Tweety Bird Becomes Phoenix
'GLENDALE, Ariz. – The 63,400-seat home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, AZ now has a name: University of Phoenix Stadium.
At a press conference this morning, the Arizona Cardinals Football Club announced an exclusive, multi-year agreement with University of Phoenix to become the team’s naming rights partner. It is the first time a National Football League venue has been named after an educational institution.
The University will invest an average of $7.7 million per year for 20 years in exchange for naming rights, signage and a variety of advertising, marketing and merchandising opportunities. In addition, the alliance will enable the University – already international in scope – to reach an even greater number and diversity of potential students, while staying grounded in its hometown community, according to Brian Mueller, president of Apollo Group, the University’s parent company. ... University of Phoenix, working in the service of the nation for 30 years, provides access to higher education opportunities that enable students to achieve their professional goals, improve the productivity of their organizations, and provide leadership and service to their communities.'
The US Army works in the service of the nation... Phoenix is a for-profit that works in the service of its share holders... Anyway, as UD's reader Andre, who sent her this, points out, there's something intriguing about having a football stadium for a university that has no football team... That has no university, really, Phoenix having only the faintest physical reality...
All very postmodern.
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