Orange and Blue Distributing Company Announces Strategic Agreement Between MillerCoors and the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois Athletics and MillerCoors have announced a comprehensive four-year agreement naming Coors Light as the official beer of U of I Athletics.

Effective July 1, 2014, the agreement states that Coors Light will have exclusive access to the U of I athletic marks to use on their point of sale activity throughout the campus area.

The MillerCoors regional distributor for the Champaign market is Orange and Blue Distributing Company, which was founded in Champaign in 1898. In September 2013, Orange and Blue Distributing was purchased by Effingham-based Koerner Distributor, Inc. Orange and Blue Distributing's operation is centered around the University of Illinois. Due to the campus population and the University sitting right in the center of its service area, a large portion of Orange and Blue Distributing's business is on-premise.

"We are looking forward to working with the U of I to integrate our brands. Obviously with a name like Orange and Blue Distributing, we're big Fighting Illini fans and we're excited to exclusively represent the U of I," said B.J. Stipes, General Manager for the Orange and Blue division of Koerner Distributor, Inc. 

Koerner Distributor, Inc. has been a long-time supporter of collegiate athletics and minor league baseball, such as Southern Illinois University Athletics, Eastern Illinois University Athletics, and Southern Illinois Miners Frontier League Baseball. President and CEO Paul Koerner adds, "Koerner Distributor and Coors Light are proud supporters of entertainment events that bring people together to create memorable experiences. We also understand the importance of promoting responsibility, and these partnerships allow us to share this message with a large number of people."