The rebrand is now complete: After a sweeping club makeover during the offseason, Columbus Crew SC's stadium is also getting a new name ahead of the 2015 season.
On Tuesday, Crew SC announced that Crew Stadium will now be called MAPFRE Stadium (pronounced "MAH-fray") after a multi-million dollar naming rights partnership with MAPFRE Insurance, a global insurance leader serving more than 23 million customers in 47 countries. The deal represents the largest partnership in Crew SC club history.
In addition to the stadium name, MAPFRE will also participate in several other Crew SC community programs.
Crew Stadium is the first soccer-specific stadium in MLS history, opening its doors in May 15, 1999. It underwent multi-million dollar renovations before the 2014 season, including the installation of a state-of-the-art scoreboard on the south side.
The first home game for Crew SC at MAPFRE Stadium in 2015 comes on March 14 in a Trillium Cup match-up against Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET, TSN2 and MLS LIVE in USA). Crew SC open their 2015 campaign at Houston on Saturday, March 7 (8:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
