The Sacramento Kings and ARCO have announced today that the 26th season of ARCO Arena will be the last. No, the team is not moving. No,the building is not being torn down. The name on the building,however, will be going away.

In a statement on Kings.com, Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof said this:

“We are deeply appreciative of the historic  run we enjoyed with our friends at ARCO. This was one of the original, pioneering naming rights partnerships in major league sports and entertainment. Now there is an incredible opportunity for a new brand to integrate across all Maloof Sports & Entertainment platforms including nearly 200 events per year which welcome two million guests annually and frequently showcase the Sacramento region through national and international media.”

The Maloofs, who own the 23 year old structure, will most likely find a new naming rights deal for the building. However, in talk of a new name for the building as well as perpetual talk of a new one, fans are pretty much tired of it. If you ask most of them, they’re either fine with ARCO Arena and are puzzled as to why the teams needs a new arena or they’re fine with the team getting a new arena so long as the cost to build it isn’t billed to them.

Personally,I am for the Kings building a new arena as long it is not 100-percent financed by Sacramento County taxpayers who are in enough burden right now. It is the team that wants it the most. If they want to build it in Yolo or Placer counties at taxpayer approval, I am all for it because I don’t live there and if residents want to raise taxes to build an arena there, then that’s their prerogative. If they want to build it in Sacramento County, then they have to put forth some of their own dough in order to do it. They’re more well off than any Kings fan is right now and like I said,it’s the team who wants it the most. And by the way, when Measures Q & R failed in 2006, doing a Carl’s Jr. with you and your brother grubbing down on burgers with a $6,000 bottle of wine probably won’t win you too many votes.

For the last few years, many fans have stayed away from the Kings, not because they want a new arena, but because they have not put a winning product on the floor. Who is going to pay top dollar to watch a 25 win team? I wouldn’t. It’s hard enough to afford doing something such as going to a game. And when you have players who weren’t willing to give their all for the team like Kevin Martin and Spencer Hawes, fans will be nothing but disappointed and unwilling to come out and see this club play.  And also, the cost of tickets isn’t low enough. Yes, to their credit, the team has lowered them a little, but it hasn’t been enough. There needs to be some incentive for fans to come, and the answer to that is winning. Get some players to excite fans and to make them want to come to the arena. Sure, the team is quietly getting better with players like Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi and DeMarcus Cousins and could increase their win total significantly barring any injury to a big star like Evans or Casspi, but it yet to be seen.

I predicted earlier this year that during this decade the Kings will ultimately stay in Sacramento and open a new building. I stand by that prediction and hope I’m proven correct. I also think the land swap idea, given that the kinks that are currently there are worked out, is the best option and should it not take place, this team is going to be gone and some of you may be donning Stephen Curry Warriors jerseys if this team says farewell.