Change is never easy to come to grips with. It’s even more odd when something has become such a staple. At this point, it’s time to process that the Minnesota Wild will no longer play at the Xcel Energy Center after this season. The only question is what you need to call the arena when you enter.
A new suitor emerges for Minnesota Wild home
Xcel Energy has been the corporate sponsor for the home of the Minnesota Wild since the arena opened in 2000. ‘The X’ is a staple among Minnesota sports franchises, but that title will no longer be accurate. Securian Financial emerged as a potential suitor a while back, and now they have some competition.
“Now there’s buzz that RBC has joined Securian among financial firms under consideration to replace Xcel Energy Center as corporate naming sponsor for the St. Paul Arena. A deal could be worth at least $10 million a year over 25 years.”
Charley Walters on the Minnesota Wild naming rights (Pioneer Press)
Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters has been plenty clued into the developments over the past handful of months. A deal with Securian had appeared imminent. The mention of RBC as a suitor changes that reality.
The financial planning company has a sizable presence in the metro area and the Minnesota Headquarters is located on Nicolet Mall in Minneapolis. RBC added an entrant into the downtown skyline with a 33-story building that opened just a few years ago.
A new partnership will provide a long-term change for the venue. Walters suggests that the deal would be for 25 years, which is the length of pact currently inked with Xcel Energy. We will soon have a more concrete understanding of the outcome, and the building will likely not have the same catchy moniker.
Similar to the Milwaukee Brewers American Family Field, it’s highly unlikely the next partner deters fans from calling the home what they have grown accustomed to.
