FALLS CHURCH, Va., Aug 27, 2002 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

NCAA Division IA & IAA Schools to Nominate Their 'Unsung Heroes'

Capital One and ESPN today announced a call for nominations for the first-ever Capital One All-America Mascot Team. The Capital One All-America Mascot Team will be comprised of 12 NCAA Division IA and IAA football mascots ... one of which ultimately will be named the Capital One Mascot of the Year at the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2003.

These unsung heroes work their feathers, fur, tails, scales, beaks and other parts to the bone, with one objective in mind -- rooting their teams to victory. But at the end of the day, what recognition do they receive? Usually none. The Capital One All-America Mascot Team will change that.

All NCAA Division IA & IAA colleges and universities with football programs have been asked to nominate their mascot for a chance at being a part of this inaugural team. Each athletic department was mailed a nomination kit and has a deadline of 5 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, to nominate its school's mascot.

A panel of judges from Capital One, ESPN/ABC Sports and the collegiate/mascot community will select the winners in late September 2002. Judging criteria includes fan interaction, demonstration of good sportsmanship and community service involvement. Once judging is completed, the Capital One All-America Mascot Team will be announced and featured in commercials airing throughout the 2002 college football season.

Following the announcement, the race for the Capital One National Mascot of the Year begins in mid-October, when fans from around the country can vote for their favorite mascot of the 12 All-Americans at http://www.capitalonebowl.com . The Capital One National Mascot of the Year will be announced during the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl) on Jan. 1, 2003.

In addition to recognition, each winning mascot will be awarded $5,000, payable to its school's athletic department, for use in scholarship and funding of the mascot program. The National Mascot of the Year will receive an additional $5,000 (total of $10,000) for its school.

Capital One Financial Corporation (http://www.capitalone.com ) is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank and Capital One FSB, offer consumer-lending products. Capital One's subsidiaries collectively had 48.6 million accounts and $53.2 billion in managed loans outstanding as of June 30, 2002. Capital One, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Falls Church, Va., is one of the largest providers of MasterCard and Visa credit cards in the world. Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 500 index. Capital One's affiliation with college football began with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl and ESPN's Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report and numerous other college football programs.

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SOURCE Capital One Financial Corporation

CONTACT:          Travis Parrish, +1-804-675-8149, or tparrish@crtpr.com, for
                  Capital One Financial Corporation

URL:              http://www.capitalone.com
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