The Gilbert Pavilion of the Breslin Center on July 17, 2020.
On Thursday, Michigan State University athletics announced an expansion of its partnership with Rocket Mortgage. Most prominent under the new five-year deal is the company's presentation at the Breslin Center, where the MSU men's basketball team will be known as "MSU Spartans Presented by Rocket Mortgage."
Following conflicting and misleading reports about what this presenting sponsorship means, MSU sent out clarification on Friday morning.
"Michigan State is not renaming its men’s basketball team," the release said. "While this is a new extension of the partnership for Rocket Mortgage with Men’s Basketball, this is not a first-of-its-kind sponsorship for the Spartans or a new concept in professional or collegiate team partnerships. It is a presenting sponsorship of the Michigan State Men’s Basketball season, which is a common practice in both college and pro sports. This is nothing new for the school or the industry."
Through the deal, Rocket Mortgage will also increase branding within other MSU sports including women's basketball, football and hockey. Football Head Coach Mel Tucker's headset will display the company's logo.
"Michigan State Athletics couldn't compete at the highest levels without the support of our corporate partners like Rocket Mortgage," MSU Athletic Director Bill Beekman said in a release. "We are appreciative of Rocket's continued commitment to the Spartans and their unwavering support of our programs."
Rocket Mortgage has been a partner of MSU since 2015.
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