Williams Arena Naming Rights Up For Sale

Williams Arena opened 97 years ago. Back then, in 1928 it went by a different name, the “University of Minnesota Fieldhouse”. The cost to build? Just over $600,000, which is now what it costs for a (somewhat) modest single-family home in the area.

At its peak, “The Barn” held a max-capacity of 18,025, which from 1950-1971 was the most of any college basketball arena in the nation. In its nearly 100 years on campus, Williams Arena has undergone a few different large-scale renovations, some of them quite recent.

In just the decade-plus, The Barn has gotten (among other things) a new scoreboard (2013-14), new floor (plus a new raised platform) and brand new seats throughout the entire building (2021). Yet, many of the biggest problems facing the barn have gone unaddressed, including the archaic bathrooms (something 30-year-old me did not care about) and difficult to navigate walkways.

Minnesota Gophers history: How U of M Fieldhouse became Williams Arena

The most expensive Barn makeover, by far, came before the Minnesota Gophers 1992-93 basketball season. That “full reno”, which cost $15 million, included new locker rooms and the “Williams Arena Club” level.

It’s unlikely any Williams Arena renovation project ever tops the first — which began in 1948 (with a new roof) and finally completed prior to the 1950-51 season, as seen below. Not only did The Barn look beautiful after that initial renovation, but it’s where it got its new formal name, too.

Williams Arena, aka “The Barn,” in 1951. pic.twitter.com/0o5w7etIKk

— Peter Robert Casey (@call_me_PRC) January 2, 2017

Williams Arena was named after famed University of Minnesota football coach Henry L. Williams, who roamed the sideline at Northrop Field and (later) Memorial Stadium from 1900-1928, going 136-33-11 in his 21 seasons as Golden Gophers head coach, including the school’s first ever National Championship, in 1904.

Sidebar worth researching on your own time — Minnesota’s official 1904 National Championship remains among the most hotly contested among college football historians, to this day, especially those with ties to Michigan.

University of Minnesota shopping Williams Arena naming rights

But soon, it appears Williams Arena will no longer be the standalone formal name of the Minnesota Gophers basketball home arena. According to a release by the University, the Gophers have hired “Independent Sports & Entertainment (ISE) to find it a new naming rights sponsor for The Barn.

“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.”

U of M Press Release

This shouldn’t surprise or concern Minnesota Gophers basketball fans. In fact, it should do the opposite. It appears, at least for now, that tearing down The Barn and building a new arena is off the table. Personally, I think that is a good thing (see below).

Related: Never Tear Down The Barn… Ever.

That’s because money has become a bit of a concern for the University of Minnesota athletic department. They want to provide more resources to the basketball program, and plan to do so with extra revenue sharing money that is expected to hit this summer.

That money is not new. It will have to be reallocated out of the already existing budget. Thus, any new sources of revenue the athletic department can find will help alleviate the programs and people set to be affected most by those reallocation of funds.

A naming rights sponsor won’t take ghosts out of The Barn

In other words, this is just another step in the University of Minnesota getting serious about one of its few revenue-generating sports with deep-pocketed donors. Much like we saw with Mariucci Arena, now officially named “3M Arena at Mariucci”, the Williams name will remain associated with the new formal title.

That’s good, because when you think about Minnesota Gophers basketball, you think of Williams Arena. That’s why tearing it down would be a grave mistake. Sure, you could try to build a replica and give it a raised floor, but it wouldn’t be the same.

As Niko Medved highlighted in his introductory press conference, The Barn has ghosts. You can feel and even hear them when you walk in that building. It’s hands-down one of the most unique experiences in the country, and one that cannot be replicated.

Now, it’s Niko’s job to bring those Williams Arena ghosts alive with better basketball. And as long as they still play home games in The Barn, it won’t matter if the official name is a bit different than what we are used to.