By any other name, it could be $10 million sweeter

Study says that changing name of Joel Coliseum could bring in millions for the city

By Bertrand M. Gutierrez
Winston-Salem Journal

What's in a name?

For Joel Coliseum, the 15,000-seat arena where Wake Forest's Demon Deacons play basketball, there could be a yearly payment of $400,000 to $700,000 in it - more than $10 million in a 15-year contract.

The city of Winston-Salem could make that much money by selling the naming rights to a corporate sponsor, according to a study of the issue paid for by the city.

But the idea of changing the name to BB&T Coliseum, for example, does not appeal to city officials. Members of the Winston-Salem City Council said yesterday that they are willing to forfeit a possible naming-rights contract because there is more to a name than money.