Oct 3, 2023

Oct 02, 2023 at 7:59 pm Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at The Baltimore Sun. Expand SECU Arena is a 5,200-seat multi-purpose arena on the Towson University campus in Towson, Maryland. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun) Towson University’s basketball court, known as SECU Arena for the past decade, is now simply TU Arena as the institute searches for a sponsor to replace the credit union. Towson’s 10-year, $4.75 million dollar deal with SECU expired Saturday after what the university said was a mutual agreement not to renew the contract. The college has recruited Legends Hospitality, a New York-based company that serves stadiums and entertainment venues, to seek a new naming rights partner, the firm and the university’s athletics department said in news releases on Monday. Advertisement The 5,200-seat complex opened as SECU Arena in 2013. It hosts the Tigers’ volleyball and gymnastics teams, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, and is the home of the Baltimore Blast soccer team. The arena holds graduations for 24 area high schools. The naming rights space “presents a unique opportunity for a brand to send a message about its commitment to the state of Maryland and beyond,” Steve Eigenbrot, Towson’s athletics director, said in a statement. Advertisement The SECU Arena sign on the exterior of the building is still up for now, though some SECU-branded signage inside the arena could be removed soon, said David Vatz, a spokesperson for Towson’s athletics department. SECU, or the State Employees’ Credit Union of Maryland, has been paying Towson $475,000 annually over the past 10 years for the arena’s naming rights, as well as the use of two corporate suites and access to multipurpose rooms. Last September, the financial institution secured naming rights to the football stadium at the University of Maryland for the next 10 years after the Terps and Capital One decided to terminate their contract. Legends, a venture founded in 2008 by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and then-New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, is the company that brokered the naming rights for the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams’ home at SoFi Stadium, as well as the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium. The firm will be seeking a naming rights partner for Towson “who aligns with the university’s strong values, commitment to community, and investment in creating opportunities for TU students and student-athletes,” Michael Behan, the company’s collegiate partnerships officer, said in a statement. Towson’s volleyball team is scheduled to play at the temporarily named TU Arena on Oct. 7, while its men’s basketball team is set for a home opener against Robert Morris University on Nov. 12. The Tigers’ women’s basketball team will start with an exhibition game against Frostburg State University at home on Oct. 30, and their first game, against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will be Nov. 6. Advertisement