As Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Huntington Bank CEO Steve Steinour, Huntington Bank Senior Executive Vice President and President of Consumer and Regional Banking Brant Standridge, as well as other members of the Browns ownership group gathered around a large green button, they ushered in a new era of Browns football.
They counted down and pushed down on the button, and the scoreboard and screens around the stadium illuminated with "Welcome to Huntington Bank Field," officially naming the Browns stadium "Huntington Bank Field."
"It's my honor to be really the first to officially welcome you to Huntington Bank Field," Dee Haslam said in her opening remarks. "We're thrilled to partner with Huntington. It's a bank that cares about neighborhoods, and it's a bank that gives back to communities."
On Tuesday, the Browns and Huntington National Bank announced a 20-year partnership that includes the naming rights to the Browns' stadium. Huntington Bank will also become the team's official and exclusive banking partner. The partnership strengthens both organizations' shared vision and long-standing commitment to the Cleveland community and broader region.
The discussions of a general partnership between the Browns and Huntington Bank began about four months ago. Those conversations continued to develop, and about six weeks ago, they moved in the direction of the naming rights for the stadium.
"We were down at Columbus for three days at the All-Star game and went by to see Steve," Jimmy Haslam said. "JW (Johnson) and I spent a decent amount of time with him, and we could tell there was mutual interest, and obviously big interest in getting things done before the first game with a national TV audience, the Cowboys, the Browns, Tom Brady's first game, et cetera. And so, everything came together. I think the teams worked well together. And I told Steve, when I saw our teams working on Saturday and Sunday, I knew it was going to happen. So hugely exciting day for the Cleveland Browns organization."
It's also a partnership that will follow the location of the Browns stadium, as discussions continue around either the renovation of the stadium on the lakeshore or a new domed stadium.
However, their partnership will extend beyond just then name of the stadium. The Browns and Huntington intend to launch new and dynamic ways to strengthen communities and neighborhoods across Northeast Ohio.
"Our partnership is not just about the name on the stadium, it's about what we can do together to make an impact on Northeast Ohio," Dee Haslam said. "Huntington has a program 'Ignite in the Classroom' that inspires students and will align perfectly with our Stay in the Game the fight chronic absenteeism. And we're really excited to be able to make an impact on students, not just in this region, but around the state."
When the Browns take the field for the season opener on Sept. 8, the signage featuring Huntington Bank Field will be on display for both fans in attendance and fans watching at home.
That viewership can help Huntington grow their brand nationally, as they see a value in being associated with the Browns and the exposure that comes with the NFL. It also benefits them locally as well.
"This is a very important market for us," Standridge said. "And so being here and being in Northeast Ohio and sending a message to our Huntington customers and colleagues in this market that this is important and we're willing to make a long-term investment, we think is powerful. And then Dee started this with her comments, but we are very aligned in our focus on giving back to the community. And so, we can see lots of ways that the Browns and Huntington will be able to work together going forward to contribute more to the community here in Northeast Ohio and Cleveland."
