Gila River Hotels & Casinos as part of the deal will have prominent branding at Sun Devil StadiumPHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL
Arizona State athletics is "teaming with Gila River Hotel & Casinos on a five-year partnership" to promote all 26 ASU sports, and the deal makes Gila River "one of ASU's premier athletic sponsors along with Coke and MidFirst Bank," according to Jeff Metcalfe of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. ASU's remodeled southeast plaza outside Sun Devil Stadium and Wells Fargo Arena will be "sponsored by Gila River Hotel & Casinos similar to the Dignity Health-sponsored southwest entrance to the stadium." Details of the partnership "still are being worked out but will include athletic and academic camps and clinics on reservations, providing Native American youth with sport opportunities and information on attending college." The "only NCAA conflict with having a casino sponsor will come when ASU hosts a postseason event," which would require Gila River signage "to be covered" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/22). In Phoenix, Brandon Brown noted under the agreement, Gila River will be "able to promote itself in a number of different ways at ASU sporting events." It will be "hard to attend, watch or listen to an ASU sporting event without knowing Gila River sponsors ASU athletics." ASU AD Ray Anderson said that he "expects the sponsorship to last longer than the initial five years that are in the contract." Gila River CEO Kenneth Manuel said that the sponsorship "wasn't just done to increase the visibility of the hotel and casino brand, but to add further economic stability to the Gila River Indian Community" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/21).
