(Tempe, AZ) Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics have announced a multi-year naming rights partnership with Mountain America Credit Union to form one of the most dynamic naming rights deals in college athletics.
The 15-year partnership with Sun Devil Athletics – the most important deal in athletics department history – includes ASU’s football stadium, which will now be called Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils.
“The ability to compete at a high level during a transformational time in college athletics requires finding incredible partners who want to invest in our 26 sports, our 650 student-athletes and our 300-plus staff and coaches,” said Ray Anderson, Sun Devil Vice President for University Athletics. “An athletic department of nearly 1,000 team members requires incredible amounts of technology, nutrition, mental health resources, travel and other vital parts to win championships. We enthusiastically thank and welcome Mountain America Credit Union and look forward to integrating them into so many wonderful memories that will be created at Mountain America Stadium for years to come.”
The partnership happens as a fever pitch surrounds Sun Devil Football and the hiring of Sun Devil graduate Kenny Dillingham, one of eight Arizona State alumni leading programs as head coaches at the University. ASU fans have been “Activating the Valley” leading up to the start of the 2023 college football season, as over 90 percent of football season tickets have been renewed so far, and 4,000 new season tickets have been sold. And now, with the record-breaking football naming partnership and comprehensive relationship with Mountain America, numerous Olympic sports teams will be showcased, and multiple areas of the Sun Devil fan experience, from in-stadium entertainment to digital marketing, will be impacted.
“This is one of the important naming rights deals in the history of college sports and that speaks to the power and the future of our brand,” said ASU President Michael Crow. “We are grateful for Mountain America’s investment in our student-athletes and our programs. This agreement creates a pathway to help us compete at the highest levels of athletics in today’s changing environment.”
“Mountain America Credit Union is pleased to expand our partnership with Arizona State University and introduce the Mountain America Stadium,” said Sterling Nielsen, President and Chief Executive Officer at Mountain America Credit Union. “This new partnership allows Mountain America to support hundreds of student-athletes and the Arizona community for many years to come through enhanced financial education, scholarship, internship and cause marketing programs.”
The deal was brokered in partnership between Oak View Group Global Partnerships, Pac-12 MMR and Sun Devil Athletics.
“We are relentless in our commitment to connect world-class brands to world-class properties at OVG and this commercial naming rights deal of Mountain America Stadium is exactly that,” said Dan Griffis, President, Oak View Group Global Partnerships. “Both ASU and Mountain America are committed to the University and the greater Phoenix/Tempe community, and we were very honored to help make this mutually beneficial deal and one of the most integrated commercial naming rights deals in college sports a reality.”
Other college football stadiums with naming rights deals currently in place include San Diego State (Snapdragon Stadium), Louisville (L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium), UCF (FBC Mortgage Stadium), Kentucky (Kroger Field), Houston (TDECU Stadium), Minnesota (Huntington Bank Stadium), Rutgers (SHI Stadium), Texas Tech (Jones AT&T Stadium), Vanderbilt (FirstBank Stadium), Syracuse (JMA Wireless Dome), Maryland (SECU Stadium) and Memphis (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium). The deals for Maryland and Memphis were also brokered by OVG College. Several Pac-12 institutions also have a major corporate presence within their respective stadiums, including USC (United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), Washington (Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium), and Washington State (Gesa Field at Martin Stadium).
Both Mountain America and ASU are committed to giving back to the community, and this partnership will provide support to the community and student-athletes in a variety of ways:
- Football Field Goals: Mountain America will donate $250 to the Sun Devil Club for every field goal made to enhance ASU’s student-athlete experience.
- Shoe Donation Program: ASU and Mountain America will develop a shoe donation program, providing brand-new shoes to community members in need.
- Scholarships: Each year, Mountain America will provide $20,000 to ASU student-athletes, with $10,000 going to women’s sports and $10,000 to men’s sports.
- Financial Education Programs: Mountain America will offer special student-athlete financial education programs, including personal coaching sessions.
- Internship Program: Mountain America will also provide an internship program for student-athletes to help students develop the skills and experience needed for future endeavors.
HISTORY NOTES
Mountain America Stadium has hosted Sun Devil football contests since 1958, including the game on Sept. 21, 1996, when the playing surface was named Frank Kush Field as ASU beat top-ranked Nebraska 19-0, the only shutout of the top team in the nation since 1978. The stadium has hosted four national championships – Notre Dame vs. West Virginia in 1988, Nebraska vs. Florida in 1996, Tennessee vs. Florida State in 1999 and Ohio State vs. Miami in 2003. And it played host to the NFL’s ultimate showcase – the 1996 Super Bowl, where the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a close win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the home of the Fiesta Bowl for 35 years and the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals for 18 seasons, as both Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman played college and NFL games in the same home stadium.
ALREADY INVOLVED
Mountain America already is an integral part of Sun Devil Athletics, as The Mountain America Community Iceplex at ASU serves as the training center and practice rink for the ASU Division I men’s ice hockey team, as well as a community ice rink featuring a 200-foot by 85-foot ice surface with a 300-person capacity, including seating for 185 guests. As a founding partner of Mullett Arena, Mountain America will continue its support of ASU Hockey, with $50 donated to the Sun Devil Club for every goal made by ASU Hockey.
STUDENT-ATHLETE FACILITY AT MOUNTAIN AMERICA STADIUM
Completed in 2017, the 118,669-square-foot Butterfield Kent Furst Student-Athlete Facility behind the north end zone provides many advantages to current and future ASU athletes. The facility is known as one of the best in college football, and was made possible by generous contributions from Steve Butterfield, Bill Kent, and Jack Furst. Some of the features offered by the complex include a training-table food service, study rooms for academic performance, and a world-class sports medicine center for athlete treatment. The pinnacle of the facility is the 9,813-square-foot weight room that rivals any other in college athletics.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Doug Tammaro
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