Between the six major leagues Stacker analyzed, 17 venues remain unsponsored—a total representing 12.2% of the 139 total stadiums examined.
Baseball, long bonded to tradition, features eight stadiums with unsullied names. These diamond cathedrals include Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, as well as the Angels and Dodgers stadiums in California. The remaining four are Camden Yards in Baltimore, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, Nationals Field in Washington D.C., and Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Beyond baseball, unsponsored venue names could be considered an endangered species. In the NHL, Arizona State University’s Mullet Arena is the temporary home of the Arizona Coyotes until the franchise can find long-term digs. The Florida Panthers’ FLA Live Arena in Miami is only temporarily so named until a new naming sponsor can be found.
In the WBNA, the owners of all three unsponsored arenas have previously sought, or voiced approval for, signing over their naming rights. In MLS, the B.C. Pavilion Corporation announced in 2019 intentions of selling out the naming rights for B.C. Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. However, none in either league has revealed immediate plans to change venue names.
There are also questions about the future of Soldier Field, one of pro football’s hallowed grounds. In the past year, the Chicago Bears have signaled their desire to venture away from their current downtown location to the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, going so far as to sign a purchase agreement for the former Arlington Park Racetrack property. However, the Chicago Fire of MLS will continue to play at Soldier Field for the foreseeable future, and it’s possible the stadium would become soccer-specific if the Bears bolt for a new home.
With the fate of as many as seven venues in flux, just two non-baseball venues have avoided much of the rebranding discussion: Lambeau Field, home to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, and Madison Square Garden, home to the New York Knicks in the NBA and the New York Rangers in the NHL.
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