Indiana Insurer Buys Naming Rights for Fairgrounds Arena

The renaming of the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum will come along with a fat cat on the roof.

Carmel-based Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. has signed a 10-year, $6 million naming rights deal for the arena that reopened in April after a $63 million renovation.

The Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal reported the arena will be known as Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The deal includes installing a sign with the comic-strip cat Garfield on the roof. The cat created by Indiana cartoonist Jim Davis is part of the company’s marketing campaign.

Indiana Farmers CEO Kim Smith says the coliseum is a Hoosier icon that is perfect for building the company’s brand.

The Indy Fuel hockey team will keep the naming rights money under its contract with the fairgrounds.