Steelers working on maintaining relationship with Heinz after change to Acrisure Stadium
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Steelers president Art Rooney II and Acrisure CEO Greg Williams started a new chapter in the Steelers' history on Tuesday.
Rooney said the name change from Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium keeps the North Shore stadium in line with other NFL venues around the country. The 15-year deal also points to the Steelers renewing their lease for the stadium when it expires in 2030.
"We'll be dealing with that in the future. It may not be me, but hopefully, it's someone named Rooney. But some of those things will happen further down the road," Rooney said.
Rooney would not say the financial terms, but according to Slippery Rock University sports marketing professor Dr. Brian Crow, about $10 million per year is the standard price right now. The deal with Heinz was about $3 million per year.
"It remains to be seen how quickly this company can blend into the Pittsburgh region," Dr. Crow said.
According to Williams, the company has a presence in the state and locally. He said with this new partnership, expect to see more of a footprint in Pittsburgh.
"We're going to be ever-increasing and relying on some of the talent that's here as well," Williams said at the Tuesday press conference.
Rooney said the Heinz signs will come down before the season and officials are working on getting everything approved. Even though Heinz won't hold the naming rights anymore, the Steelers are working on maintaining a relationship with the company.
"Who knows, the ketchup bottles could be part of that. We'll see," Rooney said.
Rooney said the organization didn't close the door on any local companies. He didn't say which companies came to the table or what their offers were, but he said the offer from Acrisure put the team in the best spot moving forward.
