The decision follows the move by the NHL's New Jersey Devils tothe new Prudential Arena in Newark, the departure of Seton HallUniversity basketball to the same venue and the pending move by theNBA's New Jersey Nets to a new arena in Brooklyn, NY. Those moveseffectively leave the 26-year-old arena anchorless.

"The purpose of our sponsorship was to gain exposure to majorleague sports fans," says a statement by David Messing, of theHouston-based Continental Airlines, which uses the nearby NewarkLiberty International Airport as one of its major hubs. "With theabsence of major league sports, the sponsorship no longer alignswith our marketing goals."

And the NJSEA has already issued an RFP, effectively putting theongoing naming rights up for grabs. Authority officials say theyare looking for a higher dollar number for those rights this timearound, although with no major league team on-site, that coulddifficult, observers say. One possible incentive is that thefacility sits next to the under-construction Meadowlands Xanaduretail and entertainment complex.