Long Beach's Iconic Pyramid Has A New Name, For $8.5M: Report

LONG BEACH, CA — One of Long Beach's most recognizable landmarks has a new name, and now it has the signs to prove it.

Long Beach State unveiled new signage Friday for the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, putting a highly visible stamp on an $8.5 million naming-rights agreement approved last year.

The new name now appears above entrances to the landmark blue arena, while LBS Financial Credit Union branding has also been added to its basketball and volleyball courts, according to the Long Beach Post.

The ceremonial unveiling came before Long Beach State women's volleyball opened its season against UCLA on Friday night. A crowd of 3,075 watched the Beach win the opening set before UCLA prevailed in four.

The makeover follows a 12-year, $8.5 million sponsorship agreement between Long Beach State and LBS Financial Credit Union approved by California State University's Board of Trustees in November.

The Long Beach Post reported that the $8.5 million was delivered upfront, allowing the university to begin spending the money immediately. Some has already gone toward renovating the basketball lobby.

Ten percent of the deal, or $850,000, is earmarked for a campus activities fund supporting student programming and student life, according to the Post. The university previously said the sponsorship would primarily support student scholarships, along with athletics programs and facility improvements.

A Long Beach Landmark

The Pyramid opened in 1994 and has become one of the city's most distinctive landmarks.

It was renamed the Walter Pyramid in 2005 in recognition of longtime university supporters Mike and Arline Walter. The couple agreed to relinquish the naming rights to make way for the new sponsorship while continuing their support of the university.

After more than two decades with the Walter name attached to the familiar cobalt-blue structure, the $8.5 million replacement is now impossible to miss.