While perhaps the bigger naming rights news yesterday was the possibility of The Ohio State University selling naming rights to the Horseshoe (and also possibly adding jersey ads), the actual sale of the naming rights to FIU Stadium went to Grammy-winning recording artist, Armando Christian Pérez — a Miami native known as “Pitbull” — to put his name on their on-campus stadium.
The FIU Board of Trustees gave official approval to the deal yesterday, which is, as of now, a five-year, $1.2M/year (for a total of $6 million) to rename FIU Stadium, “Pitbull Stadium.”
The approximately 23,500 seat stadium, located in Miami, is the home stadium for the Florida International University Panthers.
According to the University, Pitbull will pay $1.2 million annually for naming rights for the next five years. In August of 2029, he will have an option to extend the deal for another five years.
Of his relationship with FIU, Pitbull said, “For me, what it boils down to is, Miami is always known for being underdogs, no matter what we do and what level we take it to … Being underdogs is what I always felt about FIU — fighting, clawing their way to just be seen, to be recognized whether it be from education, business, through sports.”
Is this just the tip of the iceberg for stadium naming rights? Schools and Universities are desperately seeking new revenue streams and the NCAA has approved use of “sponsor logos” (ads) on fields for regular-season games to help pay for athlete revenue sharing. Jersey ads are under consideration. But the naming rights potential bonanza is also on the table. From that article, “Teams have gotten around field sponsorship rules by selling naming rights in the past, but fewer than a dozen schools have taken advantage at the power conference level. No program that has ever made the College Football Playoff has sold full stadium naming rights.”
If I were a betting man (fortunately that’s one vice that never got me), I’d put money on that changing in the not too distant future.
Your thoughts?
[My thanks to Paul for first alerting me to this story.]
My only thought on this is that it sounds like their mascot is the pitbulls (which in a way maybe it is). Just to avoid confusion I would have preferred “Mr. Worldwide Stadium”. I also think there’s opportunity to do lots of fun cross promotion. Here’s hoping the coach starts wearing aviators and all black suits on the sidelines.
Florida Worldwide University merch incoming
Would rather this than an obscure insurance company or a crypto company.
“…gave official approval tp the deal yesterday…”
FYI
Thanks, fixed.
I really think this is one of the best things super rich people can do with their money. Spend it on dumb stuff that supports the community. Sure its self promotion, but its going to something he believes will be good for Miami. Its like how Flava Flav is a sponsor and un-official mascot for US waterpolo. Just get weird. Blow your dough!
You had me at Flava Flav.
Wow. He has that kind of spare cash laying around? Can think of about 500 better ways to invest that money, but it’s his to do as he wishes.
More and more schools will be putting out “For Rent” signs in front of their stadiums. The cash rush is on. Naming deals are already happening. I’m sure jersey ad patches and helmet ad stickers are next. Despite these massive TV deals, many schools’ athletic programs are running a deficit.
I don’t think he’s worried about his ROI on this deal. It sounds like he views it more as philanthropy. Personally I love it. More rich people should throw money at the stuff they love, especially when its something that the community can also enjoy.
Keep in mind, many buildings on college campuses are named after a donor.
This really isn’t any different.
On FIU’s campus for example:
Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center
Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum
Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture
Sanford and Dolores Ziff Education Building
Steve and Dorothea Green Library
What’s probably more interesting is that this is a donor name with a sunset. I can see more schools doing things like that rather than just naming a building in perpetuity. Gotta get those reoccurring donations lol
I don’t know if being rich would make me happy, but I’d like to try it.
I’m a teacher, and let me tell you… being rich is not all it’s cracked up to be.
This is incredibly dumb in the best possible way.
There exists opinions on this?
Weird
I think what Phil meant to say is that Pitbull is in favor of universal healthcare. He just wanted to put a lighter spin on it.
Zing?
As someone who has said for a while that Pitbull is this generation’s Jimmy Buffett, this brand of odd, but ultimately completely innocuous, self-promotion is extremely in line with my perception of him. If Jimmy were still with us, I could absolutely see an FCS school getting renamed to Margaritaville
And yet, this site runs ads
I don’t know this guy from Adam but I wonder if the school did their due diligence on him. What if he, like 3 years from now, does something egregious? I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. People will still call it Pitbull Stadium. And for the sake of argument what happens if Ohio Stadium gets renamed to “Insert Name Here Stadium”? People will still call it the Horseshoe.
As much as I want to dislike it, this makes me smile. Such a Pitbull thing to do. Next up: Long Beach State naming its stadium Snoop Stadium. Georgia Tech will have the Big Boi Dome? Come on, Common, time to bring out the cash and adopt Soldier Field: the Common Grounds.
Up next: Snoop Stadium in Long Beach, Big Boi Dome in Atlanta and the former Soldier Field in Chicago being renamed Common Grounds.
Slightly similar, relevant. Ed Sheeran sponsors Ipswich Town, a recently promoted Premier League team. It’s honestly the best advertisement I’ve ever seen on a jersey.
Sorry if this has already been covered, new around here.