Heinz Field is no more. Just over two decades after opening its doors alongside the Ohio River, the Steelers‘ longtime home will be renamed Acrisure Stadium starting in 2022, according to 93.7 The Fan. Heinz, the famous Pittsburgh-headquartered ketchup company, has opted out of extending its naming rights deal for the North Shore venue, per Andrew Fillipponi, with Acrisure, a Michigan-based insurance brokerage, stepping in as the new sponsor of the Steelers’ stomping grounds.
Steelers owner Art Rooney said earlier this year that negotiations were still ongoing between the team and Kraft Heinz regarding stadium naming rights, leaving the door open for a potential change. Heinz originally struck a 20-year, $57 million agreement to sponsor the team’s stadium, then agreed to a one-year extension in 2021.
The name change could be officially announced early this week, per Fillipponi. The transition is likely to include significant updates in and around the stadium, considering there are currently giant Heinz Ketchup bottles displayed near the Steelers’ biggest video scoreboard.
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There is also an Acrisure connection inside the Steelers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Two years ago, the insurance company acquired the practice of Tulco LLC, a data-science and artificial-intelligence company, whose chairman and CEO is Thomas Tull, a film producer and minority Steelers owner. Tull currently is also a minority shareholder in Acrisure, per the Gazette.
The Steelers haven’t played at a stadium named something other than Heinz Field since 2000, when their home games kicked off at the since-demolished Three Rivers Stadium, which also served as the home of MLB‘s Pittsburgh Pirates.
