For the first time in Gampel Pavilion’s nearly 40-year history, the historic basketball facility will be getting a new name thanks to a corporate sponsorship. UConn announced Wednesday that it has expanded its partnership with M&T Bank, allowing the Buffalo, New York-based bank with over 100 branches in Connecticut, to have the naming rights to Gampel Pavilion. Going forward, Harry A. Gampel Pavilion will now be called M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion.
“Part of what makes UConn the Basketball Capital
of the World is the incredible home court advantage our teams enjoy while playing on campus,” said UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict in a statement. “So many great memories and moments have been made over the last 36 years in the arena that Harry A. Gampel originally made possible. We are grateful to our partners at M&T Bank for their ongoing commitment to our mission for excellence and thrilled to attach M&T Bank’s name to our basketball home with the introduction of M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion. In this ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics, the investment from our state and support from M&T Bank will help ensure the continued success that we have all enjoyed over the years.”
UConn’s Board of Trustees approved the expanded sponsorship, which is reportedly worth $32.5 million over 20 years, on Wednesday. As a result of the new sponsorship, M&T Bank will be the exclusive banking sponsor at all UConn campuses and schools and was named the official banking partner of UConn Athletics. M&T also has pledged NIL support for student-athletes and sponsorship of “key university-wide events.”
Overall, the deal is mostly in line with other corporate sponsorships across college sports. The University of New Mexico recently sold naming rights to “The Pit” to Nusenda Credit Union that pulls in roughly $1.74 million annually over the course of 10 years. While UConn’s men’s and women’s teams are stronger brands than the Lobos, the Huskies only play roughly half of their games in Storrs, with the rest at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
The wordy name allows UConn to add another steady stream of cash as the price to remain competitive in college athletics continues to increase. It also honors the agreement the university made with Harry A. Gampel, who donated $1 million to help make construction of the facility a reality in exchange for naming rights in perpetuity.
