Making big deal about naming rights childish

link Kevin Wilson

Staff writer

“They did what?”

That was my reaction, with a laugh, when I found out the University of New Mexico reached an agreement with startup pizza chain WisePies on naming rights for the school’s basketball arena. The athletic department gets $5 million, and in exchange calls the facility WisePies Arena.

I wasn’t born in Albuquerque, or New Mexico, but I understand the pride that one feels driving along Avenida Cesar Chavez, knowing The Pit and Isotopes Stadium on the other corner are the closest the Duke City will ever come to major league sports.

I understand what it means to the prep athletes I’ve interviewed over the years, beaming because they get to play basketball at The Pit. The first one was Cinco Boone of Portales, and the next one will be just as special. It never gets old, and you realize you tolerate late nights and sources that don’t call you back because you get to tell these stories.

I understand the electricity of being in The Pit. Walking on the court where Jim Valvano clumsily looked for a player to hug after North Carolina State shocked Houston and Phi Slamma Jamma. The air that left the arena when Jose Posada’s miracle 3-pointer banked in to lift Texico over Mesilla Valley in 2009. My jaw dropping when a colleague pointed out that 100 Espanola Valley fans were already seated, and their game didn’t start for another four hours.

I understand the fatigue one gets from going up and down the, let’s be honest, unnecessarily steep ramp from Bob King Court to the locker rooms. Running that ramp is sometimes the only exercise I get when I cover a state tournament. But you forget that when you see a team carrying a blue trophy off the court, and you smile as you remind them, “Guys, champions run up the ramp.”

What I don’t understand is the childish rage about this naming rights deal. Here are the most famous toppings on the rage:

• “WisePies Arena is a terrible name.” Sure, but nobody will care by February. Quick, who plays at the KFC Yum Center? Taco Bell Arena? InfoCision Stadium? If you didn’t need Google to tell me Louisville, Boise State and Akron, congratulations.

• “How dare WisePies buy naming rights?” Are you mad it was purchased, or because it was for sale in the first place? I’d rather have WisePies help pay off part of that $60 million arena renovation than taxpayers or UNM students.

• “That name is going to ruin our program’s national reputation.” Reality check, everybody. The Lobo women haven’t made a Sweet 16 in 11 years, and the men haven’t been in 40. Neither have reached an Elite 8. They’re famous for playing where North Carolina State upset Houston in 1983, and that won’t change until UNM wins in March.

• “I’m going to still call it The Pit. They can’t take that away from me.” Go for it, because it wasn’t taken away. On Monday, the Lobos and Lady Lobos played at University Arena, aka The Pit. Now they play at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit. Since you never called it University Arena, you’ll get used to not calling it WisePies Arena.

When I first heard the new name, I joked that it wouldn’t have felt the same had Cinco told me it was always his dream to play at WisePies Arena. But then again, today’s Cinco would still say The Pit, just like yesterday’s Cinco never said University Arena.

The Pit didn’t go away. Hopefully, the anger will, and we’ll just say, “They did that.”

Kevin Wilson is a columnist for Clovis Media Inc. He can be contacted at 575-763-3431, ext. 318, or by email:

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