For the first time since 2007, the part-time home of three UConn teams will go by a new name.
Hartford’s downtown arena will now go by a new name: PeoplesBank Arena. On Monday, the State of Connecticut announced the Holyoke, Massachusetts-based company purchased the naming rights to the venue, which had been known as the XL Center since 2007.
CT Insider reported the deal is worth $20 million over 10 years.
PeoplesBank — different than People’s United Bank, which merged with M&T Bank a few years ago — has five branches in Hartford County with a six set to open soon.
“We chose to invest in this arena because we believe in Hartford,” PeoplesBank CEO and chairman Thomas Senecal said at a ceremony. “We believe in the revitalization happening here, the momentum building downtown, the renewed energy in the business district, the arts, the restaurants, the culture. And of course, the sports.”
Originally called the Hartford Civic Center, the arena serves as the part-time home for three UConn sports teams: Men’s basketball, women’s basketball and men’s hockey.
The two basketball split their home games between Hartford and Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. The Ice Bus moved downtown on a full-time basis after joining Hockey East in 2014 but scaled back to just 4-6 games per season once the new on-campus ice rink, Toscano Family Ice Forum, opened in 2022.
The venue also houses the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, concerts and other events throughout the year. Originally opened in 1975, it’s currently undergoing a $145 million renovation that will add premium seating, an upgraded concourse, new locker rooms and other improvements. The work is expected to be completed by October.