Jacksonville arena a top-grossing venue

[Tacachale]

"Bragan Field at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville" is just a secondary name honoring the Bragans. It's still usually called the "Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville" even on its own website and logos, and I think, the outside of the stadium. The city also isn't getting any money from the renaming.

http://www.jaxevents.com/venues/baseball-grounds-of-jacksonville/

[I-10east]

Here's a 2003 article from the Jax Daily Record.

What’s in a name?
Mike Sharkey

Any day now, Better Jacksonville Plan officials expect the search for corporate sponsorship for the new baseball park and arena to begin.

Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa, said the City will hire Sheergame Renaissance to conduct a possible nationwide search to find corporations willing to spend money to have their names on the new facilities.

“We’re trying to finalize an agreement with the consulting firm,” said Mousa. “They will be responsible for going out and selling the naming rights to the ball park and the arena. We are almost there. Will we award the naming rights today? No, but we are poised to start the process immediately.”

Shortly after the National Football League awarded Jacksonville the Jaguars efforts began to find sponsorship for the stadium. Unlike the current situation with the ball park and the arena, the Jaguars were given the responsibility of finding a corporate sponsor. That search produced Alltel Communications Inc., (a Little Rock, Ark.-based wireless telecommunications and information services company) and on April 18, 1997 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium officially became Alltel Stadium.

According to City Council auditor, Bob Johnson, Alltel has an agreement with the Jaguars and the City for a little over $6 million over 10 years. That agreement commenced in 1997, was extended Feb. 1, 2000 and is good through Jan. 31, 2007. Annually, Alltel pays the Jaguars $577,049, which they split 50-50 with the City.

In Alltel, both the Jaguars and the City have gotten lucky. The company specializes in an industry that seems to be growing.

“Alltel has been a very good partner,” said Bill Prescott, vice president/chief financial officer of the Jaguars. “They have been very stable financially and a very serviceable partner. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Other cities haven’t fared so well.

In Houston, the Major League Baseball Astros began playing in Enron Field last season. Considering the recent collapse of that company and deluge of negative publicity, there is now a push in Houston to have Enron’s name taken off the park. The problem is Enron is paid up for several years, leaving the Astros in a quandary that will probably require legal action.

In Baltimore, the NFL’s Ravens have been playing in PSINet Stadium. But the logo will be coming off soon because the Ravens and the Internet company agreed to terminate the 20-year, $105 million contract that gave PSINet the right to name the stadium after the company filed for bankruptcy last week in New York.

In Boston, the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will play in brand new CMGI Stadium next year. That company is another Internet provider and servicer that was financially stable when the sponsorship agreement was reached, but is now struggling.

Locally, every effort will be made to assure that the new facilities get stable sponsorship. Mousa said he has not given Sheergame any direction concerning sponsors. He also said finding sponsorship isn’t as easy as it was a few years ago.

“I haven’t directed Sheergame on anything,” said Mousa. “It’s a matter of who’s available, their interest, the dollar value of the sponsorship and the pros and cons of their sponsorship. Ultimately, it has to go before City Council.

“Sheergame even went on to tell us how the events of Sept. 11 have slowed down the rampage of corporations wanting their names on facilities.”

Mousa said he expects the new ball park and arena to have long-term sponsorships within the next 8-10 months. While he would like to see local companies get the contracts, Mousa said it’s entirely possible the new arena could be sponsored by a company on the other side of the country.

There is plenty of local sentiment to keep both the Wolfson family name on the ball park and the Veterans Memorial Coliseum tag on the new arena. Mousa said it was possible that both facilities could adopt both the corporate name and the locally-recognized name.

Then again, a major corporation could blanket-sponsor all three facilities.

“Chances are we may have one corporation that wants to sponsor the whole sports complex. We could have Wolfson Park at the Coca-Cola Complex,” said Mousa. “We could have the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Coca-Cola Complex.”

Regardless who gets the deal, according to Mousa money won’t be the sole issue. Mousa said the sponsor also will be responsible for marketing and promoting the athletic venue as well as the City.

“There’s a lot more to look at than just the money,” said Mousa.

The city still has interest in finding corporate names for the Arena and the Baseball Grounds.

www.firstcoastnews.com/sports/article/335674/14/City-eyes-naming-rights-for-sports-complex-venues

[JayBird]

I am all for more income coming into the Sports Complex however I don't think even the two together will be even close to the amount that EverBank brings. I don't believe any events make the national media that an nfl stadium brings. Though, I would hope that whatever company, if one does, change the arena name they leave "Veterans" in it. It is a nice homage to us being a military town.

[Steve]

The city still has interest in finding corporate names for the Arena and the Baseball Grounds.

Going to have a tough time withe the Arena. The law states what it must be called (i.e. Jax Veterans Memorial). They certainly could change the law, but I'm sure that would go over well.

[JayBird]

^ it's a law? Usually it is just a City Council mandate (not right word, but mind isn't working right now) that they can change in one mtg with a vote and usually do so at the approval of naming rights. Of course, most cities aren't like Jacksonville so I wouldn't be surprised if it needed a referendum vote or something.

[Steve]

It was an ordinance passed by the council in 2002. It's less about the process to change, but pissing off veterans groups as we approach 2015 won't be a popular thing.

[FSBA]

How much could either venue actually draw?

[I-10east]

The TU reports that a major 'historical event' will be coming to the Arena; The event will be announced tomorrow. The only info so far is that the event will be 'entertainment related' and not sports related. Can't wait to see what it's gonna be. 

http://members.jacksonville.com/entertainment/2014-04-15/story/major-event-coming-arena-announcement-wednesday

[duvaldude08]

The TU reports that a major 'historical event' will be coming to the Arena; The event will be announced tomorrow. The only info so far is that the event will be 'entertainment related' and not sports related. Can't wait to see what it's gonna be. 

http://members.jacksonville.com/entertainment/2014-04-15/story/major-event-coming-arena-announcement-wednesday

Knowing Alvin Brown, it will be Disney on Ice and hes making it sound like something big 

[blizz01]

Well, it says that it will be the biggest event that Jacksonville has seen in many years & it's this summer.  Guess that they're confident that it trumps the World Cup send off game, Country Fest(?), DMB, or Motley Crue....

OK - I might take Prince & the Revolution.

[Tacachale]

Considering the kind of things going on this year, it's hard to believe anything that could fit in the Arena would really be the "biggest Jacksonville has seen in many years". But I don't think this administration knows the meaning of "soft sell".

[KenFSU]

"Historic" is a pretty strong word.

So is "biggest event in many years."

Not sure any summer concert tour is appreciably bigger than Justin Bieber, for example, who was here last year, or US Soccer, etc.

Gaga has an open date on May 5th, between her Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta show, but I don't think that qualifies as summer, and it's pretty late in the game.

One Direction do stadium shows.

Garth Brooks is supposedly going to do a summer tour.

Timberlake?

Will be interesting to see the reveal, but man, sometimes it's better to underpromise and overdeliver, rather than vice versa.

[pierre]

Whatever it is, I am expecting a letdown.

[Tacachale]

Got to be Garth Brooks, or maybe Gaga. I guess it could be Timberlake, but I'd hope that wouldn't qualify as "bigger" or more "historic" than One Spark or the USMNT.

[duvaldude08]

Whatever it is, I am expecting a letdown.

Totally Agree. Nothing they have labeled as "major" has actually been major.