What’s in a Name?

When Coors passed on the naming rights of SD’s largest local concert venue this year, the 20,000-capacity Chula Vista concert venue formerly known as the Coors Amphitheatre became the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre.

Now insiders say an Indian casino has stepped up to brand SDSU’s largest concert facility.

The agreement between Cox Communications and SDSU to name the 4600-capacity Cox Arena runs out in June. Insiders say chances are the Viejas tribe will win the naming rights.

But it may not stop there. According to the insiders, the aggressive Viejas tribe eventually wants to take over the booking of the arena when the current agreement runs out in 2012.

Cox is now booked by Live Nation, the largest concert company in the U.S. Live Nation also books SDSU’s Open Air Theatre and Cricket Wireless.

Tim Ripke, Cox Arena assistant director, says that only his boss John Kolek could answer questions about naming rights, but Kolek was not available last week. Ripke did confirm that the current Cox Arena naming agreement is up in June and that the Live Nation pact runs through 2012.

Live Nation spokesman Greg Terlizzi says he has no information regarding Viejas’s move. No one from Viejas was available for comment.