In 2012 UPS is going to begin a new chapter in our longest standing corporate sports sponsorship program – NASCAR. Today we announced that while we’re coming back next year as an official NASCAR partner, for the first time in 12 racing seasons we won’t be a primary team sponsor.

For me, first and foremost, this means that David Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion for the last three Sprint Cup Series seasons, won’t be a part of our racing program. And while I understand the business reasons behind the change, it still will be difficult to say goodbye to someone who has endeared himself to countless UPS employees and customers during his tenure as UPS Racing’s brand ambassador.

Over the last three years I’ve had the good fortune to spend some time with David watching him race at tracks around the country, meeting and greeting UPS customers and employees at company hospitality events and on a few occasions, just shooting the breeze with him whenever the opportunity allowed. From those experiences, I learned a great deal about David.

David’s drive to be the best that he can be both on and off the track is always evident, as is his integrity and his devotion to his friends, family and team. I’m very grateful my professional responsibilities gave me the chance to get to know this fine young man.

When a company like UPS signs a sponsorship agreement with an athlete or celebrity, the hope is that the individual will demonstrate the kind of character, professional values and attributes that will reflect positively on the company’s brand and reputation. Without hesitation, I can tell you that David Ragan was the perfect fit for UPS.

UPS’s decision to reconfigure our racing program was based solely on the ever-increasing need to find new ways to generate the greatest return on our sponsorship investments. While we experienced a lot of great success over the years as a primary sponsor, we felt it was time to take a different approach so we can further expand the reach of the UPS brand in new ways and in new markets all around the world. At the end of the day that’s what sponsorships are supposed to do, even if it means sometimes having to part ways with really good people.

No one knows what the future holds, but I predict that David Ragan’s will be filled with tremendous success. And without question, he will always have my support and admiration. Thank you, David, for everything.

It’s hard to believe it’s already time for college football, especially when the temperature here in Atlanta is still hanging in the 90 degree range. But whatever the weather, the kick-off of the first game always transports me mentally to the cool, crisp days of autumn, where the smell of bratwursts and hotdogs on the grill and the distant tweet of a referee’s whistle give me a sense that all is right again with the world.

Baseball may be America’s pastime, but college football – well, it’s almost a religion in some parts of the country. I graduated from Centre College, a little Division III school whose greatest feat on the gridiron was defeating Harvard 6 – 0 -  in 1921. Not exactly fodder for modern day bragging rights, but hey, I still love the Praying Colonels. And I also love the game no matter who’s playing, which is why I’m really excited that UPS is taking on a much bigger profile in the wide world of college sports.

Whether you’re a Bruin, Bulldog or Buckeye, you’ll be seeing a lot more of UPS on game day beginning this season, due largely to new sponsorship agreements with the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences in addition to IMG College, the premier collegiate sports marketing organization with relationships with 68 Division I colleges and universities across the country.

Sure, we’ll engage in the usual sponsorship activities, like incorporating our branding in stadiums and hosting employees and customers at hospitality events at some of the best games of the season. But what I find really exciting is the behind-the-scenes work we’ll be doing to help the schools and conferences discover the power of logistics.

For example, on December 2nd, the first-ever Pac-12 football championship game will be played at the home stadium of the division champion with the best overall conference record. This is a different scenario from the way other conferences conduct their championship games in which the location is pre-determined long in advance of the actual game.

As you might imagine, having as little as one week’s notice before knowing where the game will be played among 12 possible venues creates some logistical challenges. Temporary seating, game equipment, vendor merchandise, fan displays, and all manner of other related equipment and materials will have to be transported and in place long before kick-off.

But UPS will be there every step of the way with our logistics playbook, helping to coordinate the processing, tracking, and delivery of these and many of the other items necessary to make the championship game a great success, regardless of who wins.

So maybe we won’t win the Heisman. But it still fills me with a tremendous sense of pride knowing that behind the scenes, UPS will make a real difference to the countless fans, players and coaches who will gather together every week, putting it all on the line for their teams, their schools and their honor.

UPS is now the official package delivery and logistics sponsor of the Southeastern Conference and SEC events. I had a chance to talk with Doug Gibeaut, director of sponsorships and events at UPS.

Q. Why is UPS making this sponsorship investment now?

A. With a total base of more than 172 million fans, 29 million of whom earn more than $100,000 a year, the college market’s fan base also provides access to a large audience of business decision-makers.

This gives us the ability to showcase our solutions and services, and at the same time, build key relationships by hosting customers and employees at hospitality events staged around these important SEC championships.

Q. What are the details of the sponsorship?

A. UPS has official corporate sponsor status with conference logos, marketing rights, SEC television and web presence, event signage and merchandise. Also, the company will have a presence at the Dr. Pepper SEC FanFare during the Conference’s annual football championship weekend and men’s basketball tournament. These two events, held in conjunction with the respective SEC Championships, draw more than 60,000 fans each year.

Q. How will UPS leverage the sponsorship with b2b customers?

A. Hosting customers at marquis events such as the SEC Football Championship is one way to build relationships and our business. In addition, we will seek introductions to other sponsors, suppliers and those connected with the conference to help introduce UPS and compete for business.