What the heck is going on with the Stadium Naming Rights deal?

In the many years I have written for Mile High Report, I’ve come to know that there are only two things that rile up the fanbase as much as an underdog showing promise within a position battle. One is any conversation over the uniform and the other, sadly, is what we call and what we want to call our beloved stadium.

The uniform discussion will have to wait for another day, because as of today, there is still no stadium sponsor in place. While the signage and branding of the defunct Sports Authority chain may conjure nostalgic feelings from the Super Bowl 50 season, rest assured the Broncos brass views it as offensive as naming it Mervyn’s, Blockbuster, or Circuit City Field at Mile High.

Is time running out for the Broncos to select which corporate overlord will be forced to adapt their logo and color-scheme to appease an ornery and loyal Denver fanbase?

The answer is, ‘no.’ In 2011, when the Broncos stadium naming rights last became available after the failure of Invesco, it wasn’t until the middle of August that the announcement was made.

...but what about the branding? Will there be time to switch out the stickers on the cup-holders and the signage on the outside of the stadium? The answer is, ‘yes.’ The Broncos, knowing that a stadium-naming negotiation was going to drag on throughout the offseason, built in as much time as possible to get the best deal. If you look at the 2017 preseason schedule, you’ll see that the Broncos first two games against the Bears and 49ers are on the road.

Sadly, Broncos purists who yearn for it to be called Mile High will be disappointed. With the amount of money that’s at stake, nostalgia and sentiment have to take a backseast to the balance-sheet. The Broncos are going to sell the naming rights and likely will do so around the Broncos first pre-season game in August.

Here we go again....

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