We have naming rights agreements for past and present houses of the Arizona Coyotes (NHL) in the Phoenix area: Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena and Arizona State University Arena Mullet.

Home to the ASU Hockey Program and the temporary home of the coyotes opening this fall, was named Arena Mullet in recognition of Donald “Donze” and by Barbara Mullet commitment to ASU and Sun Devil Athletics.

The state-of-the-art 5,000-seat venue features two NHL regulation-size ice rinks, 20 luxury suites, a large club lounge and premium event-level club seating. The arena is the new home of Sun Devil Hockey with over 8,000 square feet dedicated to locker rooms, weight room, lounge and ASU coaches offices. Mullett Arena will house Sun Devil hockey, gymnastics and wrestling as well as community events and the Mountain America Community Iceplex.

“The Mullett family has supported Sun Devil Hockey at every stage of its existence and has expanded its support for Sun Devil Athletics in the years since. In recognition of Don and Barbara’s commitment, we are thrilled to present Mullett Arena,” said the Vice President of College Athletics. Ray Anderson to the press release. “With this dedication to building, the shared vision of ASU and Mullett comes to life as we take another step toward enhancing our elite student-athlete experience and further serving our community. “

“It is an honor for Barb, me and our family to have our name associated with the new multi-purpose facility on the Sun Devil Athletics campus,” Don Mullett said via press release. “With the recent establishment of the Barbara H. Mullett Family Foundation, we are very proud to have Mullett Arena as part of our initial foundation commitment.”

At ASU, the new Mullett Arena features 20 luxury suites, two group suites, a large club lounge and premium event-level club seating. The Club Lounge features a central ice club in the main hall that runs along the central ice and can accommodate up to 500 fans. At level 300, a social deck will span the full length of the east side of the venue, providing an open-air aerial view of the arena where fans can interact while enjoying exceptional sightlines of the competition. The arena can also be used as a back-up site for hardwood sports, such as volleyball.

Additionally, a 942-seat student section will occupy the entire west side of the site to provide an enhanced gaming experience for ASU students.

In Glendale, the old Gila River Arena will henceforth be known as Desert Diamond Arena following a new naming rights agreement between Desert Diamond Casinos and Entertainment and arena manager Global ASM.

No surprise: the casino is located less than a mile from the Westgate development in Glendale. Terms of the new deal, after a statement that the naming rights deal will last for at least a decade with an option for another decade, were not disclosed.

The new moniker comes at a time of transition for the arena after the Arizona Coyotes left after a 19-year run. After Glendale and ASM cut ties with the Coyotes after several late rent and other payments, the couple decided to hire architectural firm HOK to map out upgrades to the arena to support more events. An outside consultant estimated that 20 new shows/events attracting 10,000 or more fans would be needed to replace revenue generated by the Coyotes, ASM bringing in Alan Jackson, Roger Waters, pro teams Bull Rider, Pepe Aguilar and Ateez for 2022. Flagship titles have already been secured for 2023, including Rage Against the Machine and Carrie Underwood. Upgrade plans haven’t been announced, but you can expect things like premium seating, improved club and suite areas, and revised food and beverage offerings on the table. A renovation plan should be published in 2023.

Mullett Arena construction photo courtesy of Arizona State University.

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