ASU, Mountain America Credit Union reach one of most significant naming-rights deals in college sports

Editor’s note: This story is featured in the 2023 year in review.

Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics today announced a multi-year naming-rights partnership with Mountain America Credit Union to form one of the most dynamic naming-rights deals in college athletics. 

The 15-year partnership — the most significant in the athletics department's history — includes ASU’s football stadium, which now will be called “Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils.”

“The ability to compete at a high level during a transformational time in college athletics requires finding incredible partners who want to invest in our 26 sports, our 650 student-athletes, and our 300-plus staff and coaches,” said Ray Anderson, ASU vice president for university athletics. “An athletic department of nearly 1,000 team members requires incredible amounts of technology, nutrition, mental health resources, travel and other vital parts to win championships. We enthusiastically thank Mountain America Credit Union and look forward to integrating them into so many wonderful memories that will be created at Mountain America Stadium for years to come.”

“This is one of the most important naming-rights deals in the history of college sports, and that speaks to both the power and the future of our brand,” said ASU President Michael Crow. “We are grateful for Mountain America’s investment in our student-athletes and our programs. This agreement creates a pathway to help us compete at the highest levels of athletics in today’s changing environment.”

The partnership continues the momentum surrounding Sun Devil Football after the hiring of Sun Devil graduate Kenny Dillingham, one of eight ASU alumni now leading programs as head coaches at the university. Sun Devil fans have been "Activating the Valley" leading up to the start of the 2023 college football season, as over 90% of football season tickets have been renewed and 4,000 new season tickets have been sold. And now, with the record-breaking naming partnership and comprehensive relationship with Mountain America for at least 15 years, numerous Olympic sports teams will be showcased, and multiple areas of the fan experience, from in-stadium entertainment to digital marketing, will be impacted.

“Mountain America Credit Union is pleased to expand our partnership with Sun Devil Athletics and introduce the Mountain America Stadium,” said Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of Mountain America Credit Union. “This new partnership allows Mountain America to support hundreds of student-athletes and the Arizona community for many years to come through enhanced scholarship, internship and cause marketing programs.” 

Other college football stadiums with naming-rights deals currently in place include:

• San Diego State (Snapdragon Stadium)
• Louisville (L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium)
• UCF (FBC Mortgage Stadium)
• Kentucky (Kroger Field)
• Houston (TDECU Stadium)
• Minnesota (Huntington Bank Stadium)
• Rutgers (SHI Stadium)
• Maryland (SECU Stadium)
• Texas Tech (Jones AT&T Stadium)
• Vanderbilt (FirstBank Stadium)
• Syracuse (JMA Wireless Dome)

Several Pac-12 institutions also have a major corporate presence with their stadiums, including USC (United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), the University of Washington (Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium) and Washington State University (Gesa Field at Martin Stadium).

Mountain America already is an integral part of Sun Devil Athletics, as the Mountain America Community Iceplex at ASU serves as the training center and practice rink for the ASU Division I men’s ice hockey team, as well as a community ice rink featuring a 200- by 85-foot ice surface with a 300-person capacity. Mountain America also is a founding partner of Mullett Arena.

Now called Mountain America Stadium, the stadium has hosted Sun Devil football contests for decades, including the game on Sept. 21, 1996, when the playing surface was named Frank Kush Field as ASU beat top-ranked Nebraska 19–0. The stadium hosted four football national championship games, and in 1996 played host to the NFL's ultimate showcase: the Super Bowl. It was home to the Fiesta Bowl for 35 years and to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals for 18 seasons, as both Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman played college and NFL games in the same home stadium. The stadium also hosted U2, Pelé, the pope and the president of the United States. Learn more about the history at thesundevils.com.

RELATED: See more photos of Mountain America Stadium through the years