Glendale arena shifts name from Jobing.com to Gila River Arena

PHOENIX — Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz. is no more.

The home of the newly renamed Arizona Coyotes will now be known as the Gila River Arena, pending a Sept. 9 approval by the Glendale City Council.

“We are looking forward to having Gila River’s prestigious and reputable name associated with our great hockey team and our state-of-the-art arena,” said Coyotes co-owner and CEO Anthony LeBlanc in a press release. “This will be a great fit for both the Coyotes and Gila River Casinos.”

The nine-year deal is the first tribal naming rights deal for a venue housing a major sports team.

“Gila River Casinos places a great deal of importance on being a good partner in the communities we work and live in, and this partnership provides the perfect opportunity to support long term economic growth and development to the city of Glendale and the state of Arizona,” said Deborah Griffin, president of the Gila Casinos Board of Directors.

A separate deal to increase advertising, marketing and merchandising at the arena was also agreed.

Financial terms for both deals were not disclosed, but the city said it was excited about the new economic opportunities.

“The city of Glendale looks at this as a new and exciting partnership with a significant, well-known organization,” said Julie Watters, city spokeswoman. “We know this will bring an economic value to Glendale and the entire West Valley.”

In an email, a Jobing.com official said the company supported the new deal, given it is also a partner of Gila River Casinos.

“Gila River has been a long-standing client and partner of Jobing.com for more than a decade,” said Founder and CEO Aaron Matos. “We truly enjoy working together and utilizing our recruiting technology to help Gila River attract quality talent to help grow their business. We couldn’t think of a better local organization to transition the arena naming rights.”

The 17,000-plus seat arena was built in 2003 at a total cost of $220 million. It has been the center of a debate about the future of hockey in Arizona for years, as the Coyotes have an average attendance among the lowest in the NHL. Rumors had circulated for years about the team possibly moving, but new ownership has said it is committed to keeping the team in Glendale.

In addition to hockey, the facility also hosts concerts.

The arena is part of Glendale’s entertainment and retail district, the Westgate City Center.