Big News Coming Tomorrow?

The word is that Louie Nanne had a large role in putting this 3M deal together. Apparently, Coyle mentioned it at today's press conference. I don't know how that can be possible. Gopherholers have been told more than a few times by those "in the know" that Louie is just a mascot for the people in the U's fundraising department who raise money for intercollegiate athletics.

On the other hand Lou seemed to get everything attributed to him at one time or another too, particularly when it couldn't possibly be the interim AD.

Granted, I saw him practice facility roof today... so maybe that is true.
 

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Go Gophers!!
 

It's the first donation to have a building named for it. 3M has been a major source of $$$$ in the research area.

Thanks, I should have specified their contributions to Gopher Sports. Living in Houston I don't have great information on which companies lead the way in sponsoring Gopher sports.
 

Quite honestly i'm ok with it. We need the money to fortify the funds for the athletes village....
and this is going to be the norm in college sports. In fact the skunks to the east have the Kohl Center..
Nebraska, Ohio State among other selling out to corporate named arenas...
 

City Pages: The price for dishonoring Minnesota hockey legend John Mariucci: $11.2 million

How much the U's athletic department reveres Mariucci came to light Monday. Courtesy of a 14-year, $11.2 million sponsorship deal with 3M, the Gophers will play its first game next season at the newly christened "3M Arena at Mariucci."

Mariucci's legend has taken second-billing to a tape manufacturer.

"Really?" says alum and former Gopher head coach Brad Buetow in disbelief. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that. That really saddens me. You know, you sell your soul."

City Pages reached five former players yesterday. One declined comment. Three wouldn't speak on the record.

"I gain nothing but headaches by speaking publicly about the subject," says an alum, whose career now involves the business side of the sport. "Do I like it? No. For so long, Gopher hockey stood for things, important things. Commitment, work ethic, team. These were the kind of lessons I took away from the program. Now we have a regime where the university's word, I mean, Christ, you told the man his name would be stamped across the place, means nothing."

Paul Broten takes a more moderate approach. The Roseau native followed the lead of older brothers Neal and Aaron all the way to the first Mariucci Arena's ice sheet. Broten was a member of three Gopher squads in the 1980s that made it to the NCAA Frozen Four.

"You know, when I just heard about it this morning, at first I thought, really? They changed the name?" he says. "Then when I thought about. It's good they're still going to keep the Mariucci name on it."

http://www.citypages.com/news/the-p...ey-legend-john-mariucci-112-million/433628503

Go Gophers!!
 


City Pages: The price for dishonoring Minnesota hockey legend John Mariucci: $11.2 million

How much the U's athletic department reveres Mariucci came to light Monday. Courtesy of a 14-year, $11.2 million sponsorship deal with 3M, the Gophers will play its first game next season at the newly christened "3M Arena at Mariucci."

Mariucci's legend has taken second-billing to a tape manufacturer.

"Really?" says alum and former Gopher head coach Brad Buetow in disbelief. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that. That really saddens me. You know, you sell your soul."

City Pages reached five former players yesterday. One declined comment. Three wouldn't speak on the record.

"I gain nothing but headaches by speaking publicly about the subject," says an alum, whose career now involves the business side of the sport. "Do I like it? No. For so long, Gopher hockey stood for things, important things. Commitment, work ethic, team. These were the kind of lessons I took away from the program. Now we have a regime where the university's word, I mean, Christ, you told the man his name would be stamped across the place, means nothing."

Paul Broten takes a more moderate approach. The Roseau native followed the lead of older brothers Neal and Aaron all the way to the first Mariucci Arena's ice sheet. Broten was a member of three Gopher squads in the 1980s that made it to the NCAA Frozen Four.

"You know, when I just heard about it this morning, at first I thought, really? They changed the name?" he says. "Then when I thought about. It's good they're still going to keep the Mariucci name on it."

http://www.citypages.com/news/the-p...ey-legend-john-mariucci-112-million/433628503

Go Gophers!!

"They're still going to keep the Mariucci name on it " Nothing to see here. Williams Arena could be next. Show me the money.......
 

City Pages: The price for dishonoring Minnesota hockey legend John Mariucci: $11.2 million

How much the U's athletic department reveres Mariucci came to light Monday. Courtesy of a 14-year, $11.2 million sponsorship deal with 3M, the Gophers will play its first game next season at the newly christened "3M Arena at Mariucci."

Mariucci's legend has taken second-billing to a tape manufacturer.

"Really?" says alum and former Gopher head coach Brad Buetow in disbelief. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that. That really saddens me. You know, you sell your soul."

