DePaul Univ. has selected Legends Sales & Marketing to sell naming rights for its proposed 10,000-seat arena in Chicago. Sources said that the school’s community relations office is expected to confirm the deal this week after a contract is signed. In May, DePaul -- a private school and a member of the new Big East -- and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a plan to build a $173M arena across the street from McCormick Place in the city’s South Loop neighborhood. The city and the university plan to share construction costs for a facility that would serve as the new home for DePaul men’s and women’s basketball. The arena also is a key piece of Emanuel’s $1B plan to upgrade the city’s tourism industry. Project officials expect to break ground in '14 and the arena would open in time for the '16-17 college basketball season. Legends previously brokered the naming-rights deal for the Univ. of Nebraska's recently opened Pinnacle Bank Arena. The company also has outsourcing deals with several schools to sell season tickets for basketball and football.
