Inside the East Entrance of Gampel Pavilion, a worn and chipped plaque from the Jan. 27, 1990, dedication ceremony for the arena hangs between two glass doors, going largely unnoticed as fans file into the Basketball Capital of the World.
“In loving memory of Fannie and Benjamin Gampel by Edith and Harry A. Gampel ‘43,” the start of the plaque reads.
Outside the East Entrance Friday morning, construction workers moved steadfastly to attach large white letters against the new metal fencing on top of the concrete overhang above the entrance.
Letter by letter, the words “M&T Bank Center” appeared, spelt out in letters far larger than those used for the comparatively small “Gampel Pavilion” sign sitting below. Just days after UConn announced that they had agreed to a multiyear deal with M&T Bank to add the company’s name to the Pavilion, the new branding already dominated the intersection of Hillside Road and Jim Calhoun Way.
While a sea of students, alumni and fans have come forward to express both displeasure and understanding in the new addition to the name, UConn Athletic Director David Benedict didn’t give himself that same option.
“I don’t get the choice, or at least I don’t give myself the option of choosing whether I like it or not,” Benedict said on Friday during a media tour of the newly renovated arena.
With the first phase of a $99.4 million renovation process soon to be complete and a second phase to follow, paid for by “UConn 2000” bonds, Benedict said that he thinks people will recognize the renovated space’s potential for a lasting return on investment.
“We have a commitment and an expectation at UConn that we are the best in class with respect to men’s and women’s basketball,” Benedict said. “That comes with a cost, plain and simple.”
That cost for M&T Bank was $32.5 million across the 20-year span of the deal. In addition to the name, other changes include M&T Bank advertising on Alumni Court and security personnel swapping out their customary yellow jackets for brand new green jackets featuring the arena’s new logo.
The agreement was not the first partnership related to the basketball programs announced this preseason. UConn athletics also agreed to an expanded partnership with UConn Health, including the introduction of jersey patches for both the men’s and women’s teams.
Earlier this fall, the logo of real estate company William Raveis showed up at the 25-yard lines at Rentschler Field.
“We have to generate revenue,” Benedict said. “If we don’t, the alternative is we can continue to have old, outdated facilities. We can continue to show up in the wintertime and worry about the roof leaking or whether or not we’re going to even host a game and be embarrassed nationally, or we can do the things and take advantage of opportunities where people want to invest in what we’re doing.”
Harry A. Gampel and Dee Rowe were two of the first individuals who saw the value of investing in the arena. Gampel donated $1 million toward the arena, while Rowe spearheaded the launch of the fundraising arm of the UConn athletics department and helped raise millions of dollars for the arena.
Benedict called both men visionaries, as evidenced by their continued presence at the arena. Even with change, Gampel’s name is still on the building. Rowe is honored by a statue inside the arena. The former coach of the men’s program was also inducted into the team’s Huskies of Honor as a member of the inaugural class in 2007.
Even new additions from the renovation pay homage to the arena’s past.
The plastic siding on player’s lockers features the printed design of triangles meant to resemble the original roof of the arena. The triangles comprising the cushions affixed to the lockers in the coach’s locker room are meant to do the same.
“I appreciate change and the challenge with change,” Benedict said. “I certainly appreciate the iconic nature of the name of this building.”
While Benedict said college athletics aren’t run strictly as a business, he also recognized the importance of resource acquisition and leveraging available assets to increase revenue and support a “national championship-level program.”
“The alternative is we choose not to do these things, and ultimately, we won’t be competitive,” Benedict said. “That’s just the realities of it. It’s not a scare tactic; it’s just the reality.”