Walter Pyramid has held its name from 2004 after Mike and Arline Walter made donations to Long Beach State and its Athletics program. Dante Estrada | Long Beach Current
Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid is potentially being renamed to LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid under a new sponsorship deal.
The naming rights deal comes from a 12-year, $8.5 million agreement from LBS Financial Credit Union.
Mike and Arline Walter, who donated the funds to name the Pyramid in 2005, agreed to step back from the naming of the venue.
“We have been proud to support Beach Athletics and other university programs for more than thirty years and recognize this opportunity to amplify our impact,” said Mike Walter, former dean of the College of Business and currently dean emeritus, in a press release. “Our fundamental interest has always been to support both athletics and the academic efforts of this university.”
Hosting several LBSU athletic programs such as the reigning national champions in men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball and both basketball programs, the Pyramid has been a staple of The Beach’s athletic department since 1994.
While the Pyramid has endured a storied legacy of over three decades, the facility has shown its age in recent years.
In 2023, a study estimated the potential costs of repairs to the building’s roof to be $55 million.
The crucial problem facing the facility’s infrastructure is its roof’s susceptibility to leaks during rainy weather, which has forced games to be moved to the Gold Mine, the school’s previous gym located in the kinesiology building.
According to a press release issued by the university, the sponsorship deal will primarily fund LBSU Athletics through scholarship support and “programmatic costs and capital improvements.
The decision to rename the venue is set to be made at the upcoming CSU Board of Trustees meetings scheduled from Nov. 17 to 19.
Dante Estrada is a California State University transfer student originally from Echo Park. He comes from Pasadena City College and is a journalism major and video editor of the Long Beach Current. Dante hopes to be an investigative news reporter and video journalist. Dante is an avid movie theater and concert go-er.