The school year just kicked off but the competition nationwide among historically black college and university (HBCU) campuses is about to get fierce. AT&T* announced today the launch of the "Spirit of UNCF" voting sweepstakes and HBCU rivalries will start heating up. The sweepstakes gives HBCU students, alumni and supporters a new way to show their school spirit by voting online or via text for their favorite HBCU. The battle begins Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 and ends midnight on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009.

"The sweepstakes are more than a contest, the program promotes school spirit and taps into the existing camaraderie among HBCU students and alumni," said Jennifer L. Jones, vice president Diverse Markets, AT&T Operations Inc. "Our goal is to highlight UNCF's long-standing history as a national advocate for minority education through a fun and relevant program that engages parents, students and the academic community."

The HBCU with the most votes at the end of the competition wins the right to reign as the Spirit of UNCF. At stake are two incredible on-campus experiences: a campus-to-community technology education fair powered by AT&T Technology and an exclusive Hollywood-styled red carpet campus viewing party, complete with a celebrity host from the 2010 UNCF An Evening of Stars^® Tribute to Lionel Richie presented by Target. One lucky voter will also win a complete AT&T Technology makeover and VIP trip for two to the live taping of An Evening of Stars^® for next year.

Are you battle ready? Cast your vote for your favorite HBCU online at www.att.com/spirit or by texting VOTE to 65579. The Spirit of UNCF interactive Web site is the premier meeting space for you to read about contest details, view and submit alumni success stories and go head-to-head with rival HBCUs. Once there, you can sign up to receive mobile alerts and take advantage of exclusive AT&T offers.