Tennessee agrees to $20 million, 10-year naming rights deal with Food City for basketball arena

Thompson-Boling Arena, as we all know it, will now operate under a brand new name, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

He reported on Wednesday morning that the University of Tennessee has partnered with Food City in a naming rights deal for its basketball stadium. Here was the news, which Thamel tweeted out:

“Sources: Tennessee has agreed to a 10-year naming rights deal with Food City for the school’s basketball arena. The deal is for more than $20 million over the next 10 years.”

According to the Food City website (which definitely may not be ran by humans), this nutrition distributor is already the official supermarket of the university.

“For more than 20 years Food City has been a spirited sponsor of the University of Tennesse,” reads the website — and yes, they misspelled Tennessee by leaving off that final e.

Despite that small mishap, Food City still says: “And we proud to continue our partnership with the Big Orange. We are thrilled to be the official supermarket of the Vols and the Lady Vols.”

They proud. They sure are. And although Food City has just partnered with Tennessee Basketball, the supermarket is still ready to help Volunteer fans out on football Saturdays.

“Again this year we will be co-sponsoring the ever so popular Tailgater fo the Game and hosting a few pre-game pep rallies at some of our local Food City locations.”

Tailgater of the Game. But that sounds like fun, as does the Volunteer of the Game series.

“Additional we are very proud to be the official presenter of the ‘Volunteer of the Game’. Each home footbal game we honor a veteran by presenting them with a $250 Food City gift card, a $100 certificate for a purchase of Certified Angus Beef and a Tennessee football helmet.”

Strange how they spell football two different ways, isn’t it? Regardless, those are some neat honors and they even come with some hefty prizes, including that certified beef.

For the The Tailgater of the Game, Food City says “weekly winners will receive a $500 Food City Gift card!” Winners also get a chance to be the season’s Ultimate Tailgater, which features a prize of “8 TICKETS TO A TENNESSEE BOWL GAME*” with that asterisk in place assuming the Volunteers do make one. Otherwise, fans can blame Food City for the jinx.

This naming rights deal is the next step in a beautiful friendship between Tennessee Athletics and the local supermarket.