Naming rights to the Alamodome could be up for grabs, as San Antonio officials are openly discussing the idea.
The Alamodome opened in 1993 and, other than its brief stint hosting the New Orleans Saints in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has not been home to a major sports franchise since the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs left after the 2001-2002 season. However, the venue continues to be utilized frequently for other events. It annually hosts the Alamo Bowl, while also serving as the main home for the University of Texas San Antonio’s football program and becoming a yearly site for exhibitions games featuring MLB’s Texas Rangers.
The Alamodome will also be showcased during one of college sport’s major events in the spring of 2018, when it host the NCAA basketball Final Four for the first time in a decade. San Antonio officials confirmed that they are looking to optimize revenue possibilities for the venue, and naming rights are one of the routes they could explore. More from News 4 San Antonio:
“I think the reality is, we want to maximize our revenues,” says District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino. “And so if this can help us maximize that, sure, we’re going to take a look at it.”
In the sports world, naming rights are quite lucrative. SBC (now AT&T) paid more than $40 million to have its logo on the Spurs’ arena for 20 years.
But the Alamodome doesn’t have a pro team, so it’s unclear how much the city would get for the name.
City council will decide next week whether to move forward with the idea.
It remains to be seen when a change, if it occurs, will take effect. However, it could make sense for San Antonio officials to market the naming rights and try to finalize an agreement in advance of the Final Four.
Image courtesy Alamodome.