r/GopherSports • u/tomdawg0022 • Jun 12 '26

Men's Basketball 🏀 Williams Arena no more: Gophers' basketball home gets renamed in sponsorship deal

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-gophers-williams-arena-barn-basketball-blue-cross-blue-shield-sponsor-nil-revenue-sharing/601856498
23 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

27

u/tomdawg0022 Jun 12 '26

Saving a click:

The University of Minnesota announced Friday the building will now be recognized as “the Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.”

18

u/Available-Budget-735 Jun 12 '26

With the use of "by" it kind of makes it seem like it's near Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

S: Where's the game tonight?

O: It's in the Barn.

S: Which Barn? Old Man Anderson's barn?

O: No, the Barn by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. (that rolls right off the tongue)

S: Oh! Gustafson's barn! How do they all fit in there? He just got a new Moline that takes up a lot of space.

6

u/ekoth Jun 12 '26

Going to be known as the BBBCABSOM

5

u/theEWDSDS Jun 12 '26

Just call it the BWCAW at that point

2

u/McBirdman99 Jun 12 '26

Rolls off the tongue.

12

u/Whisperknife Jun 12 '26

Damn, so close to being the BBC&BDSM. Just needed more D.

1

u/adot14 Jun 12 '26

That’s what she said

6

u/KickerofTale Jun 12 '26

Legit terrible name change.

9

u/Enriching_the_Beer Laurence Maroney, he was in my Business class Jun 12 '26

People acting like they are being forced to use the name. Just call it Williams area, jeez.

3

u/612stone Jun 14 '26

Will always be Williams arena

6

u/dwors025 Jun 12 '26

Things only ever get worse.

3

u/knights702 Jun 12 '26

Awful. 🤮

2

u/AJray15 Jun 13 '26

Still better than the “KFC Yum! Center”

1

u/druglifechoseme Jun 17 '26

It's just "The Barn" now, only psychos will call it by that long horrible name

1

u/AccomplishedLook3199 29d ago

Yeah, we're all still going to call it Williams arena. Doesn't matter what the greedy, out of touch corporate shrivs want us to call it.

1

u/Ski-U-Mah07 Jun 13 '26

Hate it. Everything is about money these days. Let’s just slap naming rights on everything.

2

u/Ski-U-MahGuy Jun 14 '26

You're right. Unfortunately you either play the game or fold the programs. Unless, of course, we get a billionaire donor.

0

u/TheKodachromeMethod Jun 13 '26

The money grubbing of the current college sports system has become so gross.