LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — The University of Southern California and United Airlines announced a deal that will see the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum officially become the United Airlines Memorial Coliseum beginning in August 2019.
The financial infusion from the naming rights deal will support a planned $270 million project to renovate the historic stadium while maintaining its distinctive peristyle columns.
Improvements to the stadium currently planned for the renovation include upgrades for the aisles, handrails, wider seats, more legroom, cup holders, updated Wi-Fi, concession expansion and improvements, along with updated electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems. Audio and video systems also are being upgraded.
“United has been a part of the Los Angeles community for more than 80 years. Sponsoring the Memorial Coliseum, an athletic and architectural icon, as well as USC, an intellectual and cultural beacon, reaffirms our broader commitment to serving the people, communities, and business of this region,” said Janet Lamkin, president of the California region for United Airlines.
“These investments to renovate and improve the stadium, as well as to sponsor the USC Trojans as they pursue excellence on and off the field, reinforce our overall investment in this vital market, while enhancing United’s brand presence outside of the airport in one of the nation’s largest cities.”
USC operated the Coliseum under a 98-year-lease with the city, county, and state. That lease included provisions to secure naming rights that would help underwrite the restoration, USC said.
Financial terms of the 16-year naming rights deal with United Airlines were not disclosed.
