TCF Bank Stadium Name Changed Approved
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents met today and approved the name change of TCF Bank Stadium.
Effective immediately, the stadium will now have a new logo and be known as Huntington Bank Stadium. The name change comes after the Minnesota-based TCF Bank merged with Huntington Bank last year, the deal was finalized this month.
TCF Bank paid $35 million for the naming rights in 2005, the current deal runs through 2030 with Huntington Bank having the option to extend the deal until 2040 for $17.6 million. Huntington Bank will pay for all the costs of changing the name and logos, which could cost over a half million dollars.
Director of Athletics Mark Coyle said, "This partnership will allow Gopher Athletics to continue to strive for greatness and focus on the success of our student-athletes. We are excited to partner with Huntington Bank and are excited to play in Huntington Bank Stadium this season and beyond."
Minnesota's first game in the renamed stadium will be on Thursday, September, 2nd versus Ohio State. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 PM and will be a nationally televised on FOX.
Many fans sounded off on Twitter commenting on the clashing colors of the Huntington Bank logo and the Gopher's classic maroon color. The logo is primarily green, and it certainly doesn't look as good as the TCF Logo.
The Gopher's football team has called the stadium home since 2009, and it even acted as the home for the Minnesota Vikings while U.S. Bank Stadium was being built on the site of the outdated Metrodome. High school athletics, Major League Soccer, and even hockey have also been played in the stadium.
The stadium has also been the home to some concerts, including the 2011 U2 360° Tour which packed in nearly 60,000 fans, and I can tell you from first-hand experience, that it was one unforgettable concert. The Rolling Stones, Luke Bryan, and Beyoncé have also played the stadium.