City Pages reached five former players yesterday. One declined comment. Three wouldn't speak on the record.

"I gain nothing but headaches by speaking publicly about the subject," says an alum, whose career now involves the business side of the sport. "Do I like it? No. For so long, Gopher hockey stood for things, important things. Commitment, work ethic, team. These were the kind of lessons I took away from the program. Now we have a regime where the university's word, I mean, Christ, you told the man his name would be stamped across the place, means nothing."

Paul Broten takes a more moderate approach. The Roseau native followed the lead of older brothers Neal and Aaron all the way to the first Mariucci Arena's ice sheet. Broten was a member of three Gopher squads in the 1980s that made it to the NCAA Frozen Four.

"You know, when I just heard about it this morning, at first I thought, really? They changed the name?" he says. "Then when I thought about. It's good they're still going to keep the Mariucci name on it."

http://www.citypages.com/news/the-p...ey-legend-john-mariucci-112-million/433628503

Go Gophers!!

Baloney. 3M has done more for the state of Minnesota than a hundred John Mariuccis. Move on.
 





Well, at least it sounds like the U worked with the Mariucci family and got them on board with it. Forever Mariucci in my book.

Well lets hope the school decides to upgrade their rink to NHL standards.
 

http://www.startribune.com/mariucci...innesota-secures-11-2-million-deal/433607353/

Over the past 90 years, 3M has donated $94 million to the university, according to Paul Acito, the company’s vice president and chief marketing officer.

I have no idea why people are complaining about this donation leading to an arena name change. We've griped for years that the large Twin Cities corporations don't give like they should to Gopher sports. And now when they do, we gripe that they shouldn't receive any advertising benefit for it? That's not realistic.

This influx of dollars should ultimately help the product on the field. That's all that matters.
 

and FWIW, the name "Mariucci Arena" is a relatively new development for Gopher Sports. To refresh some memories - from 1950 to 1993, the men's hockey team played in the back part of Williams Arena - what is now the Sports Pavillion. They began to use the name "Mariucci Arena" in 1985. The name went with the hockey team to the new Mariucci Arena in 1993. So, the name "Mariucci Arena" is only 32 years old.

Now - I am not advocating that the U just turn its back on tradition. Just making the point that it's not like Williams Arena - a name that has been in use for a lot longer time. (just looked it up - little surprised to see that the basketball arena has been "Williams Arena" since 1950 - not as long as I thought - but still since before I was born, so it's always been Williams Arena to me.)
 

per Souhan:

This week’s complaint from the long-beleaguered is that honorable old Mariucci Arena will be renamed The 3M Arena at Mariucci. The local company will pay $11.2 million over 14 years for the naming rights.

The money will help the university fund its new athletics village, a key for recruiting top athletes.

There is a place for the kind of nostalgia that has led former Gophers athletes and current fans complaining about the selling of naming rights.

That place is the MIAC.

If you want the Gophers to even attempt to compete with the powers of the Big Ten in football and basketball, you sell naming rights whenever you can, for as much as you can.

You may not like it when Williams Arena is renamed “Sherwin’’ Williams, or “The Dress Barn,’’ but if the price is right and the funds help the basketball programs excel, what’s in a name?

http://www.startribune.com/universi...ying-to-keep-up-with-naming-rights/433964483/

Go Gophers!!
 




City Pages: The price for dishonoring Minnesota hockey legend John Mariucci: $11.2 million

How much the U's athletic department reveres Mariucci came to light Monday. Courtesy of a 14-year, $11.2 million sponsorship deal with 3M, the Gophers will play its first game next season at the newly christened "3M Arena at Mariucci."

Mariucci's legend has taken second-billing to a tape manufacturer.

"Really?" says alum and former Gopher head coach Brad Buetow in disbelief. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that. That really saddens me. You know, you sell your soul."

City Pages reached five former players yesterday. One declined comment. Three wouldn't speak on the record.

"I gain nothing but headaches by speaking publicly about the subject," says an alum, whose career now involves the business side of the sport. "Do I like it? No. For so long, Gopher hockey stood for things, important things. Commitment, work ethic, team. These were the kind of lessons I took away from the program. Now we have a regime where the university's word, I mean, Christ, you told the man his name would be stamped across the place, means nothing."

Paul Broten takes a more moderate approach. The Roseau native followed the lead of older brothers Neal and Aaron all the way to the first Mariucci Arena's ice sheet. Broten was a member of three Gopher squads in the 1980s that made it to the NCAA Frozen Four.

