Naming Rights on College Stadiums and Arenas

Last Updated on June 5, 2014

For awhile now I’ve been compiling data on universities that sell the naming rights to their facilities. Today, Rutgers announced a new deal worth $6.5 million over the next 10 years for the naming rights to its football stadium. I’ll give you the complete list of stadiums and arenas with naming rights deals (in no certain order) are below. The amount listed is the total amount for the deal (not a per year breakdown).

Arizona State University	Wells Fargo Arena	Basketball (M/W), Volleyball, Wrestling, Gymnastics	N/A	$5 Million
Boise State University	Taco Bell Arena	Basketball (M/W)	15 Years	$4 Million
College of Charleston	Carolina First Arena	Basketball (M/W), Volleyball	N/A	$2 Million
University of Colorado	Coors Events Center	Basketball (M/W)	N/A	$5 Million
Florida International University	U.S. Century Bank Arena	Basketball (M/W), Volleyball	N/A	N/AN/A
Fresno State University	SaveMart Center at Fresno State	Basketball (M/W)	N/A	$40 Million*
Quinnipiac University	TD Bank Sports Center	Basketball (M/W), Hockey	N/A	N/A
San Diego State University	Viejas Arena	Basketball (M/W)	10 Years	$6.9 Million
Syracuse University	Carrier Dome	Football, Basketball (M/W), Lacrosse	Perpetuity	$2.75 Million
Texas Tech University	Jones AT&T Stadium	Football	25 Years	$20 Million
The Ohio State University	Value City Arena	Basketball (M/W), Hockey	N/A	$12.5 Million
Troy University	Movie Gallery Stadium	Football	20 Years	$5 Million
University of Akron	InfoCision Stadium Summa Field	Football	20 Years	$10 Million
University of Albany	SEFCU Arena	Basketball (M/W), Others	10 Years	$2.75 Million
University of Central Florida	Bright House Networks Stadium	Football	15 Years	$15 Million
University of Cincinnati	Fifth Third Arena	Basketball (M/W), Volleyball	N/A	N/A
University of Louisville	KFC Yum Center	Basketball (M)	10 Years	$13.5 Million
University of Louisville	Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium	Football	N/A	$5 Million**
Univesity of Maryland	Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium	Football	25 Years	$20 Million
University of Maryland	Comcast Center (Main and Pavilion)	Basketball (M/W), Volleyball, Wrestling, Gymnastics	25 Years	$20 Million***
University of Miami	Bank United Center at the University of Miami	Basketball (M/W)	10 Years	N/A
University of Minnesota	TCF Bank Stadium	Football	25 Years	$35 Million
University of Nevada Las Vegas	Cox Pavilion	Basketball (W)	N/A	$5 Million
University of South Carolina	Colonial Life Arena	Basketball (M/W)	12 Years	$5.5 Million
University of Texas	UFCU Disch-Falk Field	Baseball	15 Years	$13.1 Million
University of Virginia	Klockner Stadium	Soccer (M/W), Lacrosse (M/W)	N/A	$1.2 Million
University of Washington	Alaska Airline Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavillion	Basketball (M/W), Gymnastics, Volleyball	5 Years	$3.5 Million
Wake Forest	BB&T Field	Football	10 Years	N/A
Winona State University	Verizon Wireless Stadium at Maxwell Field	Football	10 Years	$250,000
Xavier University	Cintas Center at Xavier University	Basketball (M/W)	N/A	N/A
Rutgers University	High Point Solutions	Football	10 Years	$6.5 Million

*Pepsi is said to have paid a similar sum for exclusive pouring rights at the facility and across campus.

**The amount listed was for the initial deal between Louisville and Papa John’s. Louisville’s athletic department tells me that in total Papa John’s has donated approximately $22 million for the football stadium, including for recent expansion. Papa John’s now holds the naming rights through 2040.

***Comcast paid an additional $5 million for naming rights to the court.

My favorite story regarding naming rights comes from Louisville and is just another reason why I think Tom Jurich is so brilliant. The naming rights to the basketball arena were sold to Yum! Brands, which owns Pizza Hut. Guess what kind of pizza they sell in the concession stands inside the KFC Yum Center…Papa John’s! Jurich told me he needed to sell the naming rights, but he also needed to honor his partnership with Papa John’s, who holds the naming rights to the football stadium and is a long-time partner of the school. I’m not sure how Jurich got the deal done, but it’s a tribute to his business acumen. Could you imagine Coca-Cola paying to have their name on a facility and then allowing Pepsi to be sold inside?

If you’re able to fill in any of the holes above or know about deals I missed, please email me.

Thanks to my research assistant Andy Haugen for helping compile the data.