Former Governor Arne Carlson, Former Gopher Captain Jim Carter Critical of U for Allowing Huntington's Branding at TCF Bank Stadium

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,566
Reaction score
15,641
Points
113
per Shama:

University officials have been working with Huntington for awhile on the transition, and the renaming was officially approved by the school’s Board of Regents last week. A couple of days later a trail of emails was sent to Sports Headliners including this from former Minnesota governor Arne Carlson:

“…If our leaders love green and white so much, they can go to Michigan State or North Dakota for their paychecks. I would be perfectly willing to kick in a contribution toward some billboards advertising this appalling lack of loyalty. This would also deeply concern Huntington in that it harms their brand.”

Former Gophers football captain Jim Carter started the email trail sent to many former U players and others like Carlson who are passionate about Minnesota football. Carter, a critic over the years of U leadership in both athletics and school administration, wrote the following:

“The Board of Regents had the authority to ask Huntington to follow what TCF did and use the traditional maroon and gold colors in the signage and branding of the stadium. There was a motion made at a recent…meeting to negotiate with Huntington to NOT use green and white, but to continue our proud tradition of using maroon and gold. The board defeated the motion 8-3. …”

In a telephone interview Carter said he understands the importance of corporate sponsorship to U athletic revenues (the original $35 million long-term deal with TCF Bank is still in place) but he’s an ongoing critic of the Board of Regents who he believes “rubber stamp” agenda items offered by school leaders. To Carter, the U and Gophers athletics are symbolized by maroon and gold, and he didn’t see the passion by regents or other school leadership to fight for the school colors.

“The maroon and gold is a tradition that I think should be protected at the U,” Carter said. “…The folks that are now serving on the Board of Regents and the administration don’t think of it the way many of us care about it.”


Go Gophers!!
 




The stress Carter must feel on a daily basis deciding which of his beautiful scarves he wears that day must be intense.
 


Huntington taking over naming rights is a travesty.

In fact, all these corporate sponsorships are awful.
 



Could be Jim Carter Stadium if he wanted to pay.... but instead he will just bitch.
 



I am not a fan of the name, but it is what it is. You take the money, you get a shittily named stadium. I think the point about the colors is a valid one, however. They had the ability to negotiate with Huntington, and chose not to. They could have asked them to use maroon and gold, or at the very least, a monochromatic logo in silver, black/white, or something not so damn ugly. Presumably, Huntington could have either agreed, or the two parties could have agreed to void the remainder of the contract. And of course, the naming rights are worth more than the $35mil TCF paid years ago. If the U didn’t have first refusal of any name change in the original contract with TCF, they’re dumber than a box of rocks.

Look at Mariucci- the 3M logo isn’t in 3M’s colors. It’s in silver.
 


I was on campus last weekend and looked at the stadium. The logo is not on there yet, so is there any confirmation that the green is a done deal? Until I see it, it is a non story.
 

No one foresaw the possibility of TCF Bank being sold to another banking company. Gopher Athletics has to accept the money and the terms of the original contract. The agreement probably does not contain any language about branding parameters.

Gopher Athletics can try to negotiate the change or modification of the Huntington Bank logo so that it fits the Gopher Brand. That will be a win-win situation.

The color green is unpopular in Gopher Country. I don't know why.
 



Emails sent out by the U about the rebranding clearly show a green logo.

Maybe this "uproar" will send them back to the table. I doubt it, but you never know for sure until it's up there.


Should the Vikings have made US Bank put a custom purple and gold version of their corporate logo on their stadium?

I guess I fail to see why it's a big deal. It's not like they're forcing the team to wear a big green patch on the uniforms or green decal on the helmet.
 

Huntington taking over naming rights is a travesty.

In fact, all these corporate sponsorships are awful.
Get out your checkbook, genius.

It's always the skinflints that bitch the most.
 





LOL!

I'm fine with voting for politicians who want to increase university funding.

Are you?
I am, BUT university funding is typically separate from things like practice facilities and stadiums that the naming rights helped pay for.
 

I am, BUT university funding is typically separate from things like practice facilities and stadiums that the naming rights helped pay for.
Depends.

Stadium would never have happened without funding from the state.

A one off "Pay off the current sponsor and name it X" would almost certainly be a state initiative with state funds. It won't happen but if it did it would certainly be that kind of thing if only because that kind of money isn't likely to come from anywhere else.
 

This isn't unprecedented, even in Minneapolis. The outside logo on the building is white; the red, white and blue below it is a digital screen. Still, there are no purple and gold U.S. Bank logos at U.S. Bank Stadium.


16246_002_originaljpeg.jpg20191208_130615-1008x756-1.jpg725.031%2520(1).jpg
 

No one foresaw the possibility of TCF Bank being sold to another banking company. Gopher Athletics has to accept the money and the terms of the original contract. The agreement probably does not contain any language about branding parameters.
Of course they foresaw the possibility, it is addressed in the contract. There are provisions addressing the re-naming of the stadium, Huntington Bank Stadium is clearly permissible under those provisions.
Gopher Athletics can try to negotiate the change or modification of the Huntington Bank logo so that it fits the Gopher Brand. That will be a win-win situation.
They can always try, and maybe they are, but the idea that some (not you) have that the U is in a position to reject the name, demand a different logo, demand more money, etc. is factually and legally incorrect.
The color green is unpopular in Gopher Country. I don't know why.
I am sure that they have or will ask for a color change on the logo. Huntington has no doubt invested a great deal of time and money in developing its brand, logo, etc., so they may resist any change.

I’d suggest a marketing campaign centered around the idea that the new name in banking in town is still peopled by the friends and neighbors you have known and trusted for years and that they are just as committed to the community and the U as ever. Then change the colors of the logo as a symbol of being willing and able to fit in as a new neighbor.
 

Emails sent out by the U about the rebranding clearly show a green logo.

Maybe this "uproar" will send them back to the table. I doubt it, but you never know for sure until it's up there.


Should the Vikings have made US Bank put a custom purple and gold version of their corporate logo on their stadium?

I guess I fail to see why it's a big deal. It's not like they're forcing the team to wear a big green patch on the uniforms or green decal on the helmet.
Pretty sure that they wore a green decal on the helmet last season.

Also, if you look on the gophersports.com page about the rebranding, there is a photo that shows the HB logo on the scoreboard, in bright green. However, there's a disclaimer under the photo that says it's a rendering. Maybe it won't be green when it's all said and done.
 

What is the big deal? Arnie and Jim should just move on.
 


Money talks and we all know what walks.
 


This isn't unprecedented, even in Minneapolis. The outside logo on the building is white; the red, white and blue below it is a digital screen. Still, there are no purple and gold U.S. Bank logos at U.S. Bank Stadium.


View attachment 13283View attachment 13284View attachment 13285
I believe there are also giant US Bank logos on the roof, pointed upwards for the blimp shots. (much to their chagrin, the new nearby Wells Fargo towers also have such a logo, and I believe USB even tried to go to court to stop them but lost)
 

Pretty sure that they wore a green decal on the helmet last season.
I didn't mean all the smaller ones on the back of the helmet.

I meant the main logos that are prominent on the sides, ie the M's or the Goldy heads.
 




Top Bottom