President and CEO Robert D. Sznewajs said, "As Portland-Vancouver's
largest community bank, it is only natural for us to support the athletic
programs of the area's largest university..
Almost six in ten (59.
* Another issue often cited in stories about the challenges facing
students entering the real world is the extent to which they have
already amassed some credit card debt upon graduation.
The GSR is a new NCAA measurement that improves the federally mandated
graduation-rate by including transfer data in the calculation.

championship womens

goviks.
* Of the 480 female student-athletes surveyed, only 7 percent said they
would like to follow the path of a professional athlete, compared to
nearly 19 percent of men,
* Among women, 93 percent of women said they would like to follow the path
of someone at the top of a chosen profession other than professional
sports, vs.)
* After parents as advisors come friends at 48 percent (46 percent of
women vs.

Category for site with both men's and women's volleyball.

daily july

For more information, go to
http://www. The company is a
leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits;
automobile and homeowners products; and business property-casualty insurance.

2nd european

Survey shows most student-athletes are thinking about financial success beyond
the playing field; findings reflect differences based on gender, types of
sports played and size of school's athletic programs.
* More than 50 percent say they want to cover their living expenses, pay
off debts like student loans and credit cards, and begin building their
wealth with investments and retirement savings.

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and
universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for
more than 360,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and
universities.

university updates

The bank prides
themselves on being part of the fabric of the Portland-Vancouver community in
much the same way as Portland State..

Financial Optimism.
* In all, 95 percent of student athletes rely on one source or another for
financial advice.

daily 8th

they
are the perfect fit for our corporate sponsorship program."
For information on Portland State University and the Viking's sport
schedule, visit http://www.

HARTFORD , Conn.. 81 percent of men.

Seeking Advice. 17 percent of men), financial books at 17 percent
(14 percent of women vs.
* The numbers of students graduating from college with some form of
education-related debt is a well-known issue, and with student-athletes
it is no exception.ncaa.org.com

Joshua King Gail Dent
860-547-2293 317-917-6119
gdent@ncaa.

held slovenia

8
billion in assets, operating 52 offices in Oregon and Washington.com that includes practical
information about investment, savings and debt management . Throughout the survey, the nearly 60 percent who say they have begun
planning their financial future exhibit more hands-on-management of their
financial affairs, more reliance on expert advise, and more optimism about
their own future than the approximately 40 percent who have not.. have already .
* Interestingly, volleyball players seemed the most intent on getting
professional advice.7 billion.thehartford.

slovenia collegiate

)
* Among Division I male athletes, the number increases to 21 percent . 82 of men. In The Hartford
survey, 47 percent of respondents reported that they expect to have
some credit card debt upon graduation. BU scored a perfect 100 percent in 14 of its varsity sports in the
initial team-by-team GSR data released last month. The NCAA's data concluded that an
average of 76 percent of Division I student-athletes graduated during the
four-year span that encompasses the current data (entering classes from 1995-
98).
Both the men's and women's basketball teams were among the 14 Terrier
sports that had a perfect GSR.

scores updates

West Coast Bancorp , one of Oregon Business Magazine's 100 Best Companies
to Work For in 2004 and 2005, is a Northwest bank holding company with $1.com.
* 14 percent expect only to focus on current living expenses without
focusing immediately on debt reduction or long-term planning

Student Loan Debt. One-in-four (25.com.

