The University of Southern California’s sale of naming rights for Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is being criticized as dishonoring the historic stadium’s dedication as a memorial to soldiers who fought and died in World War I. (Associated Press)

A $69 million naming rights deal between the University of Southern California and United Airlines is in limbo after the air carrier rejected a school offer to amend a corporate rebranding of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum following criticism that it would disrespect the stadium’s history of honoring World War I troops.

In a statement Friday, USC said it would be open to replacing the already agreed-upon name of United Airlines Memorial Coliseum with a change to United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Los Angeles Times reported.

That same day, United Airlines President Janet Lamkin told the school in a letter that its stance on the name had not changed, adding that the name “is the key provision of our sponsorship agreement.”

SOME GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS CALL COLONIALS MONIKER OFFENSIVE, PUSH TO CHANGE NAME

The phrase “Memorial Coliseum” was kept in the name to honor the memory of those who fought and died in the war, Lamkin wrote, adding that the air carrier is open to backing out of the deal.

“If USC is not in a position to honor the terms of the Agreement, including in particular the name change,” she wrote, “United would be amenable to abiding by the wishes of the community, stepping away from this partnership with USC.”

United Airlines offered Friday, March 29, 2019, to withdraw from a $69 million deal to change Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum into United Airlines Memorial Coliseum following criticism that adding a corporate name is disrespectful to the facility’s history of honoring troops who fought and died in World War I. (Associated Press)

The nearly 100-year-old Coliseum is home to the USC Trojans football team and has hosted Super Bowls, the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics, speeches by John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela and a Roman Catholic Mass by Pope John Paul II.

The sponsorship deal is part of a $270 million renovation plan that includes wider seats with more legroom and upgrades to the stadium’s Wi-Fi and plumbing. The naming rights deal came under scrutiny after Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said it would dishonor veterans.

“Unlike other modern sports venues, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is not just a stadium — it is a war memorial,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn wrote in the Los Angeles Times. “Removing ‘Los Angeles’ and replacing it with a corporate sponsor insults the memories of those the Coliseum was intended to honor.”

Some veterans groups soon joined Hahn in opposition to the name change, according to the paper.

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“Vietnam Veterans of America have the motto, ‘Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another,” Jerry Orlemann, who served in Vietnam, told LAist. “In my opinion, any veteran at this point who does not oppose, and stand up and speak against this renaming is abandoning the generation of veterans who fought and served in World War I.”

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“If USC is not in a position to honor the terms of the agreement, including in particular the name change, United would be amenable to abiding by the wishes of the community, stepping away from this partnership with USC, and mutually terminating the agreement,” Lamkin wrote in the letter obtained by the Associated Press.

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Latest on controversy over plans to change the name of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (all times local):

2 p.m.

The University of Southern California says it’s amenable to accepting the wishes of veterans and modifying a name change for Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as long as corporate sponsor United Airlines agrees.

USC issued a statement Friday after United Airlines offered to withdraw from a $69 million agreement over criticism that the change would dishonor the facility’s history as a World War I memorial.

The university said it would accept the name United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum instead of the planned United Airlines Memorial Coliseum.

USC noted that the contract would have to be modified but didn’t elaborate.

Naming rights are part of USC’s long-term lease that calls for extensive renovations of the nearly century-old stadium.

Criticism of the name change grew this week after the commission’s president wrote a strongly worded commentary.

___

12:11 p.m.

United Airlines is offering to withdraw from a divisive $69 million deal to rename Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as United Airlines Memorial Coliseum.

The airline wrote to the University of Southern California on Friday after criticism that putting a corporate name on the stadium is disrespectful to its history as a memorial to soldiers who fought and died in World War I.

The name change is part of USC’s extensive, $270 million overhaul of the nearly century-old landmark.

United Airlines California President Janet Lamkin says in the letter that the company saw the deal as a way to partner with USC in modernizing the iconic facility.

The coliseum has hosted two Olympics and been home to major sports teams.

The Associated Press has requested comment from USC.

Following what Fresno airport officials called a successful first season, United Airlines is resuming seasonal nonstop flights between Fresno and Chicago starting Sunday.

The flights will take off daily from Fresno Yosemite International Airport at 11:20 p.m. and arrive at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 5:20 a.m.; the return leg will leave from Chicago at about 7:30 p.m. and land in Fresno at around 10 p.m., according to the flight schedules on United’s website.

