The Worst North American Pro Sports Venue Name Changes
Image Courtesy of AEG Worldwide.
By Sam Bergstrom
Last week, I breezed through some of the best name changes pro sports venues have made in recent years—ones that enhanced the identity of teams and their fanbases. But, the sad reality is that there are far more ill-favored alterations made for these venues than not. Stadiums, ballparks, and arenas develop unforgettable legacies with their renowned names. Then—as it often goes—these legacies are tarnished because the teams receive a boatload of money from companies to change the venue’s naming rights. Here are the worst name changes from different North American professional sports venues.
Image Courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.
MLS: Red Bull Arena to Sports Illustrated Stadium
As a Northern New Jersey native, this one stings, big time. I witnessed a fair share of Red Bull ragers in high school, and when I heard the name was being changed to Sports Illustrated Stadium, I felt a part of my childhood whisper goodbye. From 2008 to 2024, “Red Bull Arena” had such an amazing ring to it. It gave fans, especially those in the south ward supporter section, undying energy to support the team—Red Bull Arena gave us wings. Unfortunately, if your team name is in the title of the venue, it is simply bound to be taken away for financial incentive. I suppose it was only fitting that once hometown hero John Tolkin took off for the German Bundesliga, the Red Bulls would lose another core part of their identity with this name change.
Image Courtesy of Reuters.
NBA/NHL: Staples Center to Crypto.com Arena
From 1999 to 2021, Staples Center was the paramount home for the sport of basketball. The Lakers won six championships while calling Staples Center their home. Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game, his iconic dagger against the Suns in the 2006 playoffs, and his remarkable 60-point outing in his final career game all happened in the Staples Center. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan—members of the “Lob City” Clippers—threw down an unhealthy diet of ruthless poster dunks in this arena. Hockey saw some immaculate moments, too. The Los Angeles Kings won the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup titles on their home ice, including a thrilling double overtime Game 5 finish in the latter championship.
Funnily enough, the name was officially changed to Crypto.com Arena during the Lakers’ Christmas Day game of 2021. For Laker fans who attended this game, seeing Crypto.com on the court had to be worse than receiving coal in their stockings. The house that Kobe and Shaq built officially entered a new era, one that is now ruled by a URL link and foreign currency. Perhaps Luka Dončić will give this arena invigorating life, but it will never be the basketball staple it once was.
Image Courtesy of WKBN.
NFL: Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium
From 2001 to 2022, one of the NFL’s most accomplished franchises played at a field named after a ketchup company. A bit funky, sure, but Heinz Field had personality. It’s hard to explain, but there was something mystical about those two ketchup bottles facing toward the shiny red and gold sign. When the bottles were tragically taken down after becoming Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh lost a key part of what makes it such a blue-collar city. After constantly looking at the Jumbotron, I’m sure Steeler fanatics were craving a hot dog with ketchup and mustard during the entirety of these games! And now what do the fans think of? Their insurance plans? I’m sorry, Steel City, you don’t deserve this.
Image Courtesy of Stadium 51.
MLB: Minute Maid Park to Daikin Park
This ballpark was originally named Enron Field from 2000 to 2002, but it was quickly changed due to Enron’s major business scandal, which led them to go bankrupt. Fifteen years later, the Astros ironically committed a massive scandal of their own; Houston notoriously stole pitching signs during the 2017 season on their way to their first World Series title.
Most MLB fans hold resentment against the Astros for their cheating scandal in 2017. Therefore, I suppose the biggest Astro haters were rejoicing when they heard about this egregious name change. Minute Maid is a fun and youthful brand that associates perfectly with the game of baseball. I nostalgically remember buying an ice-cold Minute Maid pink lemonade bottle from the local pizzeria and sipping it down during the steamy summer days, playing sports with my friends. Rather than feeling youthful, Daikin—the world’s largest manufacturer of HVAC—simply reassures Astros fans that their ballpark is air-conditioned to their liking.
Image Courtesy of Flickr.
NHL: Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim to Honda Center
The Anaheim Ducks have a wacky (one might say a quacky) history. The team was founded by Disney and was named The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, inspired by The Mighty Ducks movie released in 1992. Naturally, a duck resides in a pond. So, the Mighty Ducks’ home was the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, or “The Pond” as fans would call it, from 1993-2006. What a fitting combination, right?
Well, Disney wound up selling the team in 2006, which meant the fantastical “Mighty Ducks” title was no more; they simply became the “Anaheim Ducks.” With this mopey maturation, the Honda Center became the Ducks’ new habitat. Duck fans should not be too sad about their dried-up pond, however. In the inaugural year of the Honda Center era, Anaheim raced away to their first Stanley Cup title. Who knows? Maybe all that Disney magic was phony, and the true sorcery simply lies behind the wheel of a Honda.
