Steelers fans seeing red after Heinz name shake-up
The Steelers revealed on Sunday that their beloved Heinz Field was undergoing a name change, but the stadium’s new title hasn’t exactly garnered rave reviews from fans.
One day after announcing H.J. Heinz Company’s decision to relinquish the naming rights of the Steelers’ home turf, the team announced its home will now be called Acrisure Stadium. Acrisure is a Michiganbased insurance brokerage firm.
During the offseason, team president Art Rooney II expressed his desire to retain the Heinz Field name, which had acted as a Pittsburgh pillar for over 20 years. The Steelers signed a one-year naming rights deal with Heinz in 2020 after the pair’s initial agreement expired, but ultimately were unable to form another long-term deal.
A name change is not the only alteration that will accompany Acrisure’s recent acquisition. The Steelers’ stadium is adorned with several Heinz ketchup symbols — most notably two massive bottles on each side of the scoreboard — that will likely be removed.
Fans on Twitter were quick to bash the new title for its far less appealing ring.
“There’s a name that just rolls off the tongue,” one fan sarcastically commented, while another tweeted “All in agreement that we will continue to call that place Heinz Field?”
The Pittsburgh Clothing Company acted fast, creating a “It’s still Heinz Field to me” shirt.
After years of stability, Steelers fans have witnessed drastic changes to their favorite organization this offseason. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement in January after 18 seasons with the team. Now, the Kenny Pickett-Acrisure Stadium era may soon begin.