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 UniversityWells Fargo ArenaBasketball (M/W), Volleyball, Wrestling, GymnasticsN/A$5 Million
Boise State UniversityTaco Bell ArenaBasketball (M/W)15 Years$4 Million
College of CharlestonCarolina First ArenaBasketball (M/W), VolleyballN/A$2 Million
University of ColoradoCoors Events CenterBasketball (M/W)N/A$5 Million
Florida International UniversityU.S. Century Bank ArenaBasketball (M/W), VolleyballN/AN/AN/A
Fresno State UniversitySaveMart Center at Fresno StateBasketball (M/W)N/A$40 Million*
Quinnipiac UniversityTD Bank Sports CenterBasketball (M/W), HockeyN/AN/A
San Diego State UniversityViejas ArenaBasketball (M/W)10 Years$6.9 Million
Syracuse UniversityCarrier DomeFootball, Basketball (M/W), LacrossePerpetuity$2.75 Million
Texas Tech UniversityJones AT&T StadiumFootball25 Years$20 Million
The Ohio State UniversityValue City ArenaBasketball (M/W), HockeyN/A$12.5 Million
Troy UniversityMovie Gallery StadiumFootball20 Years$5 Million
University of AkronInfoCision Stadium Summa FieldFootball20 Years$10 Million
University of AlbanySEFCU ArenaBasketball (M/W), Others10 Years$2.75 Million
University of Central FloridaBright House Networks StadiumFootball15 Years$15 Million
University of CincinnatiFifth Third ArenaBasketball (M/W), VolleyballN/AN/A
University of LouisvilleKFC Yum CenterBasketball (M)10 Years$13.5 Million
University of LouisvillePapa John’s Cardinal StadiumFootballN/A$5 Million**
Univesity of MarylandCapital One Field at Byrd StadiumFootball25 Years$20 Million
University of MarylandComcast Center (Main and Pavilion)Basketball (M/W), Volleyball, Wrestling, Gymnastics25 Years$20 Million***
University of MiamiBank United Center at the University of MiamiBasketball (M/W)10 YearsN/A
University of MinnesotaTCF Bank StadiumFootball25 Years$35 Million
University of Nevada Las VegasCox PavilionBasketball (W)N/A$5 Million
University of South CarolinaColonial Life ArenaBasketball (M/W)12 Years$5.5 Million
University of TexasUFCU Disch-Falk FieldBaseball15 Years$13.1 Million
University of VirginiaKlockner StadiumSoccer (M/W), Lacrosse (M/W)N/A$1.2 Million
University of WashingtonAlaska Airline Arena at Hec Edmundson PavillionBasketball (M/W), Gymnastics, Volleyball5 Years$3.5 Million
Wake ForestBB&T FieldFootball10 YearsN/A
Winona State UniversityVerizon Wireless Stadium at Maxwell FieldFootball10 Years$250,000
Xavier UniversityCintas Center at Xavier UniversityBasketball (M/W)N/AN/A
Rutgers UniversityHigh Point SolutionsFootball10 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.

Author

  • Kristi Dosh

    Kristi A. Dosh is the founder of BusinessofCollegeSports.com and has served as a sports business analyst and contributor for outlets such as Forbes, ESPN, SportsBusiness Journal, Bleacher Report, SB Nation and more. She is also the author of a book on the business of college football, Saturday Millionaires. Kristi is a sought-after consultant and speaker on topics related to the business of college sports and a former practicing attorney. Click to learn more

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5 Comments
  • Lou Pickney
    June 22, 2011

    The stadium sponsor for Troy’s stadium is odd considering that Movie Gallery went out of business last year. Surely Movie Gallery didn’t pay the full $5 million sponsorship cost up front, did they?

    • Bob Markey
      February 19, 2013

      Movie Gallery paid Troy for approximately 7 years (I assume $250 per year). Troy’s deal (2003) was reportedly one of the first for naming rights to a college football stadium. Troy removed the company’s name and renamed the stadium Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2010. The field was named for legendary and still head coach Larry Blakeney in 2011.

  • Allen Powell
    August 13, 2011

    University of Arkansas – Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, $20M, don’t know how long. Reynolds was a media tycoon in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma (I believe). Go Mean Green!

  • Jeff Benn
    October 2, 2012

    It isn’t ‘Colorado University’ but rather the University of Colorado

  • Bob Markey
    February 19, 2013

    FAU Receives $6 Million Gift from The GEO Group to Name Football Stadium

    http://fauowlsnest.com/ton/index.php?topic=13846.0