West Virginia renames basketball arena to Hope Coliseum

The historic WVU Coliseum will have a new name for the first time in 55 years, West Virginia University announced Thursday.

It will now be known as the Hope Coliseum after the university entered into a 10-year partnership with Hope Gas.

The partnership covers naming rights, sponsorship and future donations to WVU athletics and will solidify the Coliseum’s elite status for many years to come, the university said a news release.

West Virginia said the partnership will generate a significant new annual revenue stream for WVU athletics and its multimedia rights partner, Mountaineer Sports Properties.

“Together, WVU and Hope Gas have served the Mountain State for a combined total of 285 years,” Hope President and CEO Morgan O’Brien said. “Our roots and commitment to the state run deep. This partnership with WVU honors the proud heritage of West Virginia and will shine a spotlight on our future.”

Hope Coliseum will continue to host men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics and rifle as well as university functions and concerts.

More than eight million spectators have passed through the building’s doors, the university said, with the largest crowd of 16,704 seeing WVU’s 82-77 victory over Pitt in 1982.

The Mountaineer men’s basketball team set the building’s season attendance record in 2018 with a total attendance of 209,164, an average of 12,304 fans per game.

The Coliseum was named the No. 1 home court advantage during the 2025 basketball season by KenPom Analytics.

“This partnership is an important step in our department’s growth and stability as new revenue generation is vital to our future,” vice president and director of athletics Wren Baker said. “Morgan O’Brien is a visionary leader, and we are proud to partner with him and the entire team at Hope to build on a great athletics tradition and form a winning partnership.”

The coliseum has gone through some recent renovations. In 2020, 14,000 dark blue seats replaced the original 50-year old seating and a new sound and lighting system along with a high-definition video board made debuts.

A renovated concourse opened in 2017, with improvements to its restrooms, concession stands and ADA seating, while locker rooms have been upgraded and modernized. Two premium spaces, the Peak and the Clark Mountaineer Club, have also been added in the last three years.

“As we move into a new era at West Virginia University, what is now the Hope Coliseum — highlighting the university’s strong partnership with Hope Gas — stands as a powerful example of what higher education can accomplish in collaboration with businesses,” WVU President Michael T. Benson said. “The Hope Coliseum will remain a destination for generations of proud Mountaineer fans and a focal point for the university during times of celebration, including milestones like commencement, thanks to this investment.”