A Tennessee government official is taking a local health system to task after it inked a naming rights deal to a new minor league baseball stadium.
Weston Wamp, mayor of Hamilton County, Tenn., criticized Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger’s decision to acquire the naming rights for the new home of the Chattanooga Lookouts, the Double-A affiliate of MLB’s Cincinnati Reds.
“When the County supported Erlanger’s transition to a nonprofit hospital, we didn’t envision multimillion-dollar deals for stadium naming rights,” Mr. Wamp said in a statement posted online May 23. “I am very supportive of Erlanger Hospital and its current leadership, but at a time of severe nursing shortages and quality of care concerns, this decision is hard to explain.”
The health system defended the deal in a statement to local media, though it did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. “We are proud of our decision to become the naming rights partner of the Lookouts’ incredible new stadium because it allows our system an unparalleled opportunity to reach our community in new and exciting ways in a competitive market,” Erlanger President and CEO Jim Coleman stated. “This partnership makes sense, and we look forward to welcoming our entire region to enjoy Erlanger Park next year.”
