Harry A. Gampel Pavilion will be renamed “M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion” as part of M&T Bank’s expanding partnership with the University of Connecticut.
The evolving partnership gives M&T Bank multiyear naming rights to the facility, which is home to UConn’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, M&T Bank said.
“Our partnership with M&T Bank has had an immediate and lasting impact across all of our campuses and communities,” UConn President Radenka Maric said. “This agreement continues and enhances that relationship, benefiting UConn and the state for many years to come.”
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion was named in honor of Harry A. Gampel, Jr., a 1943 UConn alumnus who donated $1 million toward the construction of the facility, according to an archived UConn report. Michael Weinstock, Hartford Regional President for M&T Bank, said he is honored to be part of Gampel’s legacy.
“For generations, Gampel has been home to some of the defining moments in UConn athletics and a source of connection and pride for communities across Connecticut,” Weinstock said. “We’re proud to stand alongside Connecticut’s flagship university, and one of its most respected institutions, to invest in programs and in an arena that create lasting impact for students, families, and communities.”
According to a press release from M&T Bank, this partnership would expand UConn’s academic and athletic priorities, while strengthening the school’s impact across the state and New England. The partnership will build on its role as the official bank for UConn by investing in Connecticut activations, community engagement, civic leadership and other initiatives.
M&T Bank will now receive exclusive rights such as exclusive University-wide banking sponsorship, co-branded affinity credit card and commercial cards for customers of the bank and supporting student-athletes in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities
“One of the foundations of a successful athletic program is the ability to get buy-in and investments from partners that directly benefit from UConn and UConn Athletics,” UConn head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma said. “These are the kinds of things that allow us to not just compete, but to win at the highest levels.”
