The home of the Cleveland Browns will no longer be a building without a corporate-sponsored name, the team announced on Tuesday morning. It will be called Huntington Bank Field.
Columbus-based Huntington Bank has agreed to a deal with the team to purchase the naming rights to the stadium as part of a 20-year agreement, according to Sports Business Journal.
Since its opening in 1999, the stadium has held two different names. It was first called Cleveland Browns Stadium from 1999 until 2013. In 2012, the Haslam family purchased the team from Randy Lerner and announced that the naming rights for the stadium would be sold for the first time. Less than six months later, the building was renamed FirstEnergy Stadium.
The name reverted back to Cleveland Browns Stadium in April of 2023 after FirstEnergy’s involvement in a significant bribery scandal that involved former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder and other state politicians.
“We are thrilled to reach a long-term partnership agreement with Ohio’s own Huntington Bank,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a news release. “Huntington Bank has a long-standing reputation of excellence and they continue to grow both regionally and nationally, while keeping their roots here in Ohio. Giving back to the community and a focus on education are two of the many attributes that bond our organizations, and we look forward to working with Huntington to make positive impacts in Northeast Ohio and beyond. We’re excited to call the home of the Cleveland Browns Huntington Bank Field.”
According to Sports Business Journal, the deal also includes the naming rights to a potential new stadium, should the team move out of the current venue. The purchasing price has not been revealed.
The organization is currently in the process of determining where its future games will be held. Potential options include renovating the stadium on the lake or moving to Brook Park and constructing a new, domed stadium.
For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.
Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.
