In Pittsburgh, Shelly Anderson reports the Penguins have added 300 seats to Consol Energy Center, "bringing the capacity for hockey games to 18,387 for the team's second season at the arena." The new seating capacity "retains the original tie-in to the No. 87 worn" by C Sidney Crosby. Penguins VP/Communications Tom McMillan said yesterday that the additional seats "are scattered throughout the building." Penguins President & CEO David Morehouse said that the team "has had a 99 percent season-ticket renewal rate" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 8/17).
WHAT'S MY NAME? Univ. of Central Florida CFO Bill Merck said that he is "still optimistic about a naming-rights deal" for the school's basketball arena. In Orlando, Beth Kassab notes before the complex opened in '07, the university "estimated such a marketing agreement would bring in $250,000 a year for the arena." The school this week "hosted a company that may be interested" in the naming rights, but Merck "declined to name" the organization (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/17).
UNIVERSITY BOUND: In Columbus, Jeff Bell reported the MLL Ohio Machine will play at Ohio Wesleyan University's 9,100-seat Selby Field during their inaugural season next year. A source said that in closing the deal, it "helped that fast-growing Delaware County is home to several high school lacrosse teams" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/15).
