High School Sells Stadium Naming Rights

If the corporate name game is good enough for the big boys, why not the younger crowd? The Jefferson County, Colo., school district has agreed to sell naming rights for its high school sports stadium to US West Communications Inc. for $2 million. While common at the college and professional levels, US West’s 10-year deal is apparently the first of its kind among high schools. “It’s kind of a natural progression,” said Jim Andrews, vice president of Chicago-based IEG Sponsorship Report, an industry newsletter. “From a corporate standpoint, you have an audience that you are trying to reach, whether it’s the students, parents or the community.”