It's a new era of Gopher Basketball. Niko Medved is the new coach. Revenue sharing from the Big Ten is coming with millions of dollars heading to athletes - and the growth of "name-image-likeness" and the transfer portal doesn't seem to be slowing down.
Now, the University of Minnesota Department of Athletics is announcing they've partnered with Independent Sports and Entertainment (ISE) to explore potential naming rights for the historic basketball arena.
Schools are under more pressure than ever to generate revenue with some of the top players in college basketball commanding over $1 million per season, and some -such as Duke's Cooper Flagg (over $4 million) - making much more. The top women's players are also making plenty of money, with Hopkins, Minnesota's own Paige Bueckers making a reported $1.4 million for the 2024-25 season at UConn.
That means a sponsor is coming to Williams Arena which will join the hockey arena (3M Arena at Mariucci) and the football stadium (Huntington Bank) in getting a corporate name.
The historic venue is home to the Minnesota men's and women's basketball teams and is one of the most well-known and recognizable buildings in collegiate athletics and in the entire state. It is nearing a century in existence.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for a company to align themselves with the University of Minnesota and with Gopher Athletics," said Director of Athletics Mark Coyle. "We look forward to working with ISE to find a naming rights partner that will help us continue to provide world-class experiences for our student-athletes."
Williams Arena first opened in 1928. In addition to Gopher basketball, the building has hosted NCAA men's and women's basketball games, high school state basketball tournaments, Big Ten wrestling championships and was the host venue for the Minnesota Lynx when they won the 2017 WNBA Championship.
It's been debated for years locally. Is Williams Arena a positive - or a negative? Is it a challenge to recruit athletes to play at the University of Minnesota in the aging building? Their new coach doesn't see it that way.
“We've all been there before," Mevded explains. "When that place is packed, there's a certain energy in there that's different, you're on (more of) a stage than anywhere you go. There's ghosts in Williams Arena. Know what I mean? In a good way."
Originally called the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse, it was renamed in 1950 after Dr. Henry L. Williams, U of M football coach from 1900 to 1921.
No timeline was given for the process but expect a new name for Williams Arena by the start of the 2025 basketball season.