Pitbull Stadium Is The New Home Of FIU Football. The Artist Has Bought The Naming Rights

Welcome to Pitbull Stadium, home of the FIU Panthers.

On Tuesday, Florida International revealed what might be a 10-year arrangement with international music artist, Grammy winner, and entrepreneur Armando Christian Pérez — the Miami native best known as Pitbull — to name their on-campus stadium.

Pitbull | AP News Image

Pitbull Stadium Is The New Home Of FIU Football. The Artist Has Bought The Naming Rights

According to the institution, Pérez will pay $1.2 million annually for the following five years in exchange for naming rights. In August 2029, he will have the option of extending the arrangement for another five years and continuing the rebranding.

“Yes, we will make history in Pitbull Stadium,” Pérez said at a press conference in Miami. “This is not merely an announcement. This is a movement. “This is true history in the making.”

According to FIU, this is the first partnership in which an artist owns naming rights to a stadium. According to athletic director Scott Carr, Pérez will also help FIU with its efforts in the name, image, and likeness space.

“This is a historic day for FIU athletics to partner uniquely with a world-renowned artist and amazing person who truly values relationships and his community,” Carr told the crowd. Armando’s financial support is program-changing, but his providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand.”

As part of the agreement, Pérez is granted rent-free access to the stadium for 10 days per year, with certain tickets reserved for FIU students. A vodka company he owns will be a preferred brand at the stadium in the future. He will have access to two suites and 20 VIP parking tickets for FIU football home games, and he has been tasked with creating an “FIU Anthem” to be played at the school’s athletic events.

“It’s a true blessing, a true honour,” Pérez explained. “Let’s make history.”

Pitbull—commonly known as “Mr. 305,” a reference to Miami’s area code—began his music career in the South Florida rap scene around 2004 and eventually became one of the world’s most recognised performers.

Pitbull Stadium Is The New Home Of FIU Football. The Artist Has Bought The Naming Rights

“Pitbull’s career trajectory mirrors FIU’s ascent to one of the nation’s top public research universities,” FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell stated. “Like FIU, he started out very 305 and became worldwide.”

Pérez has long advocated for education in South Florida. FIU stated that in 2012, he established Miami’s first SLAM! (Sports Leadership, Arts, and Management) tuition-free public charter school.

“This is about uniting everybody,” he told me. “The goal here is to bring everyone together. Hard work pays rewards. They say, ‘You’re so lucky.’ “Well, the harder I work, the luckier I become.”

SOURCE | AP