WVU Coliseum Becomes ‘Hope Coliseum’ After Sale of Naming Rights

The WVU Coliseum will now officially have a new name thanks to the athletic department entering into a partnership with Hope Gas, as announced by WVU Athletics on Thursday.

The iconic home to West Virginia basketball and several other Mountaineer teams and events will now be known as the “Hope Coliseum,” marking the first name change in the 55-year history of the most visible building on the Evansdale campus.

The extensive partnership covers naming rights, sponsorship and future donations to WVU Athletics and will solidify the Coliseum’s elite status for many years to come. The commitment from Hope Gas will generate a significant new annual revenue stream for WVU Athletics and its multimedia rights partner, Mountaineer Sports Properties, which is key to keeping the department relevant on the national stage in today’s ultra-competitive collegiate sports world.

A historic partnership between WVU Athletics and Hope Gas.

Welcome to the 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺.

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— WVU Sports (@WVUSports) September 25, 2025

“I would like to thank WVU and Mountaineers across the state for this exciting opportunity to continue to invest in the future of West Virginia. For more than 125 years, Hope Gas has provided the energy needed for the people of West Virginia to warm their homes, operate their businesses and provide opportunities for economic development,” Hope President and CEO Morgan O’Brien said. “The people and businesses of West Virginia are driving a bright future for the state. Together, WVU and Hope Gas have served the Mountain State for a combined total of 285 years. Our roots and commitment to the state run deep. This partnership with WVU honors the proud heritage of West Virginia and will shine a spotlight on our future. Hope Coliseum is one example of the investments that Hope Gas is proud to make for the people, communities and future of West Virginia.”

The Hope Coliseum will continue to be a multi-purpose arena hosting athletic events in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics and rifle as well as University functions and concerts. More than eight million spectators have passed through the building’s doors with the largest crowd of 16,704 seeing WVU’s 82-77 victory over Pitt in 1982.

The Mountaineer men’s basketball team set the building’s season attendance record in 2018 with a total attendance of 209,164, an average of 12,304 fans per game. The Coliseum was named the No. 1 home court advantage during the 2025 basketball season by KenPom Analytics, and the men’s and women’s basketball teams have won more than 70% of their games in the venerable arena, which has hosted a combined 1,985 Mountaineer victories for the five sports that call it their home.

“Hope Gas is a West Virginia based company with West Virginia values and aspirations to make West Virginia an even better place to live and work,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “This partnership is an important step in our department’s growth and stability as new revenue generation is vital to our future. Morgan O’Brien is a visionary leader, and we are proud to partner with him and the entire team at Hope to build on a great athletics tradition and form a winning partnership.”

 A year-long celebration accompanied the building’s 50^th anniversary back in 2020, highlighting its history and great moments. The building has served as host of such events as the NCAA Tournament Men’s Basketball East Regional, numerous conference tournament championships, NCAA Gymnastics Regionals, an NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional, NIT and WNIT games, the NCAA Rifle National Championship, two ESPN College GameDay shows, WVU and high school commencements, job fairs, the Ice Capades, a NBA exhibition game and the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.

Also, more than 150 musical acts have taken the stage in the Coliseum. Legendary artists such as Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, Chicago, Alabama, The Grateful Dead, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, The Beach Boys, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Neil Young, The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, The Commodores, Gloria Estefan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr., Jackson Brown, Pat Benatar, Hall & Oates and Bob Dylan, just to name a few, have performed in the iconic building.

“As we move into a new era at West Virginia University, what is now the Hope Coliseum — highlighting the University’s strong partnership with Hope Gas — stands as a powerful example of what higher education can accomplish in collaboration with businesses,” WVU President Michael T. Benson said. “The Hope Coliseum will remain a destination for generations of proud Mountaineer fans and a focal point for the University during times of celebration, including milestones like Commencement, thanks to this investment.”

Named the “Outstanding Concrete Structure of the Year” in 1971 by the American Concrete Institute, the University and Athletics Department have already started preparing the building for its next 50 years. In 2020, 14,000 dark blue seats replaced the original 50-year old seating and a new sound and lighting system along with a high-definition video board made debuts. A renovated concourse opened in 2017, with major improvements to its restrooms, concession stands and ADA seating, while locker rooms have been upgraded and modernized. Two premium spaces, the Peak and the Clark Mountaineer Club, have also been added in the last three years, and additional premium options are in the planning stages to meet the needs of today’s sports fans.

Most of this story was taken from the WVU press release. 

For related content, WV Sports Now polled fans about their thoughts on selling the naming rights to venues after the idea was first floated months ago.