Naming Rights

THE overheated debate about whether allegations of corruption and fraud should preclude the Philadelphia Housing Authority from naming a new building after the late Ron White is a sad post-script to his life. It's also the wrong debate. White's up-from-poverty story is inspiring. We may never know if he later used his considerable influence illegally, as charged in a federal indictment. We do know that he rose from poverty through hard work, determination and, yes, character.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The birthplace of college football will get $6.5 million over the next 10 years to put a new name on its football stadium. Rutgers University announced Tuesday that its 54,454-seat stadium would be known as High Point Solutions Stadium. Athletic director Tim Pernetti said the money paid by a Sussex County information technology company will go to the football program so it can stay competitive at the highest level. "The bottom line is, the football program has given us the opportunity to generate these additional dollars," Pernetti said of the team that has gone to bowl games five of the last six years, this past season being the exception.

More than a year ago, the Philadelphia School District announced it would sell naming rights to the $62 million high school it's building with Microsoft Corp. So far, nobody's biting. Not even a nibble. Only two groups have bought naming rights to two sections of the school. Microsoft will pay $100,000 to name the visitors center, and the city Water Department will contribute $300,000 to sponsor the environmentally sensitive "green roof. " The district hopes to raise nearly $14 million in naming-rights fees before the building opens next school year, selling the rights to name features including individual classrooms, the fitness center, and the arts studio.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? If you're SEPTA, about $3 million. That's what the transit authority will net from a $5 million deal to change the name of the subway station at Broad and Pattison to "AT&T Station. " If SEPTA approves the deal on Thursday, Pattison Station will be a memory by August. What's also in this name is an irresistible urge to offer other branding possibilities: How about renaming the City Hall for Ballard Spahr, the law firm of choice for so much public work? The Independence Hall stop on the Market-Frankford Line would be a perfect placement for Liberty Mutual or US Airways.

RE THE plan to build a new Youth Study Center in West Philadelphia and name it after an honorable man like Thurgood Marshall: Why name a building that houses youth who have committed or been charged with crimes after a man who spent his life fighting for civil rights and liberties - basically the opposite of everything the Youth Study Center stands for? And he's not even a home-grown Philadelphian - that also hurts. But here's a solution: Name the boys' side the "Corey Kemp Center" and the girls' side the "Faridah Ali Center.

BEDMINSTER, N.J. - Rutgers University's football stadium is getting a new name. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Rutgers has reached a deal with High Point Solutions for naming rights. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the university's athletic department has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday to announce the partnership. High Point is based in Sparta and supplies companies with information-technology hardware and support. The stadium announcement comes nearly a year after the university hired Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and IMG College to act as agents in making a deal for naming rights.

AT&T may soon be on the line - the Broad Street Line. Cash-strapped SEPTA is considering a proposal to sell the naming rights to the southernmost subway stop. AT&T has offered $5 million to change the name of the Pattison station, which serves the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia. What's next, City Hall? (No Fumo jokes, please.) "Most likely not," SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney said of the City Hall station. "But we would certainly entertain ideas on renaming other stations.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, unable to find a suitable partner to buy their new stadium's naming rights, might call it Steelers Stadium until they land a corporate namesake. "The economy is a little bit of a factor," Steelers president Dan Rooney said. "We had talks recently with a company that was quite interested. " The stadium, which is to open in August, is under construction next door to the site of the now demolished Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers were hoping to sell the naming rights for about $4 million to $5 million per year, partly to offset the $125 million they are contributing to the $284 million stadium.

I like beginning the 7-Eleven day by walking our Nestl? Purina PetCare Company dogs. Ah, the Sun Microsystems sun, shining in the Dish Network sky! The Eagle Brands birds, singing in the Weyerhaeuser trees! I can get my Tristate Neurosurgical Associates thoughts in U.S. Army order and plan the McDonald's Marriott morning to come. Then the Nestl? Purina PetCare Company dogs and I go back to the Home Depot house, where I wash my Revlon face and Allstate hands at the sink and sit down to the table, where I have my Kellogg's breakfast with my Merry Maid Kimberly-Clark wife and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Sony Nike MTV Diesel son, whom for the sake of Magic Medical, makers of Depends EasyFit Undergarments brevity, I shall call Frank.

The Philadelphia School District thinks it can score $5 million by selling off the naming rights to a new public high school it is building in West Philadelphia. Hey, why stop there? Once you get the hang of auctioning your values to the highest bidder, it's addictive. Who knows how lucrative it might become? The woods are full of marketers eager to get their paws on the next generation of consumers as soon as they can. No money to increase teacher pay? Not a problem.