Rutgers football stadium gets new multi-million dollar naming rights sponsor

Rutgers announced on Friday that it reached a deal with SHI International Corp., a global IT provider, to give it the official naming rights of its 52,454-seat football and women’s lacrosse venue, according to a press release.

The stadium was previously known as HighPoint.com Stadium.

The contract will have SHI pay $1.25 million in the first year for exclusive signage around the stadium and on promotional platforms such as television. The deal will last seven years, with payments increasing by $100,000 each year and SHI paying $1.85 million in 2025-26, according to an article on NJ Advance Media.

“As the state university of New Jersey, we are thrilled to partner with SHI,” said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. “Headquartered right here in Somerset, SHI proudly embraces its strong Rutgers ties. As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football here at the birthplace, we are delighted to partner with a company that shares in our relentless pursuit of excellence. This partnership will positively impact athletics, the University and the New Jersey community.”

The stadium’s previous deal with HighPoint Solutions, signed in 2011, was worth $600,000 a year. Year One in the new deal will be double the previous deal’s amount, and Year Seven will be worth triple, according to the article.

Rutgers football, which played the first college football game in New Brunswick in 1869, has in recent years joined the Big Ten Conference, putting the team up against top programs like Michigan and Ohio State. It moved to its current stadium in 1994, with more than 10,000 seats expanded in 2009.