In Raleigh, Joe Giglio notes N.C. State has received a $5M pledge from a group of donors to "name the arena at the recently renovated Reynolds Coliseum" in honor of the late Jim Valvano. On Dec. 5, James T. Valvano Arena at Reynolds Coliseum "will be dedicated before the Wolfpack’s annual Heritage Game at its old on-campus home." The move is the "latest step the school has taken to restore Valvano’s legacy and repair its relationship with his family" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 11/15).
ADDING TO THE FUN: In Colorado, Kelly Lyell noted work "began Monday on a new party deck" at Colorado State's Moby Arena that school officials "expect to be in use by late January." The party deck "will operate as a premium area similar to the New Belgium Porch" at Canvas Stadium. Fans will be "required to pay beyond what they pay for their game ticket to access the area, where they will be able to purchase and drink beer during CSU basketball and volleyball games." CSU hopes to "complete construction of the porch during the school’s winter break and open it by Jan. 22, when spring-semester classes begin" (Ft. Collins COLORADOAN, 11/13).
WHAT CAN'T MONEY BUY? In Philadelphia, Howard Gensler wrote the Palestra has its "own lifeblood," and with Penn selling naming rights to the court to Macquarie, the "cathedral is being desecrated." The decision is "disappointing" and "tone deaf to the arena's place in basketball history." Penn's teams are "winning," and the school should "promote that -- the players, the game, and the history -- not a financial services firm that slapped its logo on hallowed ground" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/13).
