USC Morning Buzz: Thoughts On Coliseum Naming Rights Deal

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I had not intended to write more about this but then I saw some overzealous analysis that overstated what it means for USC to sell the naming rights to the Coliseum.

First, this is not even a new idea. The Coliseum hired Wasserman Media Group in 2008 to sell the naming rights and predicted making $6-8 million per year. It did not happen or even come close. Some of you probably think if USC was involved it would have worked. Well, Wasserman sold the naming rights to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (home of the Jets and Giants) so they are not incompetent.

USC is going to make a deal with someone but don’t expect a tremendous amount of cash. Cal sold its naming rights for $18 million to video-game maker Kabam over 15 years. TCF Bank pays Minnesota $1.4 million per year. This is where some of you will say, “but this is USC.” Yes, it is and USC should get a better deal. But the fact we all think of the Coliseum as the Coliseum means it can never be completely rebranded, which lowers the naming rights value.

Anyways, whatever USC receives is not going to be enough to renovate the stadium, which could cost $500 million if the university goes all out. So the naming rights are icing on the cake. And also remember that USC collected $732 million in cash donations last year. So whatever USC wants to spend on the Coliseum, it will raise. Just walk around the campus and look at all the projects built or being built. USC always finds a way to raise the money.

Finally, maybe the real question is whether a deal will be good enough to justify a tacky renaming of a historic venue: Presenting the Chick-fil-A Coliseum, where two Olympic Games were held. That has a nice ring . . . not.

COLISEUM.1920s

39 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Thoughts On Coliseum Naming Rights Deal”

  1. This morning I woke up extra early.and went for a jog. It was an exhilarating experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

  2. USC does not have unlimited fund raising power, and it’s needs are great. On a per-student or per-faculty basis, which is the right way to look at things, our endowment is not in the same solar system as the real wealthy universities. Thus, our endowment income is low and we are very dependent on tuition income, which is problematical. The thought that we should go out and spend what is likely to be close to a Billion dollars of our money (a renovation of a landmarked stadium is more expensive than building a new one, look at how much the Bears spent on Soldier Field) on this renovation is crazy. If the cost were a billion, we would be giving up 50 million a year in endowment income. We cannot afford to take that big a hit to the operating budget.

    • “USC always finds a way to raise the money.”… Scott must think that all USC grads are walking ATM’s…….

    • You mean all those wealthy SC alums and supporters are too cheap to support the school? Nonsense. Steve Ballmer or Roski could build a $1 billion Jerry World style stadium without batting an eye.The thought of the nation’s premier college football team playing in a century old dump is crazy. Didn’t you ever learn in Introductory Business classes that you have to spend money to make money?

  3. How about the Scott Wolf Memorial Coliseum? Oh, I forgot, you’re broke, unsuccessful and overtly jealous of anyone with bucks or power. Now, that’s what I call “tacky.”

  4. Did you just drop a “not” joke a mere two years prior to the 25th anniversary of Wayne’s World? Wolf, you’re “doin’ work”.

  5. “The Coliseum hired Wasserman Media Group in 2008 to sell the naming rights and predicted making $6-8 million per year. It did not happen or even come close.” ….

    Gee… what HAPPENED in 2008 that could have hindered their ability to sell high priced naming rights for the Coliseum?…….maybe a global economic collapse?… Scott, you’re so buried in the minutiae of creating your argument from every conceivable angle that you failed to step back for a second and think about the big picture….which is so very typical of you…

    • You have to give Scotty a break when he was at USC he was abused by many and loved by few. He really has a kind heart for cheeseburgers with chili fries and a milkshake.

    • “When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
      A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
      And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily,
      Joyfully, playfully watching me.
      But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
      Logical, responsible, practical.
      And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
      Clinical, intellectual, cynical.”

      – Supertramp

  7. Scottie, I didn’t see where you offered an alternative to selling the naming rights.

    Personally, I hate selling the naming rights to stadiums and bowl games. It just points out how much we are driven by money. But if we have to, my suggestion would be the Star Wars Memorial Coliseum.

  8. Scott.. why no news regarding the new Todd McNair documents which reveal more evidence of the NCAA’s inappropriate handling of the USC sanctions……..but wait… at least we get to read about “breaking news” regarding USC jerseys with the suspicious looking sweat marks…one of the recently released emails read “He’s a lying, morally bankrupt criminal, in my view, and a hypocrite of the highest order.”… can you say defamation of character lawsuit, boy and girls?

  9. According to Reign of Troy, “Roscoe Howard and Rodney Uphoff were both intended to be observers of the case and both contributed vehement arguments towards slamming USC and McNair for a variety of reasons, most of which were laid out in the first document dump.”

    Feel free to drop them an e-mail…..

    roscoe.howard@btlaw. com

    UphoffR@missouri. edu

  10. I love this story. USC hires Wasserman, Wasserman builds the new UCLA football building. I love this story.

  11. Let’s talk about the NCAA baby, let’s talk about McNair, let’s talk about all the good things and the great things that may be, let’s talk about that.

  12. Mr. Wolf, why doesn’t SC hire YOU? You know all about coaching and now the economics of the stadium. You are one smart man.

  13. Not to mention, why would anyone want to put their name on a crumbling structure ran by the Coliseum Commission.

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