Tennessee reaches agreement with Pilot to preserve Neyland Stadium name

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but it will initially run for up to 20 years with the possibility of an extension, the school and company said.

The deal comes at a time when colleges with major sports are looking for new sources of revenue to cover rising costs, including more money than ever going directly to athletes.

Tennessee State athletic director Danny White said the partnership could be described as a no-name-change naming rights agreement, protecting the traditional name of Tennessee's 101,915-seat stadium.

White said discussions with Pilot CEO Adam Wright and his team about a branding deal began more than a year ago, long before the NCAA changed its rules to allow schools to place sponsored branding on playing surfaces.

“There has always been a rule that a stadium naming agreement allows for corporate branding in the stadium and on the field,” White said. “And we structured that in such a way that we knew from the beginning that changing the name of Neyland Stadium or Shields-Watkins Field was never an option. It's far too iconic a building.”

Pilot and the University of Tennessee have a long history. Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, a Tennessee alumnus, is the company's former CEO and a longtime supporter of Volunteers athletics. Haslam's father, Jim, played football at Tennessee for General Robert Neyland, the coach whose name is on the stadium, and founded Pilot.

Pilot is named as the presenting partner of the $337 million Neyland Stadium renovation project, which includes new signage on the east side of the stadium with “Home of the Vols” and the company's logo, as well as a Pilot convenience store on the concourse selling snacks and beverages.

“Simply put, just the fact that Pilot is getting Neyland Stadium is worth it to me,” Wright said.

For universities in major conferences like Tennessee, a revenue-sharing system that could give athletes up to $21 million a year could be implemented as early as 2025. The plan is part of the settlement of several antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and conferences and still needs to be approved by a judge.

Naming rights deals for stadiums and arenas are becoming increasingly popular across the country.

Just last week, Florida International announced a deal with Grammy-winning musician Pitbull that includes naming rights to the school's 20,000-seat football stadium.

However, many schools have stadiums and arenas with names that have a long history and meaning to fans. Changing those names to accommodate corporate sponsors would result in negative reactions.

In Nebraska, for example, Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is dedicated to Nebraskans killed in military service.

Troy Dannen, athletic director of the Cornhuskers, said he has not even considered changing the stadium name, but balancing tradition with financial needs will pose major challenges for officials across college sports.

“There are many things that have been considered sacred throughout time. Whether they can be considered sacred in this new environment is an open question that we all have to face,” Dannen said.

Tennessee first played football at Shields-Watkins Field in 1921. It was named after William Simpson Shields, a Tennessee trustee who paid off a debt owed on the land and donated it back to the university and his wife, the former Alice Watkins.

The stadium was expanded around the field and in 1962 it was expanded to over 52,000 seats and dedicated to Neyland, who served as Tennessee's coach for 21 years (1926-52). His teams achieved a record of 173-31-12, winning five Southeastern Conference championships and the national title in 1951.

“He had a huge impact on this program as a coach, his vision. That's why the stadium is here,” White said. “We never wanted to change the name. So it was about how do we preserve the name and create a win-win partnership that allows us to invest in our fans' experience.”