State Farm is an insurance company with corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. It started as a mutual auto insurance company in 1922, and has expanded to include financial services and banking. In the 1950s, the company held a contest among its agents, with one winning entry coming up with the idea of auto loans to existing policyholders. This innovative program was a hit and eventually led to the establishment of the first marketing partnership between insurance companies and banks.
The city is home to numerous professional sports teams. A popular sport is the football team, and State Farm Stadium is a multipurpose stadium. The Arizona Cardinals play there, as do the Atlanta Hawks. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a basketball team as well, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosts the State Farm Classic. In addition, the State Farm Hall is a classroom building at Illinois Wesleyan University, as part of Illinois State University in Normal.