AUBURN, Ala. – Verizon vice president of business sales Mark Tina picked an exciting Saturday to witness an event he'd never seen before.
"First college football game, right here at the Iron Bowl," said Tina, who is based in New York City and earned his undergraduate degree and MBA from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.
Representing Verizon, Tina received an Auburn football helmet autographed by head coach Bryan Harsin from director of athletics Allen Greene to thank Verizon for its Iron Bowl sponsorship.
"It was absolutely incredible," Tina said. "I'm humbled to receive this on behalf of Verizon. We really appreciate it."Director of Athletics Allen Greene thanks Verizon VP Mark Tina for sponsoring the Iron Bowl
Auburn University's partnership with Verizon began 20 years ago.
"Right around 2001, we started to take care of the university's telecommunication needs," said Tina, in his 19th year with Verizon. "It's been a reciprocal relationship for a couple decades now. They're a great customer, we enjoy taking care of them. We're proud sponsors and it's been great, the whole ride."
The most recent fruits of that partnership provide a game-changing experience for Auburn fans. Auburn is the first U.S. university – and one of three overall – to provide Verizon's 5G network.
"We've now expanded by deploying our 5G network in the stadium so fans like you and I can enjoy the game, send videos faster," he said. "This will literally transform the fan experience, the way they view the game, different camera angles and the ability to use their device real-time, no lag time. Super exciting times for sure, so Auburn: first in class, of course."
Leaving Pat Dye Field with his souvenir helmet to settle in for a four-overtime thriller, the Verizon VP reaffirmed the value his company seeks to provide its clients, including Auburn.
"We are here for our customers' needs in any way," Tina said. "Our technology is transforming how our customers do business essentially. The digital transformation is among us so we provide solutions above the connectivity layer for businesses of any size."Auburn Sports Properties general manager Ben Harling with Verizon VP Mark Tina
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer