'Mile High Stadium' Name A Longshot
By Mark Ackerman
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Broncos President Joe Ellis said the team is helping the Metropolitan Football Stadium District find a new naming rights partner for Sports Authority Field.
Addressing reporters at the opening of training camp, Ellis said a naming rights deal is "something that needs to happen."
Many fans have been active on social media calling for the taxpayer funded stadium to drop the corporate sponsorship and revert to "Mile High Stadium." Ellis said finding a naming rights partner will help fund upkeep to the stadium for years to come.
"I realize there is some sentiment for some other solution," said Ellis, "But these funds for naming rights go a long way."
He said the Broncos have had forecasts done which estimate stadium improvements will cost $300 million over the next 30 years.
"We don't want to be stuck where we were having to build a new stadium," said Ellis who pointed out the new Los Angeles football stadium could cost $2.5 billion to complete. "The goal is to continue to strive and make Sports Authority Field better."
Ellis said the Sports Authority name will stay on the stadium for now. He conceded there "certainly are lessons learned" after the last two companies (Invesco and Sports Authority) that had their names on the stadium went bankrupt.
While the Broncos and the stadium district are courting new naming rights partners, Hilco Streambank has also been hired through Sports Authority's bankruptcy process to auction off the naming rights.
A spokesperson for Hilco Streambank said a deal through bankruptcy court could happen by the end of the week.
Mark Ackerman is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. Follow him on Twitter @ackermanmark
