In California, the 15-year naming rights deal between the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians and the Fresno Grizzlies is coming to an end, it was announced by Fresno Sports and Events. The Grizzlies’ stadium has been known as Chukchansi Park since 2006. Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino Director of Marketing Deann Kamalani said the final payment has been made to fulfill the contract through 2021.
In 2013, Forbes commented, “The Grizzlies likely have minor league baseball’s best stadium naming rights partner with the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.” The $16 million deal was one of the largest financial commitments for naming rights in the Pacific Coast League, according to oursportscentral.com
Kamalani said negotiations are expected between the team and the tribe but no date has been set. In addition, she could not comment on whether the recent change from Triple-A to Single-A baseball could affect the negotiations.
A revised lease between the City of Fresno, owners of the stadium, and Fresno Sports and Events lowered the team’s annual rent from $500,000 to $100,000. Also, the capital reserve fund the team and the city both paid into now requires an annual contribution of $50,000, down from $300,000; the fund also would receive an additional $1 for every ticket after the first 150,000 tickets taken at the turnstile. The new lease also stipulates the city would receive 15 percent of naming rights revenue for the stadium above $650,000 per year and increasing 2 percent per year.