In offering the flights for a second year, United is extending how long it will fly the route. Starting at the end of March is already about eight weeks earlier than in 2018. And when United announced its 2019 schedule last fall, it anticipated continuing through Labor Day in early September. Now, Fresno airport representatives said the the service will continue through early December.

Last year, United offered the Chicago flights through a contract arrangement with Utah-based SkyWest Airlines, which used 76-seat regional jets for the service. This year, United’s schedule indicates that it will use its own larger mainline jets – either Airbus A319 or Boeing 737-700 aircraft, each of which can carry at least 125 passengers.

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Between an earlier start and later finish than 2018, and an upgrade to larger jets, there will be many more available seats to and from Chicago for passengers flying through Fresno.

More changes at FYI

United’s service is one aspect of what Fresno airport representatives say will be a busy spring and summer travel season. American Airlines has switched its midday flights to Phoenix from regional jets to the larger Airbus A319 jet, and American added a third daily flight between Fresno and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Delta Air Lines’ flights between Fresno and Salt Lake City are permanently switching to Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets that can carry more passengers than previous flights.

The two airlines that put the “international” in Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Aeromexico and Volaris, are also boosting their schedules. Aeromexico is now flying to and from Guadalajara every night, increasing from five weekly flights previously. And Volaris, which flies daily to Guadalajara, is adding a second daily departure on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Record-setting year

Figures from the Federal Aviation Administration show that Fresno set a record for the number of passengers flying to and from the airport in 2018 – more than 737,000 arrivals and more than 738,000 boardings on domestic flights within the U.S. Through the first nine months of 2018 (the most complete data available), almost 86,000 people arrived on international flights from Mexico and nearly 80,000 people boarded flights to Mexico.

The growth at Fresno’s airport is spurring improvements, dubbed “FATforward,” to handle a larger volume of passengers, said Kevin Meikle, the city’s director of aviation. (FAT is the airport’s federal code, from its former name Fresno Air Terminal.)

“Last summer, FAT experienced a 21 percent increase in passenger traffic during the July-September travel period,” Meikle said. “As passenger volume continues to grow at a record pace, the FATforward terminal and parking expansion program will be essential” for keeping up with demand.

Work is already started on a new lot at the airport to add more long-term parking; it is expected to be ready in time for the peak summer travel season. Future plans include remodeling the terminal to add an upper-level concourse with two gates and jet bridges that can be used for both domestic and international flights; enlarging the segregated arrival and Customs area for international passengers; expanding the luggage-handling and sorting area for outbound flights; increasing the number of Transportation Security Administration checkpoint lanes; and building a three-level, 900-space parking garage.

Passengers flying Friday from Baltimore to San Francisco had an unexpected surprise: their flight had a weird and nauseating smell.

A mysterious odor in the cabin of a United Airlines flight leaving the Baltimore-Washington International Airport forced the plane to make an emergency landing at nearby Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., CNBC reports.

Seven passengers on the flight were reportedly taken to the hospital for evaluation following the landing after becoming ill due to the strong smell. The flight landed successfully, and United rebooked passengers on different flights.

One of the passengers on the flight tweeted that a “faint fuel smell” was on the aircraft as they were boarding, but become “quite strong” in the air.

Did not expect to be in a hospital this morning. @united flight 1375 from BWI to SFO was diverted (above Cumberland, MD) back to IAD. Faint fuel smell was on plane before we departed and was quite strong while in air. Tons of firetrucks, about 20 people complaining of nausea, pic.twitter.com/lDrl7HaMfO

— Barred in DC (@barredindc) March 29, 2019

United told the passengers that the aircraft, a 737, required “prolonged ventilation system maintenance,” according to CNN.

United has offered to cover the hospital bills and other expenses for those on board the flight. The issue did not impact other flights. The flight successfully landed at Dulles airport around 7:45am.

In February, four Alaska Airlines crew members and four passengers were treated for respiratory problems after a “sweet burning smell” permeated the cabin of a plane traveling between Chicago and Seattle.

That incident came a day after another Alaska Airlines flight made an unscheduled landing due to a mysterious odor in the cabin.

About Erica Hur

Erica Hur is the News Editor for Annenberg Media on Thursdays. She is majoring in communication with a minor in public relations on the pre-law track and hopes to pursue entertainment law in her near future.

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