What could Alabama net for stadium naming rights?

The Minnesota Vikings and the Sacramento Kings recently announced lucrative deals for naming rights of their new facilities, and even though neither's considered a big-time market both landed above-average amounts.

The Vikings will earn $8.8 million annually from U.S. Bank for having its name on the stadium, while the Kings will make $6 million for Golden 1 Center, after a credit union. According to a recent article by Forbes.com the average naming rights revenue earned by NFL teams is approximately $7.2 million ($6.5 million median), and $4.3 million ($4 million) for NBA teams.

It got me thinking what the University of Alabama could potentially make for Bryant-Denny Stadium, maybe $5 million a year? However, finding the right potential partner might not be as easy as one would think. Last year, AL.com ran a list of the largest largest companies by revenue in Alabama, as compiled from Hoovers – a Dun & Bradstreet company based in New Jersey.

Most of them aren't the kinds that would probably pay much for stadium naming rights. Here's the top 10:

1. SCI Systems – Huntsville -- $7231.4 million
2. Regions Bank – Birmingham -- $5891.52
3. Regions Financial Corporation – Birmingham -- $5665.0
4. Alabama Power Company – Birmingham -- $5618.0
5. Protective Life Corporation – Birmingham -- $3959.0
6. Protective Life and Annuity Insurance – Birmingham -- $3604.67
7. Transport Refrigeration Sales & Service – Birmingham -- $2861.0
8. Vulcan Materials Company – Vestavia -- $2770.71
9. Drummond Company – Birmingham -- $2700.0
10. University of Alabama at Birmingham – Birmingham - $2405.99

None of the top 25 companies were from Tuscaloosa, where nothing is bigger than the University of Alabama, and there's no way its biggest booster, Paul Bryant Jr., would go for another financial institution's name to be on the stadium when he also owns Bryant Bank.

Perhaps a national/international brand might someday be interested, but seeing "Bryant-Denny" shared or replaced by Coca-Cola, Golden Flake or Mercedes probably wouldn't go over very well with fans. The outcry would be deafening.

Relatively soon Alabama will also have the additional problem of trying to figure out how to appropriately honor Nick Saban after he retires.

It'll be a hot topic of discussion, but for now if the university can figure out a way to have "Dreamland Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium" for a couple of million annually, I'm all for it. Otherwise, it's not worth it.