Turtle Power: Univ. Of Maryland's Comcast Center Changing Name To Xfinity Center

The Univ. of Maryland yesterday announced the school’s basketball arena is being renamed Xfinity Center after going by Comcast Center since opening in ‘02. Rebranding the venue is part of the original deal between Comcast and UM that allows company -- upon mutual agreement -- to utilize opportunities to extend its brand. The renaming efforts, which will be of no cost to UM or the athletic department, are expected to be completed by mid-August (UM). Univ. of Maryland-Baltimore County sports economist Dennis Coates said changing Comcast Center’s name is “kind of an unusual case” within naming-rights deals because it does not involve a new partner. Coates: “Usually it’s a complete change in the company.” In Baltimore, Jeff Barker notes the basketball floor was named for former men’s coach Gary Williams in ’12, and that designation “is not affected by the new arena name” (Baltimore SUN, 7/29).