Pitbull’s collaborations in the music world helped turn him into a Grammy Award-winning international superstar and entrepreneur, but his latest partnership represents a groundbreaking foray into college sports.
Florida International announced Tuesday during a news conference that it is renaming its football stadium “Pitbull Stadium” for the next five seasons in what’s believed to be an unprecedented sponsorship arrangement between a university and a celebrity.
The five-year deal is worth $6 million — Pitbull will pay the school $1.2 million annually and has an option to extend the contract an additional five years — according to ESPN. It includes Pitbull’s purchase of the naming rights to the stadium, the sale of Pitbull’s Voli 305 Vodka at FIU games, use of the venue for 10 days each year, an FIU anthem created by Pitbull, the title of “official entrepreneur of FIU athletics” and other promotional and fundraising perks.
The facility, formerly known as FIU Stadium, has a seating capacity of 20,000 and opened in 1995. FIU athletic director Scott Carr said it’s the first time an athletics venue will be named after a musician. The arrangement was formally approved by the FIU Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
“What we’re doing here is groundbreaking. We’re making history. This is history in the making,” said Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez. “You’re going to see every other university wants to do the same thing. But the difference is we don’t do this for propaganda. We do it from the heart. We do it because it’s meaningful. We do it because I’m from the crib. I’m 305. This is my backyard.”
The singer and rapper — known as “Mr. 305” because of his Miami upbringing — acknowledged that he didn’t attend FIU, nor did he graduate from high school, but that he has ties to the school through “people that I love dearly.” He also emphasized that investing in education has become one of his passions.
“I want to say thank you to FIU for believing in me and believing in this movement,” Pitbull said.
FIU football will host its first game at Pitbull Stadium on Sept. 7 against Central Michigan.
