The University of Maryland’s Comcast Center, home of the school’s basketball teams, is being renamed the Xfinity Center. Comcast has held naming rights under a $20 million, 25-year agreement since the arena opened in 2002. The terms allow Comcast to change the name with Maryland’s consent.
The change is effective immediately. A university news release referred to the building, which also houses other teams as well as the athletic department offices, as “the arena formerly known as the Comcast Center.” A university website already has replaced references to Comcast Center with the new title. New signage, to be paid for by Comcast, is expected to be in place by the end of August, reported The Baltimore Sun.
“The renaming of the venue reflects the brand’s strong awareness and resonance with consumers,” Comcast said in a statement.
Under the original agreement, announced in 2000, Comcast also provides basic cable to the university’s residence halls.
The arena seats up to 17,950 for basketball. It opened for basketball one season after the Maryland men’s team won its first national championship.
“We have enjoyed a long standing and successful partnership with Comcast for more than a decade, and are excited to extend this relationship with the renaming of the Xfinity Center,” said, Kevin Anderson, Maryland’s athletics director, in a statement. “It is our goal to continue to provide our fans with a special game day experience, and we look forward to unveiling new amenities at the Xfinity Center in the near future.”
See The Baltimore Sun story here.
