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Springfield, MO
Missouri State University is in discussions for the naming rights of JQH Arena.
MSU President Clif Smart confirmed a report from the Springfield News-Leader in which he said the university is in "serious conversations" with an entity. He said the proposed deal is "still a long way from completion" with the undisclosed prospect in an email to Springfield Business Journal.
The naming rights for the $67 million arena went up for grabs in 2018, the same year JD Holdings LLC took over the operations of late hotelier John Q. Hammons' estate.
At the time, JD Holdings reached a settlement regarding the amount owed to the school for the naming rights deal. The terms dictated JD Holdings would pay MSU the remaining $8.4 million over four installments beginning in 2019 and ending in 2022. The company paid $1.8 million earlier that year, bringing the total settlement amount to $10.2 million, according to past SBJ reporting.
Hammons' trust reportedly paid $24.4 million to MSU toward a $30 million pledge from Hammons for the naming rights.
The 11,000-seat arena at 685 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway serves as a venue for basketball games, concerts, graduation ceremonies and other events. It opened in 2007.
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