Austin-based Dell Technologies has agreed to become the first and only premier founding partner on the new $338M Moody Center at the Univ. of Texas. Dell, which has a special place in the annals of Longhorn history after being founded in Michael Dell’s UT dorm room, will have its brand on two of the most-visible areas of the new arena. The Dell Technologies Plaza, located in front of the main entrance, will be a high-traffic space that sits between the football stadium and I-35 and serves as a year-round gathering spot. The deal also provides naming rights for the Dell Technologies Club, an area along the arena’s north sideline that will highlight Dell’s innovations and provide a high-end club space for up to 1,000 people. Dell is working with Gensler, another Austin-based business, to design the club space, with inspiration from the Texas hill country. The company has a small handful of sports sponsorships in the Austin metro area, including naming rights at the Triple-A ballpark in Round Rock and title sponsorship of the WGC/PGA Tour match play event at Austin Country Club. Oak View Group Collegiate President Dan Shell took the lead on the deal, working with Dell Head of Global Sponsorships Anne Ristau and Senior VP/Global Brand & Experiential Liz Matthews. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is believed to be on par with significant naming-rights deals, which would put it at low-to-mid seven figures annually over 10-plus years.
ARENA EXPECTED TO BE BUSY: OVG, which brokered this three-way arrangement with UT and Dell, has said that it expects Moody Center to host 150 events per year, including Longhorns’ basketball. OVG sold the deal as part of its agreement with UT to pay for the arena in exchange for a revenue share from future sponsorships. To help manage its interests in Moody Center, Dell has hired former Texas football player Chris Ogbonnaya. He will be responsible for representing Dell’s partnership at the arena. The Moody Foundation already had naming rights on the new arena locked up by virtue of its $130M gift in '19. For more on the deal, see Monday's issue of SBJ.
