The rights to rename Qualcomm Stadium yesterday "went on the auction block" under an "arrangement between the city and Fox Sports College Properties," according to a front-page piece by Roger Showley of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Fox, which handles marketing and advertising for San Diego State athletics, is giving bidders until Sept. 1 to "respond to a nine-page" RFP. The goal is to "pick the winner and announce the results in time" for the Sept. 16 SDSU home football game against Stanford. However, the new name will "only last until Dec. 31, 2018, when SDSU's contract to play at Qualcomm expires." Fox VP & GM for SDSU Sports Properties Duke Little said that the city's Real Estate Assets Department "asked SDSU to handle the naming rights matter in May and the terms and conditions were set in June." Little yesterday "emailed the RFP to Fox and SDSU advertising and corporate partners, local and national industry magazines and news outlets, business prospects and advertising agencies and clients." In just the first few hours, 600 responses and comments "were returned." Little "expects bidders will offer around $500,000 for the 16-month branding opportunity, not the many millions new stadiums have received in recent years." That could "help defray the city's annual operational costs" of about $10M. Showley notes the winning bidder would be able to "erect about a half-dozen significant signs, at its own expense, in and around the stadium." Little also said that the city has "agreed to remove the stadium's various Qualcomm signs at a cost of $25,000 to $50,000" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/2).
