Tennessee reaches long-term deal with Knoxville-based Pilot to preserve name of Neyland Stadium

Tennessee announced on Tuesday a long-term deal with travel-center giant Pilot that will preserve the names of Neyland Stadium and Shields-Watkins Field while giving the Knoxville-based company prominent signage throughout the stadium, including on the playing surface.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but it will initially be for up to 20 years with the possibility of extensions, the school and company said.

The deal comes as schools that play big-time college sports search for new revenue streams to address rising costs, including more money than ever going directly to athletes.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White said the partnership could be described as a naming rights deal without a name change, protecting the traditional name of Tennessee's 101,915-seat stadium.

White said conversations with Pilot CEO Adam Wright and his team about a branding deal started more than a year ago, well before the NCAA tweaked its rules to allow schools to put sponsored branding on playing surfaces.

“There’s always been a rule that a stadium-naming agreement allows for corporate branding in the stadium, on the field,” White said. “And we structured this in a way where we knew from the onset that changing the name of Neyland Stadium or Shields-Watkins Field was never an option. It’s way too iconic of a building.”

Pilot and the University of Tennessee have a long history. Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, a Tennessee alum, is the former CEO of the company as well as a longtime supporter of Volunteers athletics. Haslam's father, Jim, played football at Tennessee for Gen. Robert Neyland, the coach whose name is on the stadium, and founded Pilot.

Pilot will be designated as the presenting partner of the $337 million Neyland Stadium renovation project. That includes new signage on the east side of the stadium with “Home of the Vols” along with the company's logo, and Pilot convenience shop in the concourse selling snacks and beverages.

“Simply put, even just saying (Neyland Stadium) preserved by Pilot to me is worth it,” Wright said.

For power conference schools such as Tennessee, a revenue-sharing system that could direct as much as $21 million per year to athletes could begin as soon as 2025. The plan is part of the settlement of multiple antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and conferences and still needs approval from a judge.

Naming rights deals for stadiums and arenas figure to become popular across the country.

Just last week, Florida International announced a deal with Grammy-winning musician Pitbull that includes naming rights to the school's 20,000-seat football stadium.

For many schools, however, stadiums and arenas have names steeped in tradition and meaningful to fans. Altering them in any way to accommodate corporate sponsorship would risk backlash.

At Nebraska, for example, Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is dedicated to Nebraskans killed while serving in the military.

Cornhuskers athletic director Troy Dannen said a deal that would change the name of the stadium is not something he has even contemplated, but balancing traditions with financial needs will create tough calls for administrators throughout college sports.

“There are a lot of things that have been held sacred over time that whether you're able to hold them sacred in this new environment is an outstanding question that we're all going to have to face,” Dannen said.

Tennessee first played football at Shields-Watkins Field in 1921. It was named for William Simpson Shields, a Tennessee trustee who paid off a debt that was owed on the land and gave it back to the university, and his wife, the former Alice Watkins.

The stadium grew around the field and in 1962 it was expanded to more than 52,000 seats and dedicated to Neyland, who served two stints as Tennessee's coach for 21 years (1926-52). His teams went 173-31-12, won five Southeastern Conference championships and the 1951 national title.

“The impact he had on this program, as a coach, it's his vision. That's why the stadium’s there,” White said. “We were never going to change the name. So it was about how do we preserve the name and build a win-win partnership that allows us to reinvest in our fan experience.”

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FILE - Tennessee players run onto the field at Neyland Stadium before an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Texas A&M Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)

CHICAGO (AP) — Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics started slowly, tussling early with the Chicago Bulls.

But the defending NBA champions came on and prevailed 123-98 on Saturday night, with Tatum's 43-point, 16-rebound and 10-assist effort earning the five-time All-Star comparisons to former Celtics great and Hall of Famer Larry Bird.

Tatum's third career triple-double was the first for a Celtics player that included 40 or more points since Bird scored 49 points with 14 rebounds and 12 assists against Portland in a 152-148 double-overtime win on March 15, 1992, according to the team.

Tatum emphasized winning is what matters most, but a little icing on the cake isn't bad.

“Larry Bird is probably the best player to ever wear this uniform," Tatum said. "So any time you accomplish something in the same sentence as him, it's something special, even if you never reach that pinnacle.”

Bird finished with 59 triple-doubles in his 13 seasons with Boston. According to the Celtics, Tatum's was the first for the team that included 40 or more points and 15 or more rebounds. Tatum's effort also counted as his sixth straight double-double and 14th this season.

Tatum got rolling in the second quarter, then scored 18 points in the third as Boston used a 19-8 run to open a 93-77 lead heading into the fourth. He finished 16 for 24 from the floor, hitting 9 of 15 3-point attempts. Two free throws rounded out his scoring line.

“As a basketball player, you feel the rhythm, the ball is finding you,” Tatum said. "You're just being active all over the place and probably in that third quarter.

“Joe (coach Mazzulla) just challenges me every night, just to amplify my teammates and figure out ways to dominate all over the court. Obviously tonight, I'm scoring a lot and getting rebounds. It just looks different on a given night.”

The game was tied at 42 midway through the second quarter, then the Celtics and Tatum found offensive rhythm. Boston had a 61-54 lead at the half using an 8-0 run to open a 12-point lead at one point. Tatum and the Celtics took charge in the third after the Bulls had closed to within five points.

“He went outside what we normally do and that's a testament to him,” Mazzulla said. “Just his shot-making, his decision-making, his ability to rebound. I thought he kind of controlled the entire game.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum shoots as Chicago Bulls' Nikola Vucevic watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)