Belk to replace Meineke as Charlotte bowl sponsor

North Carolina’s bowl game is getting its third name in a decade. The Meineke Bowl will be renamed the Belk Bowl beginning next season, officials announced Tuesday. The new sponsorship deal with the Charlotte-based department store company runs through the 2013 game.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but the deal will allow the bowl to help cover an increase in per-team payout from $1.3 million to about $1.8 million after moving up in the Atlantic Coast Conference selection order this year. The game features teams from the ACC and Big East. The private, family-owned Belk, Inc. has 305 stores in 16 states in the South. "The Belk Bowl provides a great opportunity to extend our brand exposure to millions of ACC and Big East college football fans across our entire market area and beyond," said CEO Tim Belk.