root Beer, Big Red, Sunkist and several other brands. Also included in the agreements are vending rights that will eventually make Dr Pepper products the exclusive beverages dispensed through campus vending machines. The university currently has vending contracts with other companies that will expire in October 1999.
Dr Pepper will also be recognized as the official soft drink of the Baylor Bears.
"We're extremely pleased to be entering into this longterm relationship with Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas," Sloan said. "More than 100 universities across the country have similar relationships with soft drink companies, but this one has special meaning for Baylor. Not only was Dr Pepper invented in Waco, Jim Turner is a graduate of the university, a former member of the Baylor Bears basketball team and a member of our Athletic Hall of Fame. Jim and his wife, Julie - also a Baylor graduate - have been special friends to the university for many years, and we look forward to their continued friendship and to future cooperation with Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas."
"Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas is proud of our continued partnership with Baylor, and we look forward to building upon it into the next millennium," Turner said. "It's a natural progression for the two Waco traditions - Dr Pepper and Baylor University."
Revenue generated from the agreements will help fund construction of the Student Life Complex, as well as new facilities for baseball, golf and softball, and also provide funding for the university's auxiliary services budget. This budget benefits a variety of educational and support programs at Baylor.
One other beverage company submitted a proposal for the pouring and vending rights, but its bid was below Dr Pepper's.
Turner's bottling company - which he acquired in 1985 - is the largest franchise bottler of Dr Pepper and 7UP and the largest independent soft drink bottler in the United States. Beverages manufactured by, distributed by or are franchised to the company include Canada Dry, Squirt, Sunkist, Country Time Lemonade, Quickick, Tetley Tea, Arizona Beverages, Yoo-Hoo, Crystal Light, Sunny Delight, Mystic Beverages and Snapple.
The Turners' youngest daughter, Jenna, is currently a sophomore at Baylor.