Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Contractor Kibbie landed sweet deal

The deal William H. Kibbie cut with the University of Idaho 40 years ago has to rate as one of the best in the annals of naming rights arrangements. For Kibbie, that is. Since 1975, the name of the late Utah construction executive - he died in a 1988 automobile accident - has been affixed to the UI's covered stadium. Kibbie made a $300,000 contribution toward the project -- far less than UI officials reportedly wanted. In fact, Kibbie provided a mere 4 percent of the overall construction costs - then put at $7.8 million, not counting the renovations that followed. Kibbie's timing could not have been better. Since then, naming rights have become big business/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Is it time that the University of Idaho sell the naming rights for the Kibbie Dome?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

Follow Dave online: