Featured image credit: Tennessee Athletics
The University of Tennessee (UT) has struck a landmark sponsorship deal for Neyland Stadium which is set to aid the ongoing $337m (£262.6m/€306.2m) redevelopment of one of the most historic venues in college football.
The deal with travel centre operator Pilot is set to run for an initial 20 years. However, it has been structured so that the names of Neyland Stadium and the Shields-Watkins Field playing surface will remain unchanged. Instead, the facility is now set to be officially known as ‘Neyland Stadium. Home of the Vols. Proudly preserved by Pilot’.
Pilot, which is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, is designated as the presenting partner of the Neyland Stadium renovation project and the official travel stop of Tennessee Athletics. New signage on the east side of Neyland Stadium will feature a return of ‘Home of the Vols’ along with Pilot’s logo. Pilot’s branding will also be on each side of Shields-Watkins field and in sponsored content with Tennessee Athletics and the Vol Network.
“As we navigate the changing landscape of college athletics, we are dedicated to building the best athletics department in the country,” UT vice-chancellor and director of athletics, Danny White, said in a statement.
“Because we were committed to preserving the name of Neyland Stadium, finding a partner who shared this vision was essential. With deep roots here in Knoxville, Pilot recognises the significance of Neyland and the importance of tradition to our fans and the university. Our focus continues to preserve and honour our storied past while modernising to ensure we lead the way in college sports.”
Financial terms of the contract have not been disclosed, but White described it as a “huge deal” that will help fund the $337m Neyland Stadium project, which saw its budget increased in July 2023. Both White and Pilot CEO, Adam Wright, also maintained that an outright naming rights deal was never discussed.
“(Renaming Neyland Stadium) was never on the table,” White told Knox News. “We were going to be smart and good stewards of that history.”
Wright added: “That was a non-starter for us. I think it would’ve been brand detracting for us to put our name on Neyland Stadium (as a replacement).
“It just means too much to the community. It’s more important for us to preserve that to make sure for decades to come that the name will remain the same and it won’t be touched by other corporate entities.”
On a recommendation from the Football Rules Committee, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Playing Rules Oversight Panel on June 6 approved allowing commercial sponsor advertisements on football fields for regular-season games in all three divisions, starting with the 2024 season.
This has led to movement in this space, with Northwestern University this week agreeing a deal for Northwestern Medicine to take on naming rights to a new temporary venue that will serve as the home of its football, soccer and lacrosse teams. Grammy Award-winning musician Pitbull last week purchased the naming rights to Florida International University’s football and soccer stadium in Miami.
UT delved into the venue naming-rights market for the first time a year ago through a deal for Thompson-Boling Arena that will help finance renovations for the 21,678-seat facility. Retail store chain Food City, a UT corporate partner since 1997, agreed a 10-year contract worth in excess of $20m that saw the on-campus arena rebranded as Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
Speaking to Sports Business Journal, White said: “We started this (Neyland Stadium) conversation way before any talk around the NCAA sponsorship stuff. This is bigger than just a branding play on the field. This is about preserving Neyland Stadium for decades to come.
“There’s always been a by law and avenue for us to name a stadium and put corporate signage on the field that was in place, and we were using that as an avenue for how we move forward. We had no idea they were to change the rules and allow field sponsorship. This is, again, much bigger than field sponsorship.”
UT has stressed that one of the unique aspects of the Pilot partnership is the investment in the Neyland Stadium renovation project, which will continue to modernise and enhance the fan experience.
Future updates will include necessary upgrades to the south side and perimeter of the stadium, such as widening concourses, constructing expanded gates and entryways, and adding additional restrooms and concessions areas.
UT said this element of the partnership will “dramatically improve” fan comfort and safety, reduce wait times, and allow for more food and beverage offerings. There will also be a Pilot-sponsored Fast Favorites refreshment and snack stand located inside the main stadium entrance at Gate 21.
Neyland Stadium has undergone multiple expansions since its opening in 1921. Introducing the new lower-west club and upper-north social deck spaces in 2022 brought Neyland Stadium’s seating capacity to 101,915 – the sixth largest among college football venues.
The 865 Neyland Project Team, a group consisting of experts in real estate development and sports entertainment, was last month selected to oversee UT’s wide-ranging entertainment district spanning the Tennessee River waterfront near Neyland Stadium. The project will be anchored by a planned condotel adjacent to the south end of Neyland Stadium.
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