PNC Arena looks like it will be getting a new name
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Fans gathering outside of PNC Arena. Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The home of the Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State basketball could be getting a new name after PNC Bank's naming rights agreement ended on Aug. 31 and its signage began coming down on Monday morning.
Why it matters: The facility — which opened in 1999 and is headed for massive renovations — has been named PNC Arena since 2012, after PNC Bank acquired the previous naming rights owner RBC Bank.
Driving the news: On Monday afternoon, the Hurricanes announced the team was entering into a new deal with PNC to sponsor the arena's club and club-level seating.
- The team, however, did not comment on whether PNC would retain the arena's naming rights, even as the signage was coming down.
- Hurricanes spokesperson Mike Sundheim said in an email the team did not have a timeline for announcing a new naming rights deal. But the arena's owner, the Centennial Authority, has a meeting scheduled for Thursday to consider a new naming rights contract, WRAL reported.
By the numbers: The previous naming rights deal signed by RBC was a 20-year, $80 million deal, per the Triangle Business Journal.
Zoom in: Speculation about the future of the building's name has been high since its deal with PNC officially ended.
- The arena was recently referred to as the Lenovo Center in the trailer for EA Sports' new hockey video game NHL 25 — further adding to the speculation.
- Computer maker Lenovo is one of the largest employers in Research Triangle Park. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment.
What they're saying: "We're grateful for PNC's continued major partnership as we embark on this next chapter in our growth story — and for the bank's commitment to strengthen and invest in the region we call home," Hurricanes Holdings president Doug Warf said in a statement on PNC's sponsorship of the club level.
- A spokesperson for PNC confirmed the original naming rights agreement had ended, but did not say whether the bank had the new naming rights.
Flashback: When it opened in 1999, the stadium was called the Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena.
- From 2002 to 2012, it was known as the RBC Center.