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Stadium Naming Rights

The New York Mets new stadium will not be named for a lawyer. Instead, it will be named after one of the world's largest financial firms after the team and Citigroup reached the most expensive stadium naming rights deal ever. The new stadium will be named CitiField after Citigroup, Inc. agreed to pay the Mets $20 million a year for 20 years, eclipsing the previous record deal for the Houston Texans' Reliant Stadium, for which Reliant Energy is paying $300 million over 32 years.The Mets new stadium will be built next to Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows. It is scheduled to open in 2009. The facade of the new stadium, seen here, will resemble the old Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn, the fabled home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Citifield will seat 45,000.

Assignment:

1. Click here and read this article. (The Game: Jordan Gives 'Melo' Star Status; Name Game Now Costs $120M+)

2. Work with your team developing stadium naming rights' deals with 5 pre-existing stadiums. For example: describe why you would change the name of The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (home of the Islanders) to something else involving a big business or corporation. So think big, but rationalize your decision in terms of brand, association and fan support. Submit a word document to the substitute teacher at the end of the period with 5 new naming deals and a brief description of each.