Michigan state basketball will continue its sponsorship deal with Rocket Mortgage, but will not change its name as a result. After the deal was announced on Thursday, the school announced in a press release that, in addition to being a five-year contract, the team “will now be known throughout the Breslin Center as ‘MSU Spartans Presented by Rocket Mortgage’ “.
But on Friday, the Spartans issued a statement clarifying that the team would not be really changing its name and that, in fact, this business is very normal.
In response to the announcement, a wave of criticism of the Spartans and the university athletics industry in general grew. One of the most notable critics included Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). The congressman recently introduced legislation that allows college athletes to earn money from their names, images and similarities.
The normal deal will begin during the 2021-22 athletic season and will include “a sizable brand for Rocket Mortgage throughout the Breslin Center and Spartan Stadium.” The connection is largely due to how former student Dan Gilbert – best known as the owner of Cavaliers and a fan of Comic Sans – is the co-founder of Quicken Loans and Rocket Mortgage. Gilbert is also the namesake of the Gilbert Pavilion at the Breslin Center.