Donor Letter Causes Bradley Center To Drop Naming-Rights Plan
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Letter From Donor Family Leads Bradley Center
BOD To Drop Plan To Sell Naming Rights |
The Bradley Center BOD yesterday "abruptly decided to drop plans to sell the naming rights for the facility," according to Don Walker of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Bradley Center officials in February hired Bonham Group to broker a naming rights sale, hoping to bring in $2M or more annually "over several years to augment a shrinking revenue pot." But Lynde Bradley Uihlein and David Uihlein Jr., the children of philanthropist Jane Bradley Pettit, who donated $90M to build the arena as a way of honoring her father, Harry Lynde Bradley, recently wrote a letter to the Journal Sentinel, claiming that the sale of naming rights "would degrade their mother's $90[M] gift and would have little impact on the arena's financial future." Bradley Center BOD Chair Ulice Payne Jr. yesterday in a statement said, "It was always our intention to approach this issue in a respectful manner and with the family's involvement. With their [letter], we are ending any effort to seek a naming-rights partner for the Bradley Center.'' The family had not previously spoken out on the matter, but "friends close to the family ... said Lynde was unhappy with the board's decision to pursue a naming-rights deal." The Bradley Center is one of just six NBA arenas "without a corporate name" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/23). To read the entire letter, visit www.sportsbusinessdaily.com (THE DAILY).
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