"You know, when I just heard about it this morning, at first I thought, really? They changed the name?" he says. "Then when I thought about. It's good they're still going to keep the Mariucci name on it."

http://www.citypages.com/news/the-p...ey-legend-john-mariucci-112-million/433628503

Go Gophers!!

Maroosh was a fun character but never won a national title. Brooks won 3 titles I believe. His name would be better on this rink. So I could care less about the name. The Maroosh name is still there. Except now we've just been paid over 11 mill to add another name. No problem here.
 

per Souhan:

This week’s complaint from the long-beleaguered is that honorable old Mariucci Arena will be renamed The 3M Arena at Mariucci. The local company will pay $11.2 million over 14 years for the naming rights.

The money will help the university fund its new athletics village, a key for recruiting top athletes.

There is a place for the kind of nostalgia that has led former Gophers athletes and current fans complaining about the selling of naming rights.

That place is the MIAC.

If you want the Gophers to even attempt to compete with the powers of the Big Ten in football and basketball, you sell naming rights whenever you can, for as much as you can.

You may not like it when Williams Arena is renamed “Sherwin’’ Williams, or “The Dress Barn,’’ but if the price is right and the funds help the basketball programs excel, what’s in a name?

http://www.startribune.com/universi...ying-to-keep-up-with-naming-rights/433964483/

Go Gophers!!

Exactly. How many people know who the hell Doc Williams was? Yet we named an arena after him. The football stadium should have Bernie Bierman's name on it. He won FIVE national championships. I love Siebert's name on the baseball field. He won THREE national titles.
 

per Souhan:

This week’s complaint from the long-beleaguered is that honorable old Mariucci Arena will be renamed The 3M Arena at Mariucci. The local company will pay $11.2 million over 14 years for the naming rights.

The money will help the university fund its new athletics village, a key for recruiting top athletes.

There is a place for the kind of nostalgia that has led former Gophers athletes and current fans complaining about the selling of naming rights.

That place is the MIAC.

If you want the Gophers to even attempt to compete with the powers of the Big Ten in football and basketball, you sell naming rights whenever you can, for as much as you can.

You may not like it when Williams Arena is renamed “Sherwin’’ Williams, or “The Dress Barn,’’ but if the price is right and the funds help the basketball programs excel, what’s in a name?

http://www.startribune.com/universi...ying-to-keep-up-with-naming-rights/433964483/

Go Gophers!!

If soupcan is against it I am all for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

It’s funny the things that get some people in a big huff. In the grand scheme of things this is so petty. Accept the name change, move on, and be happy your university will collect $11.2 million.
 

As I mentioned to some buddies of mine, I don't like it, but if it means my mandatory "donation" doesn't go up then so be it. If they removed the Mariucci name altogether, then I'd have a problem.

I'm sure 3M is well aware no Gopher fan who has followed hockey more than 10 minutes will call it 3M Arena. But when the shots from the outside on the hockey broadcasts show the name, it will say 3M Arena. When the announcers for games announce the stadium it will be 3M Arena. That's what they are paying for, not the common fan. Though, you might be surprised in a few years if someone comes up with a clever nickname based on 3M it very well might stick, just like their tape...

For those saying it cheapens the tradition, I have three words I'll spell out in two: B1G Hockey. That killed 90% of any tradition that program had. They could have renamed the stadium after Badger Bob Johnson and cheapened the tradition less than B1G Hockey has...
 

It’s funny the things that get some people in a big huff. In the grand scheme of things this is so petty. Accept the name change, move on, and be happy your university will collect $11.2 million.

Amen. Call it Brazzers.com arena for all I care.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

If this could somehow pick up some steam and turn corporate sponsorship and such into an advantage for this school... nobody would complain.
 

The biggest issue I have with this is that we named it "The 3M Arena at Mariucci". Could we not have come up with something better? Like "Scotch Tape Place"? "The Post-it Palace"? "The Command Center"? Or simply "3M Arena"?
 

The biggest issue I have with this is that we named it "The 3M Arena at Mariucci". Could we not have come up with something better? Like "Scotch Tape Place"? "The Post-it Palace"? "The Command Center"? Or simply "3M Arena"?

I think it would be Command Strip Center and that could be an unfortunate name....
 

Why does any fan care what the name of the building is? How could a different name negatively impact your fan experience? It's just a name of a building.
 


Why does any fan care what the name of the building is? How could a different name negatively impact your fan experience? It's just a name of a building.

I think some fans like the "amateur" aspect and still enjoy the things about college sports that differentiate it from the corporate culture of professional sports. Having an arena/stadium named after something because it has history and meaning to them and the school is one of those things.
 




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