Coliseum Authority says naming rights sold; family, commissioners press for clarity on ‘James Brown’ use

The Augusta Coliseum Authority told the Augusta Commission on July 20 that naming rights for the new arena were sold and that legal and commercial constraints influenced what the authority can publicly call the facility.

Chairman Cedric Johnson, appearing before the commission, said renderings and ballots used in earlier public outreach sometimes showed “James Brown Arena,” but that between 2021 and 2023 the authority learned naming-rights agreements had been negotiated and that the authority was advised it could not continue using the James Brown name without written permission from the rights holder.

Johnson told the commission the Bell Auditorium project had more than 32% minority participation and 90% local participation and defended the authority’s record on contracting and outreach. He said arena operators commonly pursue naming rights to supplement operating revenue and avoid future taxpayer subsidies.

Why it matters: commissioners and members of the public have urged the authority to preserve James Brown’s legacy and be transparent about any contracts that affect use of his name. That public pressure has grown after petition drives and public comment asking that the arena retain the James Brown name.

At the meeting,…