Indiana Fair Selling Naming Rights

The Indiana State Fair looks to boost its bottom line by selling the naming rights to the renovated Fairgrounds Coliseum.

Photo: Courtesy Indiana State Fair

A $63 million renovation project at the Indiana State Fair’s 8,200-capacity Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis is on track to be completed by April, marking the return of headline concerts to the fair scheduled Aug. 1-17.

The 75-year-old arena previously went by Pepsi Coliseum but a contract with the soft-drink company ended in 2012. Fairgrounds spokesman Andy Klotz told the Indianapolis Business Journal commissioners for the fair are in talks with potential sponsors, but “we just don’t have a finalized deal to announce yet.”

Pepsi was reportedly paying $170,000 per year when the contract ended, and officials are hoping the new deal will be more lucrative because of the $63 million renovation project that recently wrapped on the building.

Updates to the 8,200-seat arena include a double-tiered seating bowl and LED video scoreboard.

“There’s quite a contrast between the old coliseum and the new one,” Klotz added. “There will be a new hockey team (Indy Fuel) with a bigger reach playing there, an NCAA Div. I basketball team (IUPUI) and more events that will attract national attention.”

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