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OREM, Utah (AP) -- The developers who won naming rights to Utah Valley State College's baseball stadium by pledging $1.7 million have failed to make any payments, so a different sponsor may have to be sought, the school said.
UVSC officials said they have not received a single dollar of the amount pledged by Craig Pickering and Heath Johnston, co-developers of the Parkway Crossing student-apartment complex.
UVSC spokesman Derek Hall said UVSC will pursue other potential donors for naming rights if needed, but the college remains hopeful Pickering will pay up.
Pickering and Johnston are more than a year in arrears on the first $96,000 installment, and a month overdue on the second $147,000 payment on the total.
The $1.7 million to be paid over 10 years in exchange for naming rights to the 2,500-seat, $4 million ballpark.
Pickering did not return phone calls from The Salt Lake Tribune, and, Johnston, who reportedly no longer is part of the naming-rights deal, also could not be reached for comment.
The stadium is home to UVSC Wolverines baseball team and the Pioneer League's Orem Owlz.
UVSC put up student fees as collateral for funding the project.
"We have funds available internally -- from auxiliary services and other sources," Hall said. "We can make the payments, but we obviously don't want to spend (that money)."
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
