Stadium Won’t Be Named for Private Prison Company

[alp227]

Source: NYT

Sports stadiums have been named for fast food companies, office supply chains, and banks, but apparently there is one sector of the economy that is not welcome in the sports world: the private prison industry.

Florida Atlantic University announced late Monday that the Geo Group Foundation, the charitable arm of the private prison corporation, planned to withdraw its $6 million gift for what was to be called GEO Group Stadium, citing discomfort at being drawn into a debate about civil rights and privatization.

In a statement, GEO said that backing out of the deal was “in the best long-term interest of the university.”

“What was originally intended as a gesture of GEO’s good will to financially assist the university’s athletic scholarship program has surprisingly evolved into an ongoing distraction to both of our organizations,” said George Zoley, the chairman of the GEO Group, who is a graduate of Florida Atlantic.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/sports/ncaafootball/stadium-wont-be-named-for-private-prison-company.html

[Bozita]

1. IIRC, a recent Superbowl was played at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Strange stuff!

[Paulie]

2. Could just give the money without the naming

But why do it for just goodwill unless its the kind of goodwill used in accounting.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Victory!! for the "Stop Owlcatraz Coalition"

"Owlcatraz" is in reference to FAU's team nickname the Owls.


A few links to the controversy:

http://www.thenation.com/blog/173623/victory-stopping-owlcatraz

http://stopowlcatraz.blogspot.com/

http://www.edgeofsports.com/2013-02-24-819/index.html


Way to go, FAU students, faculty and alumni!!

[ellisonz]

4. That would have been appaling. n/t

[shenmue]

5. I wish they would still name stadiums for people

Names of locally known individuals, or the veterans, or something people-centered anyway. They can promote their business enough, they can buy signage.

[SunSeeker]

6. Good. It's bad enough L.A. has a "Staples Center."

[Earth_First]

7. A more surprising turn of events would be a return to academics

rather than hundred million dollar profits by the NCAA.

[olddots]

8. " The Greed Center "

I'm still trying to figure out what the new Boston Garden is named after .

[frylock]

9. the charitable arm of the private prison corporation?!!

the fuck?

[MindPilot]

10. "citing discomfort at being drawn into a debate about civil rights and privatization. "

In a rare moment of honesty...