Comerica Park will be renamed to Fifth Third Park starting in 2027
By Max White , Ruta Ulcinaite
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DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Tigers and Fifth Third Bank announced that Comerica Park will be renamed to Fifth Third Park starting in 2027.
Last year, Fifth Third Bank acquired Comerica iBank n a nearly $11 billion dollar deal, and with that merger came the expected name change of Comerica Park.
Comerica Park has been the home of the Detroit Tigers since the team moved to the stadium in 2000. At the time, it signed a 30-year naming rights deal with the Tigers that was set to expire in 2029.
However, in 2018, the team announced a five-year extension on the naming rights through 2034.
“The decades-long relationship between the Detroit Tigers and Comerica is authentic, steeped in tradition and ties together two household names in Michigan and across the nation,” a statement from Ilitch Holdings said in 2018. “The depth and breadth of our partnership with Comerica Bank stands out. We’re extremely excited to build on that partnership in coming years with the Tigers, as well as the Red Wings, and throughout The District Detroit.”
During a press conference on Monday, Fifth Third officials said people have been asking about the name change, and said “We believe we have a responsibility to be good stewards” of the park for many years to come.
Fifth Third already has its name on several sports venues. It includes Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Fifth Third Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia and Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Signage changes will begin at the start of next season. The last few games of the regular season will include new activations to get fans acclimated to the change.
Director of the Center for Sport Marketing Research at the University of Michigan Dae Hee Kwak says the reason you see company names atop sports stadiums is because it’s mutually, financially beneficial, with teams getting a significant financial boost and the companies getting brand exposure.
“There is an added value to being the exclusive naming partner for the stadium for many years to come,” Professor Kwak said. “It will take some time for fans, to get them familiarized with this new name for sure.”
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