Bankers Life Fieldhouse is set to retain its current moniker despite the arena’s naming-rights deal having expired.
The arena serves as the home of NBA team the Indiana Pacers and WNBA outfit Indiana Fever. The venue is known by its current name through an agreement between Pacers Sports & Entertainment and CNO Financial Group, the parent company of the Bankers Life health insurance firm.
CNO Financial Group’s naming-rights deal with Pacers Sports & Entertainment expired on Sunday but the arena is not set for an immediate name change.
Brent Rockwood, vice-president of corporate, community and public relations for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said, according to the Indianapolis Star newspaper: “Most of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse signage will remain in place for the time being.
“The CNO Financial Group has been a great long-time partner of ours and we’re continuing our partnership with them in other areas of our business.”
Rockwood added that there is no “hard and fast” deadline to replace Bankers Life as the naming-rights sponsor of the arena. He said a focus is being placed on finding the right “long-term” partner.
“There’s huge equity value in the name, fieldhouse, itself,” Rockwood added. “So, in all of our conversations that we’ve had, our potential partners have not discussed removing the fieldhouse name.”
Bankers Life Fieldhouse is set for major renovation work as part of a wide-ranging $360m (£286m/€319m) project announced in April. The Pacers have also signed a new 25-year lease to continue playing at the arena.
Image: Christophe95
Share this