If there’s an actual college in Glendale or Tempe or Surprise or some other Arizona town with a little money to burn, now’s the time to strike.
According to Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic, the Cardinals are in the market for a new naming-rights sponsor since the University of Phoenix wants to pull out of their deal with the team.
They’re 11 years into the 20-year deal which was worth $7.7 million per year. It comes at a time with UofP’s parent company, Apollo Education Group, has seen declining enrollment and other issues. The team said the University would keep the name on the stadium until a new sponsor is found.
“We will get the best deal, the right deal,” Cardinals executive vice president and chief operating officer Ron Minegar said. “We want to have the right brand affiliation.”
(In related news, the deal will be yuge.)
It’s possible the Cardinals could realize more revenue from a new deal, even though there are new stadiums coming in Las Vegas and Los Angeles looking to sell themselves as giant billboards in the near future.