Crew strike stadium naming deal

Columbus.- Another big step for Anthony Precourt and his Columbus Crew SC. It hasn’t been two years since he acquired the club and they already went back to the playoffs, re branded the team’s logo and now, after 16 years, they finally obtained the stadium naming rights with MAPFRE stadium.

“Its an extremely historic day for our club for our stadium, we’re thrilled to announce Mapfre Insurance as a stadium name and as partner. It’s a big win for us off the field, and I’m proud of our front office for delivering something we’ve been trying to obtain since 1999 when the stadium was built.” said Columbus Crew SC Investor-Operator and Chairman Anthony Precourt.

For 16 years the team tried to sell the naming rights without any success. It seemed that the fate of the first soccer specific stadium in the Country was to remain as an antique from the previous millennium. For Precourt, the club committed the last nineteen months to create a new era with a new message and new messengers. The team’s performance made them more attractive and new marketing made them relevant, combined with the current momentum of the sport, these factors led Mapfre to partner with their stadium.

“In addition to Columbus , in addition to Ohio, is the size of the Club, The MLS soccer. We truly believe at Mapfre that soccer finally is going to pick up heavily in the United States. Now is the time for soccer to pick up drastically in the U.S. Soccer is the fastest growing sport here” said Jaime Tamayo, President of Mapfre North America.

Tamayo admitted that he hasn’t attended a game at he stadium yet before signing the deal with Columbus Crew SC, but at the press conference he showed his passion, commitment and expectations in one phrase: “Hopefully at the end of the season we can all celebrate a championship”

The multimillion dollar agreement is not only about the stadium naming rights. Mapfre also became the Club’s Official Auto, Life and Home insurance sponsor. It will also sponsor the Club’s community program Give Forward. Per team policy, additional details of the multi-year deal were not disclosed.

Precourt made clear that even though this is a huge milestone for the club from every possible angle, these are the early stages for what is to come for the Club:

“We are just getting started, we have to deliver for our new partner, we have a long term deal and they are expecting us to be successful on and off the pitch, so we will be excited for today and we will go back to work tomorrow.”

It is official, the house of the hardest working team in America has a new name and in March 14th (if everything goes smooth with the CBA talks) the Columbus Crew SC will host the Toronto FC at MAPFRE STADIUM.