Pittsburgh Steelers fans nearly rioted when the football home they came to know at Heinz Field was renamed.
On July 11, 2022, the Steelers announced a new naming rights agreement with Acrisure LLC. Acrisure, an insurance and brokerage company based in Michigan, has ties to Pittsburgh through its purchase by Tulco, a company founded by Steelers minority owner Thomas Tull.
Many Steelers fans still refer to the venue at 100 Art Rooney Ave. as Heinz Field, refusing to call it Acrisure Stadium.
NFL legend Jason Kelce, host of the “New Heights Podcast” with his brother Travis Kelce, is right there with Steelers Nation.
“It’s Heinz Field. I’ll never not call it Heinz Field. I’m not dealing with this nonsense,” Kelce said on the Dec. 11 episode of “New Heights.”
“You only get one stadium name when it first comes out. I’m sticking to it. I’m over the corporate naming-renaming. It’s over. I don’t give a f–k who pays for it.”
Amen, brother.
Jason Kelce on it being called Heinz Field not Acrisure:
“It’s Heinz Field. I don’t give a f*ck who pays for it.”#steelers@newheightshow pic.twitter.com/P8ZOLOx81s
— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) December 18, 2024
Steelers home: Heinz Field history
Ground was broken for what would be the Steelers’ (and Panthers’) new home on June 18, 1999. The stadium opened in August 2001, with the first event being an N’Sync concert. However, the stadium’s unofficial opening was a Steelers preseason game against the Detroit Lions on August 25.
The first regular season game was between the Pittsburgh Panthers and East Tennessee State on Sept. 1. The Steelers’ home opener (Week 2 of the 2001 season) was initially scheduled for Sept. 16 against the Cleveland Browns; however, due to the September 11 attacks, all NFL games of the week were postponed. The Steelers’ home opener came in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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