Florida International got creative in finding a naming rights sponsor for its soccer stadium.
According to ESPN, musician Pitbull will sponsor the school’s stadium for the next five seasons. The deal is worth just over $1 million per season and is expected to be made official on Tuesday.
International artist Pitbull is buying the naming rights to FIU’s football stadium. He must pay the school $1.2 million a year for the next five years to change the name of FIU Stadium to Pitbull Stadium, according to FIU board documents. pic.twitter.com/uv0AQ6mxAQ
-Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 6, 2024
Florida International is located in Miami and is in the 305 area code. It’s a perfect fit for the artist who calls himself Mr. 305. Pitbull, 43, is a Miami native and attended Miami’s Coral Park High School.
This isn’t Pitbull’s first foray into American sports either. He is a minority owner of the NASCAR Trackhouse Racing team. He joined the team in January 2021, ahead of Trackhouse’s first season at NASCAR’s highest 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 played football at the FBS level since 2004 and has made just five bowl games in 21 seasons. The team hasn’t posted a winning record since 2018 and has gone 4-8 in each of the last two seasons under former Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre. Pitbull’s name in the stadium may not lead to more home wins, but name recognition in the NIL era of college sports isn’t bad at all.
