NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After opening in 1999 as Alltel Arena and changing its name to Verizon Arena in 2009, the venue is now preparing for another major change 10 years later.
Simmons Bank has bought the naming rights for what is now Verizon Arena, meaning soon, it will be the all-new Simmons Bank Arena.
The bank announced the news nearly a year ago in November 2018, including the $10.8 million deal acquiring the naming rights to the 18,000 seat arena in North Little Rock.
Chris White, the Regional Community President of Simmons Bank, said this is just another way they're trying to make an impact in the community.
"We're a community bank, we love being involved in the community. This is another aspect where we can have that involvement, including clients, community, anything else where we can reach out to those in the market."
The official name change will take place on the Arena's 20th anniversary on October 3, and officials say signs inside and around the building will all be changed by the end of the year.
The arena will also get an updated look with new paneling along the exterior of the building.