LAKE CHARLES – Welcome to the Townsley Law Arena.
McNeese Vice President and Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer made it official on Tuesday morning with the renaming of the Legacy Center to the Townsley Law Arena following a $4.5 million over 15 years naming rights agreement with Townsley Law Firm.
This agreement, which comes only two months after Schroyer signed the largest football stadium naming rights contract for Navarre Stadium, is believed to be the largest basketball arena naming rights deal in Southland Conference history.
"The Townsley Law Arena is one piece of a strategic plan (McNeese President) Dr. (Wade) Rousse and I put together years ago," said Schroyer. "He believed, as do I, that when an institution is fiscally reasonable and strategic in their investment of college athletics it will positively affect enrollment and retention, which elevates our community and region. I couldn't be more excited for Todd (Townsley) and the entire firm.
"When I first met with Todd years ago, he not only bought into our vision, he helped to spearhead our efforts. The Townsley Law Firm cares about Southwest Louisiana, and agreements like this one are an example of our efforts coming to fruition.
"I also want to express my sincere gratitude to David and Kimberly Griffin for their dedication to McNeese Athletics. Their generosity laid the foundation for what we're celebrating today, and their legacy will forever be a part of McNeese's history."
"When Dr. Rousse and Heath first started their journey to improve this university, I was eager to be a part of that plan," said Todd Townsley, Townsley Law Firm partner. "I knew that they were starting something special and I wanted to do everything I could to help out. We started giving to the NIL fund because we knew the impacts it would have on McNeese.
"This investment isn't just to have our name on the arena, it's to show that we truly care about the work McNeese is doing to provide a world-class education and change the lives of the people in this community."
Said Dr. Rousse, "On behalf of the entire McNeese Family, we express our deepest gratitude toward the Townsley Law Firm. They truly understand how the uplifting of our athletic profile will lead to elevating our academic programs. The naming of our basketball arena reflects the impact the Townsley Law Firm has already made – and will continue to make – on the lives of so many. Thank you for believing in our mission of providing a life changing higher educational experience and catapulting us toward our vision of becoming the premier regional university in all of Louisiana and southeast Texas."
The Townsley Law Arena has become the mecca of college basketball arenas in the Southland Conference over the last two seasons in both winning percentage and attendance.
During that span, the Cowboys have posted a record of 27-1 in the arena including a 23-0 mark against Southland Conference competition. In addition, McNeese has led the league in total attendance every season since the 2018-19 slate and over the last two years, has averaged over 3,400 fans per game including several sell outs for the first time ever in the venue.
The Townsley Law Firm has been a fixture in Southwest Louisiana since 1995 with Todd and his uncle Rex Townsley. Today, the firm is the largest medical malpractice law firm in Louisiana and is home to 13 attorneys and a large support staff with over half of the entire Townsley Law family, including five attorneys, holding degrees from McNeese.
