UVU extends partnership with UCCU as baseball stadium renamed UCCU Ballpark
Utah Valley University renamed its baseball stadium UCCU Ballpark on Dec. 7, 2017.
Utah Valley University renamed its baseball stadium UCCU Ballpark on Dec. 7, 2017.
Orem Owlz center fielder Brandon Sandoval (7) stretches for a fly ball but can’t quite catch it during a game against Grand Junction at Brent Brown Ballpark in Orem in this file photo. The baseball park was renamed UCCU Ballpark as part of a new naming rights agreement that extends to June 2027.
When Utah Valley University started looking for a partner to step up and purchase the naming rights for the baseball facility, UVU president Matthew Holland said there was plenty of interest.
“I knew it would be a hot commodity,” Holland said Thursday after the official announcement. “There were multiple parties interested. UCCU (Utah Community Credit Union) came forward with the best offer, saying we really want this.”
The baseball stadium was officially renamed UCCU Ballpark as part of a $5.5 million gift UCCU donated to support UVU athletics and other programs.
The agreement also replaces and extends the current naming-rights for the UCCU Center, home to UVU basketball. Current agreements for both the UCCU Ballpark and UCCU Center extend until June of 2027.
“It’s very gratifying because we already had a very robust partnership with UCCU,” Holland said. “When they already have something so visible, it’s like we really matter in this community and they want to be associated with us. They were so enthused by the relationship and what we are doing. In addition to the resources and the support it gives, it is a tremendous boost to us and what we are trying to achieve.”
UCCU chief executive officer Jeffrey L. Sermon said the decision to expand the partnership with UVU made sense.
“This university is where our members and their children go to school,” Sermon said. “It’s a part of the community that way and so it is a natural thing for us to partner with them. It lets people know our commitment to education, our commitment to the university and the education of our children. It’s a great opportunity for us.”
Sermon said the donation will help replace the marquee out by Interstate 15 as well as other academic and athletic projects. Holland said he expects the funding to aid in a variety of areas.
“The way we do this is because athletics is part of the draw for this, some of it just will go back into athletics,” Holland said. “They can put it toward priorities and improvements. But we also feel that it is not just an athletic thing. They are co-branding with the university and so that gives the university discretionary money for key projects in the future.”
With Holland stepping down as president in the next few months, he said he is pleased that his successor will have funds to use to continue to improve the institution.
“This gives the next administration some resources,” Holland said. “I’m cautious about saying specific projects because a lot of it will be decided by my successor. I think that will be a huge help to them when they come in to have some resources to do some things up front.”
The long-term goal is to utilize community partnerships to enhance what UVU can do as an institution.
“We don’t want to just be an average university,” Holland said. “We want to be an outstanding, excellent university. We talk about being the nation’s very best open admissions platform for student success. That takes money and our legislature is very supportive, but tax funds have to go a lot of places. If we are going to achieve that national excellence, we have to get this outside support.”