The Hawaii Tourism Authority has hired Ascendent Sports Group, a firm with close NFL ties, to provide sports marketing services for the State.

HTA said the one-year, $200,000 agreement includes an option for it to extend the deal for up to four additional one-year periods.

New York-based Ascendent was co-founded by Stephen Ross and Matt Higgins, the owner and vice chairman, respectively, of the Miami Dolphins.

“We picked them for all their connections,” said Leslie Dance, HTA vice president of marketing and product development. “I mean the obvious one is their founders own the Miami Dolphins. But they have contacts on every level: youth sports, college sports, professional sports and also work with lot of big-name companies like FedEx.”

HTA said 12 organizations, three of them from Hawaii, submitted bids for the contract.

Dance said, “We believe Ascendent is going to open a lot of doors for HTA and create new opportunities to showcase Hawaii to the world.”

The HTA said “Ascendent’s support of HTA will include the sourcing of current and emerging sports opportunities, guidance on the application and selection process for the hosting of future events and competitions, assistance with contract negotiations, and providing insight to ensure a successful event for Hawaii.”

Ascendent’s experience with Hawaii sports events includes the Ironman Triathlon and Pro Bowl, HTA said.