TCF Bank Stadium takes sport of logo-spotting at U of M to new heights
Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 3:06 pm
- 4 Comments
Photo: Chris Steller, MnIndy
Saturday night, sports fans filling the new TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota can enjoy some good old-fashioned logo-spotting the way it was meant to be — back on campus and under the stars. You can help Goldy Gopher do a spot check to see if the University of Minnesota is fulfilling its contractual obligations to market TCF Bank.
It’s one thing to say the name of a private bank every time you refer to the public university’s new stadium. True enthusiasts will want to go the extra yardage by checking off these randomly selected stipulations from the $35 million contract between TCF and the U of M:
__ [TCF Bank Stadium] and/or Stadium Logo shall be prominently displayed in a fixed manner on the exterior of the Stadium … visible and readable from the two intersections abutting the Stadium site through which it is anticipated that the majority of cars passing the Stadium will move … [T]the University shall not be required to demolish any existing buildings in order to achieve such visibility.
__ The name “University of Minnesota” and the slogan “Home of the Golden Gophers” and such other slogans as the University may adopt from time to time for marketing University of Minnesota football or University of Minnesota athletics in general (“University Slogans”) may be displayed at up to sixty percent (60%) of the size of [TCF Bank Stadium] on fixed signs that number in the aggregate … fewer than or equal to the combined number of prominent exterior signs displaying [TCF Bank Stadium]. If the University’s name or slogan is illuminated in any location, then the exterior sign(s) in the same location that bear [TCF Bank Stadium] shall be illuminated with the same or greater lighting quality and intensity. …
__ [TCF Bank Stadium] shall be prominently displayed on a “welcome” sign in the Stadium ticket lobby.
__ [TCF Bank Stadium] shall be prominently displayed over the largest two scoreboards … [T]he height of the uppercase letters in [TCF Bank Stadium] is at least the same as the height of the clock and score digits of such scoreboards and [TCF Bank Stadium] is sufficiently illuminated as to avoid being obscured by the intensity of light emanating from scoreboard displays.
__ [TCF Bank Stadium] shall appear on all University Home Game tickets … University shall not use Home Game or Event ticket backs to advertise or promote any Financial Services Company or its products or services. …
__ [TCF Bank Stadium] and/or Logo will appear on name badges used by service employees employed by University. …
__ [TCF Bank Stadium] and/or Logo will appear on all vehicles that are exclusively dedicated to maintenance at the Stadium.
__ To the extent that it has control over radio and television broadcasts, the University shall require the [TCF Bank Stadium] be used to identify the Stadium in all of such broadcasts that emanate from the Stadium.
__ TCF shall have one full-page color ad per Home Game in all game day football programs, which may be located on the inside front cover, back cover, or in the center, as TCF may choose.
Just across campus, you can warm up for your evening of logo-spotting with a visit to another new U of M building crowded with corporate logos. Herbert M. Hanson, Jr. Hall, which opened a year ago at the Carlson School of Management on the West Bank campus. Can you find logos for:
Securian?
Wells Fargo and Dairy Queen?
Best Buy?
Toro?
SuperValu and Travellers?
And for champion logo-spotters only, four in one go: Can you find logos for 3M, Target, General Mills and US Bank?
4 Comments
Comment posted September 12, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Heh. Puts Obama’s comparison of the “public option” to public universities in a new light. I like the public option, but I’m not sure I want to see private company names above every operating room. Then again, that’s pretty much what we have right now…
Comment posted September 13, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
Where does it say that news reporters or average people or anyone other than the University itself have to refer to this stadium as TCF Stadium? Reporters especially seem to fall strangely into line, compliantly referring to all such branded places by their branded names. What would happen if reporters, and average people, referred to this place as Gopher Stadium, or the gopher stadium, the Gopher’s stadium, or the U of M stadium? Would storm troopers show up at the door?
And it happens all the time with events, too. Like you can’t just call the Uptown Art Fair the Uptown Art Fair, media/reporters call it the Pepsi Uptown Art Fair (or whoever the sponsor was) as if they are under advertising contract with the event itself.
Weird.
Comment posted September 14, 2009 @ 9:39 am
In the face of declining funding from the state, the U is doing what is necessary to maintain its quality. It makes sense for the U to solicit corporate sponsors for classrooms at the business school, and if that can keep the school from raising tuition to pay for its new facilities, then so be it.
I think the stadium naming rights deal was too favorable for TCF. TCF is getting a lot of great publicity for $35 million. Sadly, it seems that most new college football stadiums are forced to go down this route. Akron just finished a stadium with a naming deal with InfoCision, and in recent history, UCF and Louisville had deals with Bright House Networks and Papa John’s, respectively.
Pingback posted October 13, 2009 @ 8:22 pm
[...] included in the details of the contract signed when TCF put up dollars for the new stadium, but these were: [TCF Bank Stadium] and/or Stadium Logo shall be prominently displayed in a fixed manner on the [...]
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