In Texas, Blake Ursch reported Texas Tech's United Spirit Arena “will be called the United Supermarkets Arena” following a title sponsorship extension. Lubbock-based United Supermarkets has given $9.45M to “extend its naming rights to the arena for another 10 years” through ‘27. The United Family President Robert Taylor said that the “idea for a name change came about after the company realized many people from outside Lubbock didn’t know the ... supermarket chain had anything to do with the arena” (LUBBOCKONLINE.com, 5/2).
CALL WAITING: In Milwaukee, Don Walker noted U.S. Cellular is "not going to renew its naming rights deal" for U.S. Cellular Arena, home to the Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team. The current agreement, which came from an extension in '07, "will expire on May 31." The expiring contract "combined cash payments and wireless services to the Wisconsin Center District totaling more than" $2.4M. Wisconsin Center District Chair Franklyn Gimbel said he was looking at "alternative naming-rights candidates." Gimbel added, "We hope we'll have a new deal within 30 days" (JSONLINE.com, 5/2).
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: In Salt Lake City, Jay Drew wrote under the header, "Is BYU Falling Behind On Basketball Facilities Arms Race?" The Univ. of Utah on Monday "broke ground" on a $36M basketball practice facility, while Utah State on May 14 will open the $9.5M Wayne Estes Center, a basketball and volleyball facility. BYU has been "talking about the need for a basketball practice facility for years, but doesn’t appear to be close to breaking ground on one." BYU needs a practice facility because the Marriott Center is "booked a good chunk of December for an event called Christmas Around the World." BYU has to "practice at the Richards Building or the Smith Fieldhouse when the event is going on, and can’t play home games the first week or so of December" (SLTRIB.com, 5/5).
