If Preds get their way, name 'Nashville Arena' will be back - Nashville, Tennessee - Thursday, 03/08/07 - Tennessean.com
The Predators have apparently had no luck finding a sponsor to step up and pay for the naming rights to the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and the hockey team wants to change the name back to the Nashville Arena.
Metro will decide later this month whether to accept the team's request to change the name of the 17,113-seat hockey and concert venue.
Gaylord Entertainment Co. signed a 20-year, $80 million naming rights and partial ownership deal with the Predators in 1999. But the agreement was terminated in 2004, with Gaylord agreeing to pay the Predators more than $9 million over the next five years.
Nashville Sports Authority Chairman Kevin Lavender said Wednesday that he had been traveling for two weeks and hadn't seen Predators Vice President Ed Lang's letter requesting the arena name change.
But Lavender expects the Predators to unveil a presentation at the Sports Authority board of directors meeting on March 16.
"I don't want to speak for the Predators, but they will probably walk us through what they're thinking about and what makes sense," Lavender said.
"We certainly are interested in whatever makes the most sense for the building to be most successful long term."
The Predators declined to comment Wednesday but have repeatedly said they are working to get a new naming rights partner for the arena. Lang's letter says that is the franchise's "ultimate intention" but that, in the interim, it would be more appropriate to change the name of the arena.
Money from naming rights is important to NHL teams, especially ones in small markets like Nashville. The Predators rely heavily on the National Hockey League's revenue sharing, have struggled with corporate support, and are still looking for a minority owner to help improve ties with the city's corporate community.