It's already been made fun of, and nobody knows what will happen with wild Philadelphia fans during the season. But the change is certainly here to stay.

Comcast-Spectacor, owner of the arenas formerly known as the CoreStates Center, the current home of the Wings, and the CoreStates Spectrum, the Wings's home for almost a decade, recently announced that the arenas will be renamed the First Union Center and the First Union Spectrum.

The news that the name has changed surprised no one, considering that First Union bought Philadelphia-based CoreStates in a merger of banking giants. It's the new name that brings out the snickering and the laughing.

Philadelphians have grown accustomed over the last few years to abbreviating the name of the CoreStates Center to the "CS Center" or "CSC". Try that now.

"It's the First Union Center," said Peter Luukko, the CEO of the First Union Complex. "You can put an acronym on anything you want. But we're referring to it as the First Union Center because that's what it is."

Nevertheless, it could be a matter of time before Wings fans (or Flyers fans, for that matter), either in a fit of rage over a bad performance by the team or celebration of an excellent one, begin honoring the arena in creatively obscene ways. Hardly the advertising First Union would want.

The name changes will be made gradually, completed around the beginning of September, according to Luukko. He also noted that in addition to signs on the building, any stationery or other material containing the CoreStates name or logo will also need to be changed.

First Union did not cut a new deal with Comcast-Spectacor. Instead, it simply assumed the terms of the 29-year, $40 million naming rights deal that CoreStates entered into several years ago. The widely-held belief around Philadelphia was that it would be only a matter of time before First Union made the change.

The change was timed well, coming when none of the three main tenants were in mid-season. The Flyers and 76ers are in the process of printing programs, tickets, and promotional material for the upcoming season, and Comcast-Spectacor and First Union felt the time was right to make the change.

"It's the First Union Center," said Luukko. "That's the name." Let's hope so.