The AT&T Center is now officially the Frost Bank Center
It took an extra year, but the home of the San Antonio Spurs officially as a new name. Previously the AT&T Center (and before that, the SBC Center before Southwestern Bell was acquired by AT&T), the 21-year-old arena on the city’s East side is now the Frost Bank Center.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Frost Bank has long been one of the Spurs’ biggest sponsors and were their first jersey patch sponsor. It was always high on the list of candidates, and it will be fun basking in the irony of anything in winter-adverse San Antonio having the word “frost” in it. (In fact, Frost Bank Center almost sounds like an ice skating rink.)
Once the city approves the changes, changes to structures bearing the previous name — such as AT&T Center Parkway, highway signs, the building itself and everything inside, etc — will be changed in time for the new season.
Here is more from the Spurs’ official press release:
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have reached an agreement in principle introducing Frost Bank as the new naming rights partner for their home arena, which will be known as the Frost Bank Center. The arena naming rights designation will celebrate Frost’s position as the Spurs longest-tenured partner and bank, with the relationship dating back 50 years.
“We believe in San Antonio – it’s our hometown. We want this relationship with the Spurs to demonstrate our unwavering sense of pride for San Antonio’s rich history and its bright future,” said Frost Chairman and CEO Phil Green. “The longevity and success of both the Spurs and Frost Bank are rooted in our shared values of integrity, caring and excellence. These values ultimately help strengthen and shape our entire community. For 50 years, we have been proud to be a sponsor and a partner with the Spurs. Por Vida. Go Spurs Go!”
Frost and the Spurs first joined forces in 1973 when Tom C. Frost provided the financing necessary to move the franchise to San Antonio. Throughout the 50-year partnership, Frost has been an integral part of Spurs history in many exciting ways, including as the team’s first-ever jersey patch partner from the 2018-19 through the 2021-22 seasons and partner for the soon-to-be-opened Frost Plaza at The Rock at La Cantera, which will serve as a hub for community events to bring Spurs fans together. Frost recently expanded its W. W. White Financial Center in the East Side area that is home to the Spurs arena. Through this expanded partnership, the Spurs are excited to support Frost’s mission of pioneering financial belonging in San Antonio and beyond by increasing financial access and knowledge.
“We’re so excited to bring together two of San Antonio’s most treasured brands in a new and meaningful way to represent our community,” said R.C. Buford, SS&E CEO. “Fifty years ago, our two organizations envisioned the potential of what a professional sports team could mean for our community, and it is only fitting that we’re joining efforts to welcome fans into the home of the San Antonio Spurs. Aligning the Frost and Spurs names in such a major way celebrates both our enduring presence in Texas and our shared commitment to communities we have the privilege of serving.”
Frost Bank Center
Starting with the 2023-24 season, the Frost Bank Center will feature the newly unveiled Frost Club, complete with a “Puro Meter” corridor mural and game-day interactive light show that changes with the volume of fan noise inside the arena bowl. The fundamentals of teamwork, integrity, excellence, leadership, grit, caring, and humility are prominently featured in the hallway and the colored lights will function as a mood ring of team spirit. The agreement is pending final close and approval from the NBA. Upon approval, work will begin to change assets such as road and highway names, building marquees and new signage including the media press backdrop, center court jumbotron and court. The new Frost Bank Center court will be ready for the start of the 2023-24 Spurs season.
In addition to the arena naming rights, the expanded partnership will also include a comprehensive community impact platform as well as expanded in-arena and digital presences. The Spurs and Frost will team up to provide community programming centered on financial belonging, which Frost defines as “the feeling of importance and connectedness in a person’s banking relationship.” Together, the Spurs and Frost will actively champion the four factors of financial belonging: trust, knowledge, access and hybrid experience.
