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Pete Thamel, ESPN
International recording artist Pitbull has purchased the naming rights to Florida International‘s football stadium, it was announced Tuesday.
The FIU board of trustees voted Tuesday to approve a five-year deal to give the name Pitbull Stadium to what’s currently known as FIU Stadium.
Pitbull will pay the school $1.2 million per year for five years, according to the documents tied to the vote. The rapper, singer and businessman, whose name is Armando Christian Perez, is also known as “Mr. 305” — a nod to Miami’s area code — and attended Miami Coral Park High School.
“For me, what it boils down to is, Miami is always known for being underdogs, no matter what we do and what level we take it to,” Pitbull said. “… Being underdogs is what I always felt about FIU — fighting, clawing their way to just be seen, to be recognized whether it be from education, business, through sports.
“So when this idea came about, it came about just like a Miami-Dade County, 305 idea would come about — nobody would believe in it. … All we had to do was, just like we say in Miami, take it to the house.”
The Miami-based university becomes the first to have a college athletics building named after a musician.
“What we’re doing here is groundbreaking. We’re making history. This is history in the making,” Pitbull said. “You’re going to see that every other university is going to want to do the same thing. But the difference is, we don’t do this for propaganda, we do it from the heart. We do it because it’s meaningful. We do it because I’m from the crib. I’m 305. I’m from the bottom. This is my backyard.”
Included in the deal is an option for Pitbull to renew the agreement for five additional years.
As part of the deal, according to FIU board documents, Pitbull will create an anthem for FIU, post about the school on social media 12 times a year and appear at one athletics fundraising event per year throughout the term of the agreement.
Pitbull will get use of the stadium 10 days per year throughout the term of the deal and the vodka company he owns will be the preferred brand distributed in the stadium. There’s also perks like two reserved suites for all home football games.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000, according to the FIU website, and opened in 1995.
Pitbull will also be involved with FIU’s efforts in the name, image and likeness space, athletic director Scott Carr said.
“This is a historic day for FIU athletics to uniquely partner with a world-renowned artist and amazing person who truly values relationships and his community,” Carr said. “Armando’s financial support is program-changing, but him providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand.”
FIU has been playing football since 2002 and has been in the FBS since 2004. They’ve played in five bowl games in school history, haven’t had a winning season since 2018 and are coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons under coach Mike MacIntyre.
The Panthers will host Central Michigan on Sept. 7 for the first game in Pitbull Stadium.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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