• by Danielle Oster , September 4, 2024

As part of an agreement making it the Cleveland Browns’ exclusive banking partner, the NFL team’s stadium will be renamed Huntington Bank Field as part of a 20-year partnership.The Cleveland Browns negotiated the deal in collaboration with global premium experiences company Legends. Financial details were not disclosed.

In addition to being the current home of the Cleveland Browns, the stadium regularly hosts other events including college and high school football, soccer and hockey game, as well as concerts.

In a statement, Huntington Bank chairman, president, and CEO Steve Steinour referred to the Cleveland Browns as “ iconic in American sports and a globally recognized brand,” and described the deal as “a pivotal moment for us as it gives us a high-profile platform to elevate our brand nationally.”

According to a release announcing the news, the deal will designate Huntington Bank as the “anchor investor in the existing or new home of the Browns for the next 20 years,” meaning naming rights will transfer should the Browns move to a new stadium during that timeframe. That’s important, because the team is currently considering either renovating its existing stadium in downtown Cleveland or building a new, domed stadium in suburban Brook Park, Ohio.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Huntington Bank’s roots in the buckeye states date back to its founding in 1866. It also currently holds the naming rights to Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Cleveland Guardians’ AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.

In a statement, Cleveland Browns managing and principal partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam cited Huntington Bank’s  commitment to “keeping their roots here in Ohio” in selecting the bank as a long-term partner.

“Giving back to the community and a focus on education are two of the many attributes that bond our organization,” they added.

Huntington Bank will see the first fruits of the partnership within days. The Cleveland Browns’ first game of the season is a home game against the Dallas Cowboys Sept, 8, which will be broadcast as “America’s Game of the Week” on Fox.

The agreement follows a controversy-fueled end to the Cleveland Browns’ agreement with the stadium’s former naming rights holder, FirstEnergy Corp, following fallout from a bribery scandal involving the electric utility company and former Republican Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder.