Take It To The Bank: UM Announces Arena Naming-Rights Deal

BankUnited Teams Up With Univ. Of Miami

The Univ. of Miami (UM) and BankUnited have signed a ten-year deal to rename the Convocation Center the BankUnited Center. BankUnited also becomes the official bank of the facility, which is home to the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. The deal includes on-site ATMs, alumni and student marketing opportunities, and Web promotions. BankUnited Center is managed by Global Spectrum (Comcast-Spectacor). UM President Donna Shalala said that the deal is “in ‘the millions’ and the money will be used to help pay down debt” on the $48M arena, which opened in ’03 (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 11/17). UM VP/Advancement Sergio Gonzalez said the amount was “very generous on the bank’s part.” BankUnited Chair & CEO Alfred Camner, who graduated from UM’s law school and has five family members who are either alums or currently enrolled at UM, said, “We thought it was a good combination of marketing and community endeavors” (MIAMI HERALD, 11/17). BankUnited and UM officials “dismissed the notion that concert-goers may be confused” by the name, as the NHL Panthers play in the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. Shalala: “People can sort it out” (Sarah Talalay, SUN-SENTINEL, 11/17).