UCF nears naming rights deal for stadium

[DKW 86 7,425]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/loca...ports-headlines

UCF nears naming rights deal for stadium

Kyle Hightower | Sentinel Staff Writer

Posted July 28, 2006

But the front-runner for those rights might have changed in the past week.

Though reports swirled Thursday that UCF officially had signed a stadium naming-rights agreement with Bright House Networks, UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble said those reports were a bit premature.

"We are in negotiations. It's not official yet," Tribble said. "I think what has been reported is accurate in the sense we have had very serious conversations with them, and hopefully, we will bring that sort of closure pretty soon."

At its Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, UCF officials said that an announcement on its naming partner was expected to take place Monday.

But Sara Brady, Bright House Networks' vice president of public affairs, said, "There is nothing being announced Monday involving us."

She would not confirm that Bright House had been in talks with UCF, saying, "We don't discuss any type of negotiations we are involved in."

When UCF does announce its naming-rights partner, it would join Miami as the only schools in the state with corporately named athletic facilities. USF plays football at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium but receives no naming-rights money.

About 30 colleges and universities have current naming partnerships with corporate entities for their football stadiums or basketball arenas.

UCF did make progress in recruiting, adding oral commitments from a third tight end and a running back to its likely 2007 recruits. A.J. Johnson (6 feet 4/226 pounds) of Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons and running back Muhammed De'Reese (6-0/209) of Titusville raise its recruit numbers to 10.

[WarDlowe 39]

i hate to see this stuff happen... it gives money to schools but it adds to the coporate world taking over college athletics.