Talk About Timing: Mountain America Credit Union Announces a Reported $50 Million Naming Rights Deal for ASU's Football Stadium Just Hours Before ASU is Invited to Join the Big 12 Conference

Said to be the largest college football naming rights agreement in history, the 15-year deal between Sandy, Utah-based MACU and Arizona State University was announced just 36 hours before ASU was extended an invitation to join the Big 12 athletic conference and leave the Pac-12 conference. The outcome of the agreement is that ASU's Sun Devil Stadium has been renamed Mountain America Stadium.

Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium has been renamed Mountain America Stadium.

That transition offically occured last Thursday roughly 36 hours before the Big 12 athletic conference formally announced that its "Board of Directors (had) voted unanimously to admit Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and University of Utah to the Big 12 Conference."

As such, I heap massive praise on the executives and marketing team of Sandy, Utah-based Mountain America Credit Union for the timing of announcing its "historic naming rights deal" with ASU, whether it was driven by foresight or simply the luck of the draw.

According to a report by Sports Business Journal, this is a 15-year agreement worth over $50 million between MACU and ASU and it "... appears to be the largest naming rights deal for a college football stadium."

This 15-year agreement between Mountain America Credit Union and Arizona State University is reportedly worth over $50 million and is likely the largest ever naming rights deal for a college football stadium.

SBJ further reports that the MACU/ASU agreement also includes

• A $250 MACU donation to the Sun Devil Club for each field goal made by ASU athletes,
• Development of a shoe donation program for community members in need,
• "$20,000 in total annual scholarships split evenly between men’s and women’s sports,"
  "Student-athlete financial education programs, including personal coaching sessions; and
  An internship program at MACU for ASU student-athletes."

According to the news release announcing the agreement, Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of MACU said:

“This new partnership allows Mountain America to support hundreds of student-athletes and the Arizona community for many years to come through enhanced financial education, scholarship, internship, and cause marketing programs.”

The following MACU/ASU video provides a quick promotional overview of the scope and intent of the agreement.

In case you were not aware, the Mountain America Credit Union website explains that it was founded in 1934 and is currently the 10th largest credit union in the United States, with over $17 billion in total assets.