Tennessee Finds Unique Way To Sell Neyland Stadium Branding Rights Without Changing The Iconic Name

The Tennessee athletic department has found a unique way to raise money for a different-looking future in collegiate sports, with revenue sharing on the horizon. In what could turn out to be one of the biggest deals when it comes to sponsorship, the school has struck a 20-year deal with Pilot travel center for branding rights to Neyland Stadium. 

Officials from both sides announced the deal on Tuesday morning that will see Pilot purchase branding rights, along with becoming the presenting sponsor of the ongoing renovation project at Neyland Stadium. This deal is massive when it comes to the current landscape of college sports, as schools are looking for ways to raise money for the upcoming changes that will occur when revenue sharing with student-athletes finally begins. 

In a time when athletic departments around the country are looking for different ways to raise capital, while also continuing to renovate stadiums and buildings for their different teams, we're starting to see schools look for different avenues of raising money. 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Volunteers marching band forms a "T" before their game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neyland Stadium on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Luckily for Tennessee fans, athletic director Danny White was not willing to change the name of the current stadium, no matter the price that was offered for the rights. This meant the school had to get creative when it came to the football side of the fundraising and sponsorships. Just last year, Tennessee sold the naming rights to its basketball arena to Food City, which has led to the school being able to proceed with upgrades for fans attending games. 

"Because we were committed to preserving the name of Neyland Stadium, finding a partner who shared this vision was essential," AD Danny White said of the deal with Pilot. "With deep roots here in Knoxville, Pilot recognizes the significance of Neyland and the importance of tradition to our fans and the university. Our focus continues to preserve and honor our storied past while modernizing to ensure we lead the way in college sports."

But with football, it's a totally different animal when it comes to potential dollar figures being presented from different companies. While there might have been other companies willing to come up with a deal that would have made sense from a financial standpoint, Tennessee had a company in its backyard that did not feel the need to mess with tradition. 

Based out of Knoxville, the Pilot marketing team knew they could come up with an idea that would benefit both entities, while at the same time preserving the Neyland Stadium name. In the deal, there will be new signage on the stadium, with the slogan ‘Home of the Vols’ that will be accompanied by the Pilot logo. Also, there will be logos of the company on the playing-field, which Tennessee will be one of the first schools in the country to do. 

Future Of College Athletics Centers Around Sponsorships

There will be non-stop marketing campaigns by schools across the country over the next few years, looking to set themselves up for a future that's looking pretty expensive. Now that a revenue-sharing model with student-athletes is on the horizon, and coming quick, athletic departments will need to find additional sources of income to fund this new venture. 

On Monday, Northwestern sold its naming rights to the temporary stadium being played on-campus to Northwestern Medicine, which will be the Wildcats home for the next two seasons, as construction on a new $800 million stadium continues. 

We just recently saw Florida International sell its stadium naming rights to recording artist and NASCAR team owner, Pitbull. For $1.2 million per year, FIU will play its home football games at ‘Pitbull Stadium’, with the deal initially set for five years. 

FIU sold the naming rights to its football stadium to Pitbull. Via: FIU Athletics

So, don’t be surprised when your favorite team sells the naming rights to the football stadium or basketball arena in the near future. Some schools, like Tennessee, found a creative way to sell branding rights, but other schools don't have the luxury of having a company that was already so invested like Pilot. One of Tennessee's biggest donors is Jimmy Haslam, who is an alum of the school and was part of the board until recently, while his father, ‘Big’ Jim Haslam founded the company. 

Even though the Haslam family sold its remaining stake in the company to Berkshire Hathaway this past year, the Pilot group still has a strong connection to the school, obviously. 

As for what's next, you can expect more deals like this to be announced around major football programs going forward. 

In this new era of college athletics, raising money is how you will win championships.