CSNbbs

could start pretty soon.

Sun Dome To Get A New Name
By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jul 12, 2007


TAMPA - After 27 years, the Sun Dome is getting a name change. And, in turn, a makeover will not be far behind.

Academic Financial Services is nearing a deal to purchase the naming rights to the University of South Florida's on-campus basketball arena.

The deal is expected to be between five and nine years and would be worth $500,000 to $600,000 a year.

Goodbye Sun Dome; Hello Academic Financial Services Arena.

"We're still in negotiations, but it's very close," Academic Financial Services CEO Wayne Morgan said. "I wouldn't say it's a long time away."

Action Sports Media, which was commissioned by the university to sell the naming rights, receives a percentage of the naming rights revenue. The majority, however, goes to USF, which is expected to use it to renovate the Sun Dome.

"I wanted to show our support for Tampa," Morgan said. "This was important for two reasons: being involved in the community as much as I can and supporting the Tampa Bay area as much as I can.

"And secondly, a lot of the investment will be put back into the Sun Dome to improve it. That's what most excited me - the improvement of the Sun Dome."

USF athletic director Doug Woolard was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but he has said in the past the facility would undergo major renovations, including luxury suites and new seats, once funding was acquired.

USF has been trying to sell naming rights for the Sun Dome for the past five years.

"We're excited to get this done and get revenue for the university and put a name on the building," Action Sports general manager Tom Veit said. "I think it's a great deal for the university."

The deal, which could exceed $5 million, is comparable to a recent naming rights deal at South Carolina, where the school received a $5.5 million deal over 12 years to name its basketball facility the Colonial Center.

Academic Financial Services (AFS) is a Tampa-based company with 350 employees that specializes in student loans. Morgan, 36, founded the company in 2003.

Don Hinchey, vice president of communications for the Denver-based Bonham Group, a sports and entertainment marketing firm that analyzes naming right deals, said having a student loan company associated with USF's basketball arena is a good fit.

"That category makes sense to me," Hinchey said. "That's definitely one that could resonate with prospective attendees and fans of the university."

Morgan said although no name has officially been determined for the Sun Dome, the most likely candidates are Academic Financial Services Arena, Academic Financial Services Center or Academic Financial Services Pavilion.

In the late 1970s when the Sun Dome was being constructed, then WFLA-AM radio host Jack Harris held a contest to name the facility, which opened in 1980.

There were nearly 600 entries, and a committee narrowed it to five - Sun Dome, Brahman Coliseum, Sun Arena, Suncoast Coliseum and Suncoast Spectrum. Then USF President John Lott Brown made the final decision.

Morgan said he doesn't know how people will react to the name change.

"I think it will be great," Morgan said. "I think it's phenomenal. If people don't like it or have an issue, once they see the changes they'll love it, too.

"We're in the Big East. We have to showcase ourselves now and be proud to say who we are."

AFS, whose parent company Business Financial Solutions Inc., established its national headquarters in Tampa in 2005, sponsored USF's homecoming last year and also is a sponsor of the Lightning, Storm and Devil Rays.

"I'm all the way through Bulls, Bucs, Lightning and Devil Rays," Morgan said. "Any way that involves Tampa, that's who I am."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

Good news for Bulls fans. A little cash always comes in handy.

too bad u guys couldnt get borden dairy to sponsor it. U could of had the Borden Milkcow arena..

LOL.
I wouldnt care what they named it as long as the money is flowing in. In my mind it will always be the SunDome.
Its like Dolphin stadium that has changed named like 3-4 times but everyone still calls it Robbe stadium.

We are all looking forward to using those funds to upgrade the arena and our basketball program under Coach Heath has brought back an excitement for basketball at our school that has been missing for a long time.

goodknightfl Wrote:too bad u guys couldnt get borden dairy to sponsor it. U could of had the Borden Milkcow arena..

How about Elsie's Pasture? Fresh milk served cold - and on the house.

Hopefully the money flows right through the AD into some contractors pockets. The Sun Dome is easily the worst basketball facility I've been to amongst the football playing members.

L-yes Wrote:Hopefully the money flows right through the AD into some contractors pockets. The Sun Dome is easily the worst basketball facility I've been to amongst the football playing members.

....but it should be among the nicer mid-sized arenas when the renovations are completed. It certainly will not be the biggest, but if a quality product is put on the floor it will certainly be among the loudest as Denny Crum, Bob hugggins and Pat Kennedy can attest.

USF's SunDome Sponsorship Deal maybe in jeopardy.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/

July 12, 2007
CEO's arrests could jeopardize USF deal

A Tampa educational loan company proposing a multimillion-dollar deal to put its name on the Sun Dome may have its hopes dashed because of a long history of personal arrests of the chief executive officer.

