PHX Arena announces new name

It’s been almost eight months since the downtown arena at 201 E. Jefferson St. lost its Footprint Center moniker.

Since then, it’s gone by the generic placeholder name PHX Arena. But Thursday morning, the venue announced its new title.

Please welcome to the Valley (drumroll) … Mortgage Matchup Center.

The venue announced the new name on social media. “The name’s different. The energy isn’t. The home of the Suns, Mercury and more than 100 sporting and entertainment events a year will now be named Mortgage Matchup Center.”

Mortgage Matchup is the consumer-facing brand of United Wholesale Mortgage, a company whose president and CEO happens to be Suns and Mercury majority owner Mat Ishbia.

“I’m extremely excited about this partnership as it represents two organizations that have natural alignment and a shared commitment to excellence. Arizona is one of the strongest markets for mortgage brokers and we see a fantastic opportunity through Mortgage Matchup to help consumers better understand the value of having an expert advising them through this process to ensure they get the fastest, easiest and cheapest path to homeownership or a refinance — and greater education will ensure more consumers can take advantage of those benefits,” Ishbia said in a press release. “The Phoenix Suns and Mercury have a diverse, passionate and engaged fan base in sports that will allow us to make strong connections between mortgage brokers and consumers.”  

“Our arena hosts more than basketball games and entertainment events — it represents a sense of belonging, community and moments fans carry with them forever,” Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein said in the announcement.

It’s the seventh time the venue has been rebranded since it opened as America West Arena in 1992, back when the now-defunct airline still operated.

The venue was renamed U.S. Airways Center in 2006, then Talking Stick Resort Arena in 2014, followed by brief stints as PHX Arena in 2020 and Phoenix Suns Arena in 2021. The Footprint Center name lasted from 2021 to 2025.