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward -looking
statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors
should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
results to differ .
Overall first-year GSR results indicate that after removing students who
leave institutions while academically eligible, about three-fourths of all
Division I scholarship student-athletes graduate from the institution they
started at or where they transferred.

european university

, With only about one
percent of NCAA student-athletes making it to the professional arena, it's no
surprise that today's collegiate competitors are looking beyond the playing
field to secure their financial future.. Among the findings observed in this first The Hartford Financial
Game Plan Survey are feelings related to "going pro ," optimism for future
wealth, gender differences, whom student-athletes turn to for advice, and how
much debt (educational and credit) student-athletes are carrying.
* Female student-athletes are prudent planners and want more instruction
in personal finance: 78 percent of women student -athletes wish they had
been taught more, compared with 72 percent of men. 31 percent of men ), financial advisors at 20 percent (23
percent of women vs. 7 percent of men).

european 2nd

The
following is a synopsis of some of those findings:

Dreams of Going Pro.
* Furthermore, 22 percent of these optimists say they are already using a
financial advisor and 8 percent use a stock broker. Only 5
percent of respondents said they do not rely on any of the preceding
for financial advice. Among volleyball players, 32 percent said they
used a financial advisor , compared with 25 percent for those involved
in water sports, 19 percent for soccer and basketball players, and 16
percent for football players.

The Hartford Financial Game Plan Survey was conducted among 1,001 student-
athletes in all NCAA divisions by Impulse Research Corporation in December
2004 with a margin of error of 3 percent. It was
developed in response to college and university presidents who wanted
graduation data that more accurately reflects the mobility among students in
today's higher education climate. Boston University's student-athlete graduation rate was 92 percent for
that period.

parent men

And several of their employees are PSU
alumni.
* Men are nearly three times (19 percent) more likely to want to follow
the career path of a professional athlete than women (7 percent. 49 percent of men), teachers at 25 percent (22 percent of
women vs. 20 percent of men), financial magazines at 16
percent (13 percent of women vs.

sub men

The campaign
includes a series of speaking engagements by former student-athletes at
college campuses across the country, along with a 25-page guidebook and
companion Web site http://www.thehartford..

Female Athletes Focused On Their Future.

BU Receives High Marks in NCAA Graduation Success Rate Data

scores daily

Getting a Jump Start.
* Approximately 35 percent say they'll be focused on covering expenses and
repaying debt, but do not cite long-term planning as a priority.org

Boston University had the highest GSR (92) of any of the nine current
members of the America East conference.

championship slovenia

* Among college athletes, 36 percent expect to become a millionaire in
their lifetime, with men more than twice as likely (49 percent) to feel
that way than women (22 percent)
* In all, 83 percent of respondents expect to live more comfortably than
their parents from a financial standpoint.
* These optimists (those who expect to become millionaires ) are also more
likely than their fellow student-athletes to own stocks, shares of
mutual funds, IRAs and bonds. Parents are by far the most relied-upon source for
advice among student-athletes with 85 percent relying upon them (88
percent of women vs.

categories 3rd

West Coast Bank is Named the Official Bank Sponsor of Portland State Athletics

The multi-year sponsorship supports all
women's and men's teams, including football, softball, volleyball, soccer and
basketball.

New Survey by The Hartford Finds Student-Athletes Optimistic and Realistic About Life After College Sports

One of the key factors that may signal a readiness to tackle the world
beyond college is the degree to which a student-athlete has already begun to
plan.

Student-athletes who .
* Almost 73 percent of the student-athletes polled who expect to become a
millionaire are already planning for their financial future after
college. Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA
Championships in Division I, II and III sports. These important risks and uncertainties include those
discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2004 Annual Report on
Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange
Commission . "I am proud that Boston University's GSR
results accurately reflect the quality of our program and the academic
accomplishments of our student-athletes."

collegiate european

(NYSE: HIG), student-athletes are, for the most part, realistic about the many
money hurdles they will face when their collegiate playing days are over.
The Hartford Financial Game Plan Survey coincides with the launch of The
Hartford's Playbook for Life, an educational campaign designed to help
student-athletes develop a game plan for their financial future. 12 percent of men) and stock
brokers at 6 percent (4 percent of women vs.

8th university

wcb.
According to a new survey by The Hartford Financial Services Group , Inc.
The following table, drawn from the responses to the survey, compares
student athletes who say they have already begun planning their financial
future with those who have not. shows 13 % 4 %
Have an individual retirement account 8 % 2 %
Use a stock broker 7 % 3 %

The survey also tapped into a variety of other issues with interesting
results.

