Acrisure Insurance buys naming rights to Steelers, Pitt venue on North Shore

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Acrisure Stadium, formerly called Heinz Field, in North Shore.

By Dalton Coppola, Sports Editor

Pitt football will no longer play its home games at Heinz Field. The longstanding partnership between Heinz and the Pittsburgh Steelers came to an end this week when the Steelers announced that the naming rights to the stadium now belong to Acrisure Insurance. Pitt has shared the venue with the Steelers since its opening in 2001.

The Michigan-based company reportedly significantly outbid Heinz to own the naming rights to the venue. Andrew Fillipponi reported that Acrisure will pay $10 million per year to have the naming rights.

The company brings in about $3.8 billion in revenue, according to the Steelers’ statement. Steelers President Art Rooney II is excited about the new partnership with Acrisure and looks forward to improving the venue as well.

“We are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium,” Rooney said. “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.”

Pitt has not released a statement regarding the venue’s new name, but did update its website to show the Panthers play at Acrisure Stadium.

When it comes to the famous ketchup bottles on top of the jumbotron in the endzone, Rooney said it’s possible Heinz and the venue could continue to have a partnership to some degree.

“We are optimistic and hopeful we’ll continue to have a sponsorship relationship,” Rooney said. “Who knows? The ketchup bottles could be part of that. We’ll see.”

The Panthers will play its first game in the now Acrisure Stadium in just less than a few months. Pitt and West Virginia will renew the Backyard Brawl on Sept. 1 at Acrisure Stadium.