Mizzou Athletics looking to sell naming rights for Memorial Stadium
The days of “Memorial Stadium” are likely numbered.
In an effort to generate more revenue for the athletic department, Mizzou is selling the corporate naming rights to Memorial Stadium, per a news release. Should MU find a corporate partner, the university would drop “Memorial” and replace it with a corporate entity.
“This is another incredible opportunity to position Mizzou Athletics for the future,” athletic director Laird Veatch said in the release. “Memorial Stadium enters its second century as college athletics continues to evolve rapidly. Securing naming rights reflects our ‘Will to Win,’ which includes a commitment to investing aggressively in our ability to recruit, retain and compete to win championships while also being thoughtful and intentional in honoring our past.”
The decision comes at a time when collegiate athletic departments are looking to maximize revenue in seemingly every way possible, as buying power has become paramount to roster-building in collegiate athletics in recent years.
MU has been no different, as the athletic department has spearheaded several money-making decisions since Veatch took office in May 2024. That includes a $250 million renovation to Memorial Stadium’s north concourse that is set to be ready for the 2026 season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Memorial Stadium has been called just that since it opened in 1926. It was named in honor of the 117 MU students and alumni who passed in World War I (Memorial Union, the university’s student union, is named for the same reason).
Legendary MU football coach Don Faurot, who was two years removed from playing at Mizzou and was coaching football at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State University) in 1926, helped lay the original sod at Memorial Stadium. Faurot was an agriculture major at MU and received a master’s in agriculture in 1927.
Faurot Field, Mizzou’s playing surface named after Faurot, will not change its name.
With the imminent removal of “Memorial” now on the horizon, MU is “actively planning new, meaningful opportunities to honor and preserve the historic origins and intent behind the Memorial designation,” according to the release. The university will consult with various groups, including veterans, to “ensure an enduring and respectful tribute.”
“We appreciate the meaningful dialogue we have had with key stakeholders, including multiple veterans groups and military representatives, and we are excited to develop plans with them to honor and recognize their service in new and meaningful ways,” Veatch said. “At the same time, we look forward to taking this incredibly valuable branding opportunity to our corporate community.”
Mizzou will collaborate with a sports property sales firm called Intersect Properties to help the university find a corporate sponsor. The Atlanta-based firm has previously worked with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
The approximate cost of the naming rights to Memorial Stadium is unknown, but a few recent deals can give folks a vague idea of what the cost could be.
In November, Arizona sold the naming rights to Arizona Stadium for $60 million over 20 years. In August, Indiana also sold the naming rights to its stadium (also called Memorial Stadium) for 20 years and $50 million (the stadium retained “Memorial,” though: Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium).
In August 2023, Arizona State sold the naming rights to Sun Devil Stadium for “over $50 million” according to the Phoenix Business Journal. The deal was for 15 years.
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