WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Preds terminate naming rights agreement with Sommet Group

Preds terminate naming rights agreement with Sommet Group

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Predators announced Wednesday that it has terminated its naming rights agreement with Sommet Group of Tennessee and has filed a breach of contract suit against the group.

The Nashville Hockey Club Limited Partnership filed the lawsuit in the Chancery Court for Davidson County.

The lawsuit claims the Sommet Group has failed to make payments under a three-year naming rights agreement.

This was the last year of the agreement, which the two companies reached in 2007.

In a press release Wednesday, Ed Lang, President of Business Operations for the Nashville Predators, said, "For months, the Sommet Group has not met its payment obligations under our naming rights agreement."

He added, "We repeatedly reached out to the Sommet Group," but the group gave no indications that the payments would be made.

Lang said, "We regret that Sommet Group left us no alternative but to terminate the agreement and seek legal redress."

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, co-founder and CEO Brian Whitfield of the Sommet Group said the Nashville Hockey Club was not fulfilling its own duties in the agreement.

"First and foremost, we at the Sommet Group hope to resolve this amicably, in the best interests of all concerned," he said.  "But the reason we have withheld payments is because our supposed partner in naming rights is not acting like one."

Whitfield explained that his group entered into the agreement with the understanding that "in partial exchange for our payments, our business units would be the preferred provider of certain products and services."

Whitfield said the Nashville Hockey Club had expressed desire to do business with local companies, but then ordered thousands of t-shirts from an out-of-state company.

In a statement, Mayor Karl Dean said the Predators let him know about the issue in advance, and he appreciates the team keeping the city informed.

Dean said, "This is really a matter between two private parties. We are confident we have a lease that protects the city and our taxpayers. The Predators do a great job at bringing thousands of people downtown on a regular basis, and we look forward to them continuing their great work."

Jessica Jones, the Nashville Predators/Sommet Center Corporate Communications Director, said the Sommet Center will keep its current name until a new name is presented to the Metro Sports Authority.

A new name could be presented in the coming weeks.

The name of the Predators team arena changed twice since it was built in 1996.

The arena opened as The Nashville Arena until 1999, when its name was changed to the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and then it was changed again, to its current name in 2007.

The issue has been a hot topic throughout the day on Internet blogs and on Twitter.

For the latest conversations on the subject, visit NashvilleIsTalking.com.