Photo: Rob Carr
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Panthers' home stadium is going through a name change and fans already seem to hate it.
Heinz Field, named after the popular ketchup brand and American food processing company headquartered in the Steel City, will be renamed to Acrisure Stadium, named after a Michigan-based insurance brokerage firm, sportscaster Andrew Fillipponi initially reported before it was confirmed by the team hours later.
"We are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium," said Steelers President Art Rooney II in a news release. "Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums. We are very appreciative to partner with Greg Williams and his company, and we look forward to a long, beneficial relationship for years to come."
On Sunday, Fillipponi initially reported that Heinz chose not to extend its naming rights deal for 2022 and that a new name for Pittsburgh's football stadium was expected to be announced "this week."
The initial report of Heinz dropping its naming rights caused a stir among the fanbase, but the reported decision to change from a local institution to a lesser-known out-of-state brokerage firm was met with outrage and trolling on social media.
Heinz Field opened in 2001, replacing Three Rivers Stadium -- which was also replaced by PNC Park as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates -- as the home of the Steelers.
The Steelers have won two Super Bowls (XL, XLIII), three AFC championships (2005, 2008, 2010), and 10 division titles (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020), while the Panthers have won three conference titles (2004, 2010, 2021) and two division titles (2004, 2010, 2021), since its opening.
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