Venue News & Notes: San Diego State Takes a Gamble

San Diego State University has a $4.8 million deal with Cox Communications for naming rights to its basketball arena, but, as the expiration date on that contract nears, the school is in talks with the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, which operates a casino 22 miles away. If the tribe did buy the naming rights, it is unclear whether it would use the word casino, but that has some residents concerned.
…Come next summer, the basketball arena at San Diego State University could have a new name, one that worries those who have watched the rise of gambling among young adults. The $4.8 million deal the university signed 12 years ago with Cox Communications expires June 30. The school is in talks with Cox and several other parties, including the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, which operates a casino and outlet mall 22 miles away in Alpine…
…The Dallas Cowboys haven’t booked a soccer game at their new stadium, but they’re already planning to buy a removable field for the other “football.” The annual Cotton Bowl game will also have its own field with permanent markings separate from the field the Cowboys will use. The new stadium in Arlington will be the only one in the NFL with three separate fields for different sporting events, the turf manufacturer announced Tuesday…
…Hillsborough County, FL, residents may be asked to chip in tax dollars to finance a new baseball stadium in Pinellas County. That option is on the table for A Baseball Community, the task force that is exploring the feasibility of building a stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. During a board meeting this week at the EpiCenter in Pinellas County, the task force suggested that, since the team touched citizens throughout the Tampa Bay area, it would be more equitable to get everyone to contribute for a new facility…
…With a $10.5 million renovation to Elfstrom Stadium, the Kane County, IL, Cougars will offer fans something new next season: luxury suites. As part of a stadium overhaul that began Sept. 11 but had been in the works since 1999, the Class A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics will add 15 skyboxes and nearly 1,000 seats to the stadium. General Manager Jeff Sedivy said the construction project really amounts to a complete renovation of the 18-year-old ballpark in west suburban Geneva, IL…
…Winston-Salem, NC’s baseball team has a new name, but it might have trouble moving into its new home in time for the start of the 2009 season. As the team introduced its new name, the Dash, this week, team owner Billy Prim also revealed plans to expand the new downtown stadium from its original plans, which could mean that construction will not be finished by the April 23 home opener…
…Tacoma and Pierce County, WA, are planning a swap of Cheney Stadium and the County-City Building, both of which they jointly own. Under a deal to be considered Tuesday by city and county councils, Tacoma would give the county its share of the building, and the county would give the city its share of the stadium plus $2 million.