University of Illinois Changes Football Field Name to University of Phoenix Field at Gies Memorial Stadium After Reaching Naming Rights Deal with For-profit University

University of Illinois Athletics and the University of Phoenix have just announced a new transformative partnership in support of the University's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and its student-athletes.

This change comes as college football teams across the country are increasingly making field and stadium naming rights deals. Recent examples include Indiana University's Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium, Penn State's West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, and Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. These changes come as the need for new revenue streams to support athletes and programs become more vital to a university athletic department's health in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.

University of Illinois' Director of Athletics had this to say - "We put a tremendous value on who we partner with as an athletic department, when the University of Phoenix approached us with their proposal, we could not pass it up. They seemingly cared about our students more than their own, and that type of commitment is what we are looking for in a partner. It's not just about the money, their shared goals and commitment to this great university and the student athletes who proudly represent it really sealed the deal."

"As we prepare for the IPO of our parent company, Phoenix Education Partners, on October 8, the opportunity to associate ourselves with such a prestigious university could not be underestimated." - said University of Phoenix's President.

Illinois Football fans can expect to see the new partnership on display throughout the season. "University of Phoenix Field at Gies Memorial Stadium" will be prominently displayed in multiple locations on the stadium's playing surface. New interior, exterior, and directional signage will also be evident this season.