Florida International got creative in finding a naming rights sponsor for its football stadium.
The musician Pitbull will sponsor the school’s stadium for the next five seasons. According to ESPN, the deal is worth just over $1 million per season.
“This partnership with FIU is a true honor and a testament to what we can achieve when we work hard,” Pitbull said in an FIU statement. “Renaming the stadium isn’t just about a name change. It’s about inspiring the community, creating opportunities and showing the world that with determination and a clear vision, anything is possible. We’re making history together, and we’re just getting started. Why dream when you can live it?”
Florida International is located in Miami and is in the 305 area code. It’s a perfect fit for the artist that calls himself Mr. 305. Pitbull, 43, is a Miami native and went to Miami’s Coral Park High School. The school said in its statement that the football stadium is the first sports stadium to have a musician’s name on it.
This isn’t Pitbull’s first foray into American sports either. He’s a minority owner in the NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing. He joined the team in January 2021 ahead of Trackhouse’s first season at NASCAR’s top level.
Adding Pitbull’s name to the stadium is a smart move for an FIU program that needs all the attention it can get. FIU has been playing football at the FBS level since 2004 and has made just five bowl games over 21 seasons. The team hasn’t posted a winning record since 2018 and has gone 4-8 in each of the past two seasons under former Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre. Pitbull’s name on the stadium may not lead to any more home wins, but name recognition in the NIL era of college sports is not a bad thing in the slightest.
Source Agencies
