(06-22-2021 05:13 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(06-22-2021 02:30 PM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(06-22-2021 02:08 PM)cidbearit Wrote:  I've worked in Development (fundraising) pretty much my entire 36-year career. Much of that time was spent working at Universities (including a 3-year stint at EMU). An interesting concept just came to this old fundraiser's mind. In university development offices, the old joke is that if it holds still long enough, a development officer will try to find a donor to name it.

As the era of paying players ushers in, might some of the booster rules be relaxed, allowing donors to fund named endowments to help supplement the cost of specific player positions? For example, you could have the Jerry Weaver Quarterback, the Dansplaining Middle Linebacker, and the EMU Steve Punter as named starting positions, each funded by a contribution from the named generous booster.

I've brought it up before but i think its bonkers the school doesnt sell the naming rights to the convo.

Dan, that I will agree with 100%. I thought when OSU built the new Basketball arena and named it the Value City Arena, then subsequently the Schottenstein Center, that would ignite a cascade of others doing the same. It, however did not, sanctimonious NCAA schools can apparently plaster a corporate name like St. Joes on their practice facility but find it unpleasable to do so on actual game facilities. That splitting of a moral hair, I simply don't understand.

U-M is under pressure to rename the Crisler Center due to the former coach's racist past behavior, similar to what happened at Quirk Theatre. The name change is most likely to happen and U-M will of course bear the cost of changing all the signage and spend a ton of money on committees deciding on the new name.

I say contract the naming rights to a corporate sponsor ready to pony up money. It can be a five or ten year deal, there is ZERO need for it to be permanent. The Houston Astros used to play at Enron Field but due to Enron's cataclysmic failure, they now play in the same building now known as Minute Maid Park. Easy Peezy.

Most importantly ANY revenue collected from EMU renaming the Convo or that matter Rynearson would be truly incremental. No costs other than negotiating the contract.

I would argue against renaming Rynearson because 1.) its a unique name and 2.) its named after a person as an honor. there are three 'Convocation Center's in the MAC alone.

So many other things at EMU are for sale - it only makes sense to sell the name of the convo on a leased basis like pro teams have. hit an alum up like roush or the estate of bruce halle. work the phones is what im saying.