New name for Ovens-Bojangles’ Coliseum: ‘The BOplex’
Social media accounts, news releases start using ‘BOplex’ nickname; will it catch on?
This article originally appeared in the Nov. 4, 2019, edition of the Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter on local business news. Sign up for free here:
A marketing agreement signed last year between fried-chicken giant Bojangles’ and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has led to a new nickname for Ovens Auditorium and Bojangles’ Coliseum: “The BOplex.”
In the last few months, the site has started referring to itself as “The BOplex” in social media posts and in news releases. Ovens and the Coliseum are retaining their names, but events at those venues are being marketed under the umbrella of the Bojangles’ Entertainment Complex, or “The BOplex” for short.
Use of the term “BOplex” seems to have started in July. But “The BOplex” hasn’t quite entered Charlotte’s lexicon just yet. Local media have not used the term, and there are no apparent signs with the nickname at the facilities. New names can sometimes take awhile to catch on.
Ovens and Bojangles’ Coliseum aren’t just joining under a single name for marketing purposes. They are also establishing a physical connection. Last year, the CRVA, which manages the city-owned sites, broke ground on a $19M connector between the two buildings. It’s expected to be finished by early next year, according to a “BOplex construction” update on the facilities’ website — boplex.com:
In early 2020, the Bojangles’ Entertainment Complex will debut a new connector facility between Bojangles’ Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium. The new addition will add 35,000 square feet to the BOplex and include a pedestrian connection for our two venues, space for hospitality, new concession options, additional public restrooms, an artist corridor for performers and new administrative office space.
Marketing agreement: Last year, the city, the CRVA and Bojangles’ signed a 10-year naming-rights agreement that called for promoting the facilities through a combined website and social media presence. Bojangles’ is paying $240,000 annually starting this year to have its name on the complex and on the Coliseum, with a $10,000 increase each year through the life of the agreement.
The historic BOplex: The Coliseum, built in 1955 on Independence Boulevard near Briar Creek Road, was previously known as Independence Arena and Cricket Arena. Bojangles’ bought the rights to put its name on the venue in 2008. Ovens was named in the 1950s for the general manager of Ivey’s Department Store, which was a fixture downtown until it closed in 1990.
It’s unclear how “The BOplex” will stack up against other unusual venue names. Bojangles’ Coliseum is already on some internet lists of the worst sports stadium names in America, alongside Whataburger Field (home to a minor league baseball team in Corpus Christi, Texas) and Talking Stick Resort Arena (home to the Phoenix Suns, named after a Scottsdale Indian casino).
Although use of the term “The BOplex” just started a few months ago, website domain information shows that somebody registered the site boplex.com in October 2016 — which means that somebody has had “The BOplex” on the brain for at least few years.
