The college hockey world was shocked two weeks ago when the Minnesota Gophers announced they had sold the naming rights to Mariucci Arena. Given that this is one of the most well-known NCAA arenas, most thought such a move was not even a possibility, as most college rinks did not have a name reflecting a corporate sponsor.
To its credit, Minnesota attempted to create a compromise, retaining some of the original name. But the new name, 3M Arena at Mariucci, just does not sound right. Now a Twin Cities-based Wall Street conglomerate will precede and supersede legendary Gophers player and coach John Mariucci in the building’s formal name.
And while most fans will still simply call it Mariucci, the first time hearing its full name on TV or radio will feel strange.
Minnesota has set a dangerous precedent here, as it fields one of the most influential college programs. Its choice could have a ripple effect as other, smaller schools decide to choose profit over tradition.
Imagine something along the lines of Coca-Cola Arena at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for St. Cloud State. This could be a reality if Minnesota’s decision becomes a slippery slope.
While it is unlikely that many schools would make the switch right away, down the road, administrations would be more open to a change for the right price. After all, at this point they would not be the first large school to do so.
One of the features of college hockey that fans have come to love is that the name of their team’s arena is that of a legendary athlete, a famous alumnus or a benefactor who donated much-needed money to the program. Selling the naming rights to a sponsor simply undercuts what is important to the school over a little bit of extra funding.
And in a world where athletic departments are making cuts across the board, this will be one of the first things they look at.
This could also be used as a weapon by school administrations to drive up donations for the hockey team. Telling your top donors that you are considering selling the venue’s naming rights is a way to pressure them into opening their wallets. This is a strategy that might already be commonplace; or, if it isn’t already, it will be now.
Imagine if the boards and the ice were covered with the usual advertisements at NCAA tournament events. With Mariucci Arena taking the name of 3M, that possibility is more apparent. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
One of the big draws to collegiate athletics in general stems from the players being amateurs. Even when they step into professional arenas for the national tournament, those arenas are stripped of dasherboard and on-ice advertisements for as long as NCAA parties are present. Even video commercials above center ice are kept to a minimum at the regionals and Frozen Four.
Who is to say that custom could not become a casualty as well?
Every step in the direction of professional sports, whether it be corporate sponsors or even paid players, takes away from that aura, and potentially, its popularity.
The less popular college hockey is, the less likely the elite junior-age players will come to the NCAA. That would erase all of the progress the college ranks have made in coming to the forefront of the amateur hockey scene in recent years.
Imagine if other cathedrals of college hockey like Jack Parker Rink at Agganis Arena or Kelley Rink at Conte Forum ceased to be known as that. The reality of this change could be making its way, prompted by Minnesota’s decision.
NCAA hockey is a constantly changing landscape, and could be growing again with the upcoming feasibility surveys sponsored by the NHL. But at its core, college hockey is about tradition, and selling the naming rights to a school’s rink strays further from that.
Seeing how the rest of the NCAA and its member schools respond to the altering of the Mariucci Arena moniker, and whether they keep the status quo or follow suit, will be telling about the direction the sport is heading.
It’s one thing if a smaller school on the national stage does this, like when Bemidji State left the on-campus John S. Glas Field House for the new Sanford Center in 2010. But a tradition-laden, marquee school like Minnesota sets trends and holds a lot of power on the national stage to do it.
Selling the naming rights to Mariucci Arena will cause other schools less hesitation to do the same in the future. Even if a resultant pushback succeeds, it is a fight with an aftertaste so unpleasant that it should not have to happen in the first place.
Leave a Reply