Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun and the MGM Springfield, in Massachusetts, are competing for the attention of basketball fans, among their other more high-profile competitions.
Last week the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield announced the continuation of its decade long relationship with the Mohegan Sun. The relationship includes hosting the annual induction of Hall of Famers. But it also announced a five-year marketing partnership with the MGM Springfield, the new kid on the block, which will open its doors in September.
To say that the Mohegan Sun and MGM Springfield are bitter enemies would be to soft pedal the relationship—so the Hall of Fame is obviously treading carefully to avoid offending either.
But the Mohegan Sun also has a firmly established connection with professional basketball. Its arena is the home court of the WNBA Connecticut Sun team.
Hall of Fame president and CEO John Doleva declared, “Our partnership with Mohegan Sun has been a game changer for the Hall of Fame and we very much appreciate Mohegan Sun’s desire to remain a big part of the Hall of Fame family for many years to come.”
The casino’s president and general manager Ray Pineault returned the compliment: “It’s been a great partnership for 11 years, for both of us. It gives us great visibility there (in Springfield). They get over a million visitors a year,” he said.
The casino will continue as exclusive sponsor of the Hall of Fame’s Enshrinement Weekend. It will also continue to host college basketball events at the Sun Arena.
The Hall of Fame and MGM announced that they will work together to attract visitors to each facility through co-marketing. Hall of Fame VIP guests will be hosted at the MGM Springfield hotel and Hall of Famers will make appearances at the casino.
