GAINESVILLE, Fla. — If the iconic home (and dome) to the Gators was ever going to partner with a corporate sponsor, it was going to be one with ties to the University of Florida.
Say hello to Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
The UF Board of Trustees voted Thursday to approve a collaboration that will allow Exactech, a local-bred medical device company at the forefront of joint replacement, and the O'Connell Center to share the marquee at the home for Gators athletics since 1981. The agreement brings together two Gainesville-based organizations with more than 30 years each of collaborating on education, innovation and health care.
Exactech's naming agreement is broken into two phases; a 10-year, $5.9 million pledge with an additional five-year, $3.5 million option on the back end. The multi-million dollar value of the contract was instrumental in helping UF, which owns the O'Connell Center, and the University Athletic Association, the arena's prime tenant, proceed with the ambitious $64.5 million renovation of the facility that is scheduled for completion in December. Fox Sports represented UF in helping broker the agreement.
"The University of Florida is so fortunate to have a relationship with a quality organization and quality company like Exactech," Director of Athletics Jeremy Foley said. "Their values reflect the university's values and those of the athletic association. We love the fact that it's a local company with roots right here, right up the street from the University of Florida."
Those roots date to 1985, when orthopedic surgeon Bill Petty, M.D., his wife Betty and biomedical engineer Gary Miller, Ph.D., collaborated on a vision for creating products and services to enhance the quality of care for patients suffering from joint diseases and arthritis.
Still based in Gainesville, Exactech has more than 700 employees who design, develop, manufacture and distribute innovative orthopedic implants and surgical instrumentation for patients undergoing shoulder, knee, hip and spine surgery.
"Exactech Arena adds yet another dimension to our deeply rooted partnership with UF," Exactech CEO David Petty said. "Exactech employees are already passionate about helping people maintain their activity and independence through our joint replacement systems. This sponsorship gives us new channels to promote healthy lifestyles, encourage mobility and expand our support of the Arthritis Foundation. And what better place to symbolize this than amidst the energy and passion of this arena?"
The naming comes with the blessing of inaugural UF trustee Cindy O'Connell, widow of Stephen C. O'Connell, the former university president (1967-73) who died in 2001.
Having her sign off on the contract was a pivotal part of the university's negotiations.
"Change is part of life. Change is something the University of Florida is about and something my late husband clearly supported," Cindy O'Connell said. "The Stephen C. O'Connell Center is still a building for all reasons; its integrity and purpose still very much intact. It is a gathering point for students, alumni, faculty and friends as well as a place for great athletic triumphs for the Gators. The community, the state, the alumni, donors, the students and faculty should be thrilled at the expansion and supportive of the naming."
When the renovation is completed, Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center will feature chair-back seating throughout the lower bowl, a state-of-the-art center court-hung scoreboard, new sound system and amenity upgrades in the new concourse areas.
Seat selection for current boosters and season-ticket holders is set to start Monday. Season tickets for the 2016-17 men's basketball season go on sale to the general public on June 29.
