Tower Hill Arena Replaces Exactech Name at UF
UF trustees approved a five-year naming-rights deal with Tower Hill Insurance Group and a $22.5 million athletics loan.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in People
The University of Florida Board of Trustees approved a naming-rights arrangement that renames Exactech Arena as Tower Hill Arena, effective July 1, 2026. The board also approved a $22.5 million loan from university auxiliary funds to the University Athletic Association.
Why it matters
The Exactech contract expired over the summer, allowing the arena to take its new name. The loan will help fund initial construction for the expanded Lemerand Athletic Center and pre-construction work for the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium renovation in Gainesville.
The University Athletic Association's $22.5 million loan from auxiliary funds will be repaid from UAA revenues, and the Lemerand expansion budget has grown to $77 million from $30 million. The Tower Hill agreement's final financial terms beyond the initial five years have not been disclosed.
The players
University of Florida Board of Trustees
The governing body of the University of Florida, which approves major university contracts, financing and capital projects.
Tower Hill Insurance Group
A Florida-based insurance company that agreed to the initial five-year naming-rights deal for the renamed arena.
University Athletic Association
The nonprofit that manages athletics for the University of Florida and is responsible for repaying the $22.5 million loan.
The details
The arena had carried the Exactech name since December 2016 under a $5.9 million agreement. The Stephen C. O'Connell Center will keep its name, and the expanded Lemerand Athletic Center is expected to total about 108,000 square feet on Stadium Road.
Timeline
December 2016: The arena began carrying the Exactech name.
Summer 2026: The Exactech contract expired.
July 1, 2026: The Tower Hill naming deal term begins.
November 10, 2026: Trustees approved the naming rights and athletics loan.
After the 2026 football season: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium construction is expected to begin.
Market Landscape
The arena renaming follows the expanded corporate sponsorship market that opened up for college athletics after the NCAA's 2021 name, image and likeness policy. Universities are increasingly using naming rights and auxiliary financing to fund facilities that were once supported only by public budgets and ticket sales.
For Gainesville fans and season-ticket holders, the arena's new name changes nothing about tickets or access at this stage. The financing moves signal that future upgrades to the Lemerand Athletic Center and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will be funded through university loans and stadium revenue rather than immediate ticket price changes.
The takeaway
Naming-rights deals and university loans are becoming a standard way to pay for athletic facilities. Readers following campus finances can watch the Lemerand and stadium budgets as those projects move forward.
What happens next
Construction on the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium renovation is expected to begin after the 2026 football season and be completed before the 2030 season.
Further reading
For more on the business leaders and organizations shaping local deals, explore the People section.
