The Pittsburgh Steelers have called Heinz Field their home for over two decades now. Built in 2001, the stadium was named āHeinz Fieldā because of a naming deal with the company of the same name. While most ābrandedā stadiums have been frowned upon by its fanbase, Heinz is a special case, as the fanbase has grew fond of their stadium's name.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh's happy days with Heinz are coming to an end. Andrew Fillipponi broke the news that the Heinz Company has declined to extend its naming rights for the 2022 season. Because of that, the stadium will have a new name starting next season.
Breaking: Heinz Field is no more. The ketchup giant will not extend its naming rights deal for 2022. Sources say a new name for the stadium could be announced this week.
ā Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 11, 2022
The construction of Heinz Field started in 1998 with the goal of building a new stadium for the Steelers. The stadium officially opened in 2001 under its name after the company bought its naming rights for $57 million over the next 20 years.
Interestingly, the first group to set foot in Heinz Field wasn't even the Steelers. That honor goes to Justin Timberlake and his former group N'Sync. The popular group hosted a concert there in August of 2001. Funnily enough, N'Sync was also the last band to perform at Pittsburgh's old Three Rivers Stadium. Does that mean that a reunion tour is in the works?
It's strangely fitting that the end of the Ben Roethlisberger era coincided with this naming change. Big Ben's Steelers teams were synonymous with Heinz Field for a long time. It will certainly be weird calling that stadium anything but its previous name. Hopefully, they don't go the path of a certain stadium in LA when it comes to this name change.
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