![University of Tennessee]()
Gonna be able to get some scratchers and $40 on pump 2 at halftime?
Of course stadium sponsorship deals aren't exactly new. It's more common in the NFL, but in college we've got Kentucky playing at Kroger Field, Minnesota has Huntington Bank Stadium, and even the iconic Carrier Dome of Syracuse has been renamed the JMA Wireless Dome.
But there are some stadium names that are just too iconic. And I would put Neyland Stadium in that category (even though I'm not really a Tennessee fan).
The stadium was named after General Robert Neyland, who was not only an officer in the United States Army but also served as the athletic director and football coach for the University of Tennessee. During his 21 seasons as coach, the Volunteers won four national championships and a 173-31-12 record.
Neyland passed away in 1962, and shortly after his death the university officially renamed their stadium to Neyland Stadium.
And with college football getting more expensive in this age of NIL, fans weren't ready for the Vols to change the name of Neyland just to attract some more sponsor dollars.
Well today the university unveiled their plan to keep that from happening and maintain the Neyland Stadium name. Tennessee entered into a 20-year partnership with Pilot Flying J, a chain of truck stops based in Knoxville, to sponsor their football stadium - but the name isn't going to change.
According to the university, new "Home of the Vols" signage with Pilot branding will be installed in the stadium, and the Pilot logo will be painted on the Neyland Stadium field. The truck stop chain will also be featured in sponsored content with athletics programs and the Vol Network.
https://twitter.com/Brent_Hubbs/status/1823391923790655691
Of course, fans were happy that the name of the stadium is going to be preserved. But people had a lot of jokes about the Volunteers partnering with a gas station for their stadium:
https://twitter.com/JByGodRod/status/1823392789297828028
https://twitter.com/RainesJerr56740/status/1823438972598583434
https://twitter.com/229_Dawg/status/1823398591731249410
https://twitter.com/SSN_Alabama/status/1823362902604325005
https://twitter.com/JByGodRod/status/1823450023603884165
https://twitter.com/James_D_Collins/status/1823369127039279337
Of course I'm sure Vol fans won't mind the jokes if that Pilot money helps them win a national championship.
