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With City Council considering a deal to bring a Major League Soccer team to Portland, consider this: PGE Park may not host a soccer team. In fact, after baseball’s Beavers and soccer’s Timbers finish the 2010 season, PGE Park may not host any team at all.

The park isn’t going anywhere. The PGE name, however, could.

Portland General Electric, the metro-area utility, signed a 10-year naming rights deal for the park. That deal runs out at the end of next year.

The timing means that the park could have a new name in time for the Timbers’ planned debut as a Major League Soccer team in 2011. The City Council’s agenda for July 23 includes an item to consider accepting a $31 million funding deal to renovate what is now PGE Park exclusively for soccer.

Much has changed over the nine years since the last naming rights deal was signed. The company that operated the park and owned the teams, Portland Family Entertainment, no longer exists. And PGE separated from its corporate parent, Enron, in that time.

In 2000, PGE agreed to pay Portland Family Entertainment $8.5 million over 10 years. That contract carried to subsequent stadium operators, and currently rests with Merritt Paulson’s Shortstop LLC, said Laurel Butman, spokeswoman for the city of Portland’s Office of Management & Finance. The city owns the park.
Chris Metz, a Shortstop LLC spokesman, said officials were too busy preparing for the AAA All-Star Game, scheduled for Wednesday, to field questions about the park.

PGE hasn’t decided whether to seek a new contract when the deal expires at the end of 2010, said Kregg Arntson, manager of community affairs. PGE Park remains an important tool to communicate with customers, Arntson said, even though one goal of the naming deal didn’t pan out.

PGE officials believed utilities would see sweeping deregulation, Arntson said, requiring PGE to market its services and products. That didn’t happen.

The park helps build positive opinions of the utility, Arntson said. 鈥淲hen they know PGE is supporting a family entertainment venue in town, people feel better about the company.鈥�

Keeping the former Civic Stadium afloat was another motivation. 鈥淚t was preserving a civic treasure, a part of Portland history,鈥� Arntson said. 鈥淲e had the potential of actually losing (the) stadium unless it was supported.鈥�

If PGE decided not to seek a new contract, that could create a potential opening for a competitor. At least one company said it’s not interested. 鈥淚t’s not something we’ve talked about,鈥� said NW Natural spokeswoman Jenna Cooper-Gross. 鈥淚t’s not even something we’ve thought about.鈥�

Park naming rights could have utility for companies besides utilities. Nike, which has its world headquarters near Beaverton, has increasingly targeted soccer fans. Last year, the company bought British soccer gear company Umbro.

But the major-league Portland Timbers will not play at Nike Field, said Nike spokeswoman Erin Dobson. 鈥淚’ve heard absolutely nothing,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith stadiums, we don’t typically do that.鈥�

Competitor adidas, which has its North American headquarters in Portland, also hasn’t considered a naming deal. Columbia Sportswear, which is also headquartered near Portland, didn’t return a call seeking comment.
Beer companies have deep roots in sports venues.

Portland could solidify its claim as the nation’s craft brewery capital with, say, a Widmer Park.

鈥淧ossibly,鈥� said Steve Krajczynski, brand manager for Widmer. 鈥淭here haven’t been any initiatives to look at that.

鈥淲e have a good relationship with the folks at PGE and we’ve enjoyed working with them.鈥�

What’s now PGE Park was called Multnomah Stadium when it was completed in 1926. A major remodel of the historic building is forthcoming. Portland, historic remodel, beer 鈥� McMenamins Field?

鈥淚’m honored,鈥� Renee Rank, marketing director for McMenamins, said of being asked about the company’s interest. 鈥淏ut we’ve got our eyes on a different set of priorities.鈥