Naming rights deal agreed for Gophers’ basketball arena

Image: University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota’s basketball arena will take on a new name after the school agreed a deal with a healthcare provider.

Gopher Sports said the University and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) have sealed a 10-year collaboration to strengthen a shared dedication to advancing community health and connection throughout Minnesota.

As part of this agreement, the home of Gopher basketball will be named The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Blue Cross and the University will create opportunities to champion better health, inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders and facilitate meaningful connection for students, staff, alumni and members of the broader community.

Honoring tradition while embracing a vibrant future, the basketball arena at the university’s Twin Cities campus will officially be recognized by its beloved nickname, “The Barn.”

Thomas O. Moe Director of Athletics Mark Coyle said, “We are grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota for their collaboration and support.

“The Barn is one of the most historic and well-known venues in all of college sports, and we are excited for this partnership and the positive impact it will have on the entire state.”

The home of Gopher basketball originally opened in 1928 as the Minnesota Field House. It was known as Williams Arena from 1950 – 2026 and will now be known as The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

With support from Blue Cross, The Barn will continue to serve as the home for Gopher basketball.

Together, Blue Cross and the University are building on their shared Minnesota roots to ensure The Barn continues to thrive as a hub for campus and community connection for generations to come.

Dana Erickson, President and CEO at Blue Cross, said, “For many years, Blue Cross and the University of Minnesota have played complementary roles in serving the people of this state — the University through its leadership in education, research and public service, and Blue Cross through its mission-driven commitment to improving health across every community.

“As we look ahead, we’re proud to strengthen this enduring relationship and find new ways to come together to advance the health and wellbeing of all Minnesotans.”
 

Facilitating authentic community engagement

As part of the agreement, Blue Cross and the University will create opportunities for health innovation and collaborate on initiatives that promote wellbeing across the state.

Designed for impact, programs will include on-campus health support for the Gopher community, in addition to professional development and industry exposure for students and alumni, strengthening current and future Minnesota health and healthcare leaders.

University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham said, “At the University of Minnesota, we are guided by our land-grant mission to serve all 87 counties across the state.

“We are proud of our new partnership with Blue Cross, which will help us deliver on our commitment to expand our health and healthcare workforce, advance lifesaving research and support the health of all Minnesotans.”

Over the course of a decade, the collaboration will focus on a variety of activations to improve health and wellbeing, including the establishment of new outdoor community basketball courts, the development of new youth sports clinics led by student-athletes, and campaigns that promote mental health awareness and healthy lifestyle changes, to name a few.

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