BleedGopher
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per Rand Ball:
A Gophers athletics official told me the U of M (much like other schools) is looking at various potential revenue streams. While there are no plans anytime soon to remove Mariucci and Williams from the building names, the official said adding a sponsor name to those buildings and their existing names is a “possibility” that would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
So yes, it does sound like naming rights could be coming to those hallowed arenas — not as a replacement for the existing names but rather in addition to them.
The first instinct might be to recoil at the idea of a bank or other major corporation (for instance) adding its name to Mariucci Arena or Williams Arena. Those arrangements tend to sound clunky, such as “Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium,” as the University of Washington’s football stadium was renamed a couple year ago.
Altering an existing name to add a corporate name, though, does feel different — offering a stark reminder of how much sports, even at the college level, have become big business.
The guess here is that, like Tanick wrote, changes to Mariucci and Williams are inevitable (and probably sooner than later). If the plan was to wipe out those names entirely, there would be an outcry. Instead, whenever it happens, the outrage level will only reach a collective grumble and fans will just keep on calling the buildings by their old names.
http://www.startribune.com/sell-nam...nd-williams-arena-is-a-possibility/422751704/
Go Gophers!!
A Gophers athletics official told me the U of M (much like other schools) is looking at various potential revenue streams. While there are no plans anytime soon to remove Mariucci and Williams from the building names, the official said adding a sponsor name to those buildings and their existing names is a “possibility” that would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
So yes, it does sound like naming rights could be coming to those hallowed arenas — not as a replacement for the existing names but rather in addition to them.
The first instinct might be to recoil at the idea of a bank or other major corporation (for instance) adding its name to Mariucci Arena or Williams Arena. Those arrangements tend to sound clunky, such as “Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium,” as the University of Washington’s football stadium was renamed a couple year ago.
Altering an existing name to add a corporate name, though, does feel different — offering a stark reminder of how much sports, even at the college level, have become big business.
The guess here is that, like Tanick wrote, changes to Mariucci and Williams are inevitable (and probably sooner than later). If the plan was to wipe out those names entirely, there would be an outcry. Instead, whenever it happens, the outrage level will only reach a collective grumble and fans will just keep on calling the buildings by their old names.
http://www.startribune.com/sell-nam...nd-williams-arena-is-a-possibility/422751704/
Go Gophers!!
