ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Pit, one of college basketball's most famous buildings, is getting a new name.
A local restaurant chain donated $5 million to the University of New Mexico, securing the naming rights for The Pit for the next 10 years. It will now be called WisePies Arena.
The WisePies Pizza & Salad logo will appear on signs outside the arena, on the court and on tickets.
Naming rights generate big revenue for colleges, but changing the name of the 48-year-old arena spurred a steady stream of profanities and disbelief on social media after the announcement was made Monday.
The donation is the largest cash gift ever made to the athletic department. The money will be used to pay off $60 million in renovations.
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