By Teresa Herriman, The Courier-Herald
Sorry boys. No one will be playing football at the Hooters Stadium at Sumner High School anytime soon.
Before the Sumner School Board announced plans to sell naming rights for its stadium, several categories of corporations were immediately ruled out for consideration, including alcohol, tobacco and gaming institutions. An all-encompassing "etc." category on the list of "Corporate Categories We Would Not Consider" provided the selection committee with some discretion to disallow firms - such as Hooters - that might be considered inappropriate for an educational setting.
The stadium, currently known as Spartan Stadium, will get a new name to reflect its use as home field by both Sumner High School and the new Bonney Lake High School beginning in 2005. The school board decided to offer the sponsorship opportunity to raise funds necessary to cover maintenance, operation and replacement costs of the facility.
According to Ann Cook, Sumner School District communications director, the board is close to deciding on a corporate sponsor for the downtown Sumner stadium. The selection committee has narrowed the choice to two potential sponsors. "We will be submitting a proposal to the board at the December meeting," she said, declining to disclose the name of sponsors being considered. The board will make the final approval of the sponsor and terms of agreement.
When the opportunity was announced in mid-September, the board suggested a minimum contribution of $500,000 for the naming rights that includes signage, recognition display, game program recognition, renewal rights and designated seating and parking. A donation amounting to 10 percent of the total contribution will go to the Sumner Education Foundation to provide scholarships in the name of the donor. The sponsor would not have a say in program or staffing issues or remodel design of the stadium. Additional naming opportunities at the complex include the field, weight rooms and locker rooms. Presumably, the same restrictions for appropriate sponsors apply.
A sponsorship plan distributed by the board states that receiving money for the naming rights of the stadium supports the goals of Target 2004, the school district's long-range education plan, by "pursuing community partnerships and developing additional funding resources."
There is precedent for selling naming rights for high school facilities, although not in Washington state, according to research conducted by District Athletic Director Tim Thomsen. For example, there is the ShopRite Stadium in New Jersey and the Rust-Oleum Stadium in Illinois; high school athletes in Colorado play at the U.S. West Stadium, which concluded its 10-year naming rights deal for a reported $2 million.
Some school districts, such as Seattle, have a policy specifically prohibiting the practice. Despite that, Sumner School District Board President Mike Pavlik supports the plan. "I see nothing wrong with it if we can get a substantial amount of money," he said.
Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@courierherald.com
