Correction appended
To those of us who honor the traditions associated with Byrd Stadium, please know the name of the stadium has not changed.
Last week, Maryland expanded and extended its ongoing relationship with Chevy Chase Bank by naming the field at Byrd Stadium “Chevy Chase Bank Field.” It was erroneously reported in a recent Diamondback story that the stadium was renamed.
Although to some, the naming of the field and the naming of the stadium may seem to be a simple nuance, it is a significant difference for the university and for me.
Our long-standing relationship with Chevy Chase Bank strongly supports our academic enterprise, resulting in scholarship and other support for Maryland students. In 1996, the bank became a founding partner of the Business School’s Career Center. In 1998, we opened a campus branch in the Stamp Student Union, introducing the Student Banking Package that now meets our students’ needs.
Chevy Chase Bank donated $1 million to Maryland in 1998 and, just last year, it established a $2 million scholarship endowment for business students who transfer from Montgomery College.
Last week, we expanded our partnership with Chevy Chase Bank, which will allow Maryland to enhance Byrd Stadium. The athletic program is not supported by the state, so it must raise private support to grow and provide opportunities for our 750 student-athletes. To do so, it depends on student fees, sales, media agreements and private donations. It returns revenue to the campus for the academic enterprise and provides scholarships to hundreds of students.
The planned enhancements to the stadium, facilitated by naming the field, are expected to increase revenues, thereby aiding our academic and athletic programs.
Without the private support, the stadium enhancement plans could not have moved forward because capital was not available from other sources. The option of using another campus revenue source was not a consideration.
The Chevy Chase Bank name will not appear on the outside of Byrd Stadium.
The corporate naming of athletic and academic interiors, however, is not new to Maryland or other universities across the nation. In athletic venues in particular, corporate names have been present for decades.
For example, the floor at Cole Field House carried a bank name. The Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building includes several interior spaces bearing corporate names, as does the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Private donors have named interiors and exteriors, as well as programs, departments, schools and colleges. A banner hanging outside of the entrance to the Stamp Student Union bears vendor names.
It is our responsibility, and my commitment, to provide the richest university experiences for our students. Naming opportunities are one way of increasing our assets through partnership to help accomplish this goal. But we pursue this goal with a commitment to preserve the rich culture and heritage of the university’s 750 student-athletes for generations to come.
Correction: Due to an editing error, a line in President Dan Mote’s Sept. 1 column read “But we pursue this goal with a commitment to preserve the rich culture and heritage of the university’s 750 student-athletes for generations to come.” It should have read “But we pursue this goal with a commitment to preserve the rich culture and heritage of the university for generations to come.”
Dan Mote is the president of the University of Maryland. He can be reached at dmote@umd.edu.