"Absolutely," said Wayne Morgan, the 36-year-old CEO of Academic Financial Services, asked if his arrests being made public could threaten his relationship with USF. "People will look at that and say 'He must be a bad guy.' It's human nature. I always say it's not who you were, it's who you are."

Who Morgan is? He heads a company that specializes in student-loan financing and has about 275 employees. It was in negotiations with Action Sports Media, a company hired by USF to land a title sponsor for the Sun Dome, at a cost of $500,000 a year or more.

What Action Sports Media didn't know until Thursday was that Morgan has a long list of arrests and guilty pleas, most from 1993-96 but some as recent as 2002, according to public records. Records show guilty pleas on charges ranging from breaking and entering and safecracking to larceny and petit theft. He has twice been charged with writing worthless checks, most recently a felony charge in 2002 to which he pleaded no contest and agreed to probation and payment of more than $19,000 in restitution. Other charges, including kidnapping and carrying a concealed weapon in 1994, were later dismissed.

"I was a bad person. I did things I should not have done. ... I was young and dumb. Will I ever do anything like that again? Absolutely not," said Morgan, whose most recent probation ended in April 2005. "I will never be able to put it in my past. It's 2007 and people are asking me about it. I'll always have to talk about it."

Tom Veit, general manager of Action Sports Media in Tampa, said his company's policy is not to run personal background checks, even in high-profile contracts such as a naming-rights agreement. Veit said he investigated Academic Financial Services as a business, got letters of recommendation the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, which AFS has been a sponsor for the past two seasons, and was aware of public honors, such as his being honored by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission with its Distinguished Community Service Award this year.

"Everyone's comments to us in dealing with Wayne Morgan and AFS have been nothing but positive," Veit said.

USF athletic director Doug Woolard, who would have the final say on any contract to award naming rights for USF's basketball arena, is out of town on vacation and could not be reached for comment. Both sides had stressed earlier Thursday that while they were negotiating exclusively, terms had not been finalized and a formal contract could still be months away.

he fits right in at S. Fla... Don't you think [name]?

& stealing money from students

actually Knightime, he fits more with your resume lying coach.

Im glad they found out about it, as it says in the article he has done well in his financial dealings with the Lightning and devil rays. So Im sure the correct decision would be taken.
I know that this info. must have brought instant erections to you and you clan.

I'm not surprised some CEO is guilty of something. It doesn't matter what it is. There are so many corrupt businessmen and politicians out there it is to be expected. That it happened to USF is a pity, but an unavoidable one in today's business market.

KNIGHTTIME Wrote:he fits right in at S. Fla... Don't you think [name]?

Didn't O'Liar steal $1-million plus from Georgia Tech?

Says alot about what his former employer thinks about O'Liar that they would rather eat the $1-million than have their name associated with that NCAA-cheating, player-beating, money-stealing liar.

Cubanbull Wrote:actually Knightime, he fits more with your resume lying coach.

Im glad they found out about it, as it says in the article he has done well in his financial dealings with the Lightning and devil rays. So Im sure the correct decision would be taken.
I know that this info. must have brought instant erections to you and you clan.

KL would respond but he must be too busy sitting on his couch yanking his hoohoo in front of Greg Auman's blog...

I tell you whats funny is that they cant win on the field so must gloat on any possible negative news about USF in order to feel better about themselves.

If I was a UCF grad I would be embarassed to have such type as representing my school.

Cubanbull Wrote:I tell you whats funny is that they cant win on the field so must gloat on any possible negative news about USF in order to feel better about themselves.

If I was a UCF grad I would be embarassed to have such type as representing my school.

It is just amazing that so many dirty people are involved around S. Florida. From stealing state funds, to players arrested, to the rumors about Leavitt and his secretary, and now this crook that will get his business name on your arena. Sounds like Enron over on the west coast...

LOL.
Keep harping on it loserboy. Your team sucks is
6-44 LIFETIME vs 1A winning teams. Only beaten a team with more than seven wins ONCE in your history and that was a 9-3 Toledo team.

Cant beat a team that has had football only 10 years.

Your athletic program should be arrested for falsebly impersonating a 1A football program!!!

Cubanbull Wrote:LOL.
Keep harping on it loserboy. Your team sucks is
6-44 LIFETIME vs 1A winning teams. Only beaten a team with more than seven wins ONCE in your history and that was a 9-3 Toledo team.

Cant beat a team that has had football only 10 years.

Your athletic program should be arrested for falsebly impersonating a 1A football program!!!

Justify your dirty program and school...keep it coming. Who is next to be arrested? I think Grothe is probably due? Remind Ford that he plays for S. Fla and not "UF" next time he is arrested.

LOL.
Get ready to get your butts kicked again loserboy.
you are our bitc**s and dont you forget it.

The best part, that great company you want to name the sundump after could not make payroll a few months ago. The CEO writes bad checks, if I were USF, I might want a cashiers check.