BOISE, ID (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Despite serious objections from both the Boise State University faculty and students, the university announced it will not back out of the $4 million, 15 year, contract giving Taco Bell naming rights to the previously named BSU Pavilion.
Officials at the school claim Taco Bell has been sponsor of the university for the last five years and the objections only surfaced when the building was renamed in June. Dr. Bill Whitaker, a faculty senator at Boise State, told KTVB that the administration made the decision to rename the pavilion on there own. “There had been no consultation with the student senate or the faculty senate before the decisions was made to enter into the agreement,” he said.
Frank Zang, a spokesman for the university responded to Whitaker by telling the news station, “Sponsorship and donors are pursued in a business like fashion and they don't lend themselves to great community exchange.”
Those who object to the name are concerned that the new sponsor buys tomatoes from Florida suppliers who do not pay their farm workers enough money. Zang denied this claim saying that the tomatoes used by the local franchise are not from Florida. KTVB also noted that part of the $4 million will go into the general scholarship fund and help increase scholarships for children of migrant farm workers. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