2nd scores

.
. 19 percent of men), financial TV shows
at 9 percent (6 percent of women vs.

Credit Card Debt.

european 3rd

"
Damon Dukakis, PSU Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs, said,
"Portland State University is excited to partner with West Coast Bank ..

The company
combines the sophisticated products and expertise of larger banks with the
local decision making, market knowledge and customer service of a community
bank.playbook.
The Hartford is one of the nation's largest financial services and
insurance companies, with 2004 revenues of $22 .
The Hartford's Internet address is http://www. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as
of the date issued.

Contact(s):
Pamela Rekow Ilene Lefland
860-547-8990 203-378-1152 x109
ilene@cjpcom.
"At Boston University we are very proud of our heritage as a program that
fosters excellence and the development of our student-athletes in athletics,
academics and service to the community," said Mike Lynch, director of
athletics for Boston University.

Also the parent category for the sub-categories , 'Men' and 'Women'.

update daily

Portland State serves the needs of
not only the Portland/Vancouver area, but the entire Northwest.com.

6 percent) have begun planning their financial future
and more than three quarters (75.V.

Planning for the Future.
* A majority of the student-athletes are considering both their long- and
short-term financial goals for their first years out of college. 28 percent who expect to be
debt-free. The extent of that debt varies, according to the survey,
with 12 percent of respondents expecting to have under $5,000 of
college loan debt, 29 percent expecting to have between $5,000 and
$20,000 in college loan debt, 14 percent expecting to have between
$20,000 and $35,000 in college loan debt, 10 percent expecting to have
between $35,000 and $50,000 of loan debt, and 7 percent expecting to
have more than $50,000 in loan debt.5 percent)
expect to have under $1,000 in credit card debt, and 15 percent expect
to have been $1,000 and $5,000 in credit card debt.

scores university

, West Coast Bank
(Nasdaq: WCBO) has been named the official bank sponsor of all Portland State
athletic teams beginning in fall 2005. For more information, visit the Company web site at http://www.
We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees
of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Institutional rating of 92 a full 16 points higher than the national average

BOSTON, Boston University posted an overall score
of 92 in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) institutional information released
today for Division I schools by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA). Therefore, two-thirds of the university's teams graduated all of their
student-athletes during the time frame.

maribor women

1 percent) wish they had been taught more in
this area by this point in their lives.
* Less than 13 percent of student-athletes say they would most like to be
a professional athlete.
* Among those who play collegiate basketball, the number jumps further, to
28 percent.
* Women (62 percent) are slightly more likely than men (59 percent) to
have begun planning their financial future (this result is inside the
margin of error). 28 percent of men), the Internet at 24 percent (17 percent of
women vs. Only 7 percent say
they expect to have more than $5,000 in credit card debt.
The men 's hockey team posted a GSR of 88, eight points higher than the sport's
national average of 80.

2nd 2003

Sponsorship Will Support All Co-Educational Athletic Teams

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore.
Twenty-one of BU's varsity sports were included in the calculation by the
NCAA. Other teams include women's lacrosse, men's and
women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field,
men's swimming, wrestling, women's rowing, women's golf and women's tennis.

collegiate championship

have not
begun planning yet begun
financial planning
future financial
future

Expect to be a millionaire in their lifetime 44 % 24 %
Manage their own credit card 67 % 57 %
Expect to start building lifetime
wealth right after college 60 % 36 %
Use a financial advisor 23 % 16 %
Read financial planning-related books 22 % 10 %
Manage their own auto and home insurance 22 % 17 %
Read financial planning-related magazines 21 % 9 %
Manage their own health insurance 18 % 13 %
Own shares of individual company stock 13 % 5 %
Watch financial planning-related T. Among student-athletes , 72 percent expect to have
some debt when they graduate college, vs.