Finish Line Brings Back College Hoops Bracket Challenge

09 Mar 2017, 17:54 PM EST

Retailer ups the ante with a fresh take, adds “Second Chance Bracket”

INDIANAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$FINL #2017BracketChallenge–Athletic retailer The Finish Line, Inc. (NASDAQ: FINL) will jump into
the men’s college basketball tournament frenzy with its revamped bracket
challenge. Joining the spirited conversation that the tourney brings,
the Finish
Line Bracket Challenge will offer participants the chance to win up
to $5,000 by selecting winning teams this March and encourage engagement
on the company’s social accounts.

“With college hoops and all the hype around it in March, our customers
will be at the center of every important moment during the tournament,”
said Paul Diehl, senior director of content, social and consumer trends
at Finish Line. “We will drive conversation with relevant content that
aligns with what our core consumers value. We also sweetened our bracket
challenge this year with a new second chance incentive.”

Alongside Finish Line’s primary bracket challenge, fans will have the
opportunity to participate in the retailer’s “Second Chance Bracket.”
The new challenge allows participants with busted brackets to reenter
the competition at the Sweet Sixteen round with a brand new selection of
teams and the chance to win $1,000. Finish Line will also award one
Winner’s Circle member $1,000 for participating in the primary
challenge, as well as supply gift cards to the 2^nd through 50^th
place primary bracket challenge finishers. Participants may track their
progress for the duration of the tournament with a real-time leaderboard
on the challenge’s website.

Finish Line will also deliver timely content on social media by
integrating customer quotes with photos and statistics from the
tournament. The retailer plans to surprise some participants by hooking
them up with the latest gear throughout the challenge, awarding them for
participating and freshening up some of the frustration that comes with
busted brackets. Additionally, the retailer will celebrate the
tournament in-store by utilizing digital display screens and loading
them with real-time, geo-targeted team results in the cities of
competing teams.

Customers can register online and make their team selections at finishlinebracket.com
from March 12 – March 16 for the initial challenge and see the complete
list of rules. Information about the second chance bracket will be
announced on the retailer’s social accounts following the start of the
tournament.

About The Finish Line, Inc.

The Finish Line, Inc. is a premium retailer of athletic shoes, apparel
and accessories. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Finish Line has
approximately 970 Finish Line branded locations primarily in U.S. malls
and shops inside Macy’s department stores and employs more than 14,000
sneakerologists who help customers every day connect with their sport,
their life and their style. Online shopping is available at www.finishline.com
and www.macys.com.
Mobile shopping is available at m.finishline.com.
Follow Finish Line on Twitter at Twitter.com/FinishLine
or Twitter.com/FinishLineNews
and “like” Finish Line on Facebook at Facebook.com/FinishLine.
Track loyalty points and find store and product information with the
free Finish Line app downloadable for iOS and Android customers.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes statements that are or may be considered
“forward-looking” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use
of words or phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “future,” “anticipate,”
“intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “estimates,”
“outlook,” “potential,” “optimistic,” “confidence,” “continue,”
“evolve,” “expand,” “growth” or words and phrases of similar meaning.
Statements that describe objectives, plans or goals also are
forward-looking statements.

All of these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, management
assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking
statements. The principal risk factors that could cause actual
performance and future actions to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the
company’s reliance on a few key vendors for a majority of its
merchandise purchases (including a significant portion from one key
vendor); the availability and timely receipt of products; the ability to
timely fulfill and ship products to customers; fluctuations in oil
prices causing changes in gasoline and energy prices, resulting in
changes in consumer spending as well as increases in utility, freight
and product costs; product demand and market acceptance risks;
deterioration of macroeconomic and business conditions; the inability to
locate and obtain or retain acceptable lease terms for the company’s
stores; the effect of competitive products and pricing; loss of key
employees; execution of strategic growth initiatives (including actual
and potential mergers and acquisitions and other components of the
company’s capital allocation strategy); cybersecurity risks, including
breach of customer data; a major failure of technology and information
systems; risks associated with any strategic alternatives carried out
with respect to JackRabbit, including any sale or similar transaction;
and the other risks detailed in the company’s Securities and Exchange
Commission filings. Readers are urged to consider these factors
carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements included herein are made only as of the date
of this report and Finish Line undertakes no obligation to publicly
update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or
circumstances.