In Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the Menominee Nation recently bought the naming rights for the new million, 3,600-seat Wisconsin Herd arena, which will be called the Menominee Nation Arena. It will open November 17 for the first home game of the basketball team, the minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. Tribal spokesman Gary Besaw said the 5-year contract will help the tribe promote its casino in Keshena and its lumber mill in nearby Neopit. “We also thought this would be a great opportunity for us to provide insight and information as to who the Menominee people are. This is a great source of pride for us,” he said.
The city will spend about $4.8 million in infrastructure improvements for the arena, which also will be available for concerts, conventions and other events.
Besaw noted the Menominee reservation and casino are located about 70 miles north of Oshkosh. The Oneida tribe’s casino and hotel are located in between. The Menominee want to remind the 400,000 residents of the Fox Valley about their gaming option. “That’s part of the strategy. To be able to market and brand through what we believe is a winning proposition is a no-brainer,” Besaw said. The Menominee tribe has about 9,000 members, and about 4,000 live on the reservation.
In 2015 the tribe proposed an $800 million casino project at the former Dairyland Greyhound Park, but Governor Scott Walker rejected the plan. Besaw said the tribe has no new casino plans. “Right now, our current focus is on the success of the Menominee Nation Arena. The tribe will never not look for opportunities to improve our standard of living,” he said.
