The Washington Commanders and Northwest Federal Credit Union have struck a new naming rights agreement for the football team’s stadium in Landover, Maryland.
The stadium will be known as Northwest Stadium. An official rollout is planned for Sept. 15, the team announced Tuesday, as the Commanders play their home opener against the New York Giants.
Fans can expect to see new branding across the stadium, including a new stadium logo and signage. During practices, members of the team will wear a Northwest patch on their jerseys. The team also said that Northwest Federal Credit Union members will get perks including discounts on tickets and merchandise.
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Commanders owner and managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement that the team is proud to partner with an organization committed to the DMV.
“As we continue to work toward our goal of building the Commanders into an elite franchise that consistently competes for championships, we are excited to welcome our team and fans to Northwest Stadium and look forward to creating incredible memories together on the field and in the communities we serve,” he said.
"Together, we look forward to ensuring that Northwest Stadium is an impactful place where we rally together over our common love of football, giving back to the community, and creating memorable experiences that last a lifetime," Northwest Federal Credit Union President & CEO Jeff Bentley said in a statement.
Maryland stadium renamed amid effort to bring Commanders back to DC
The name change comes amid a push by D.C. leaders to lure the Commanders back into the District, a move that team ownership appears to support.
Harris said this week that he's "incredibly motivated" to bring the Commanders back to D.C., and is hopeful that, after November's election, Congress will move forward on a bill paving the way for the team to move to the old RFK Stadium site.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has vocally supported bringing the Commanders back to D.C.
"I think that the city and the Commanders will have to make some decisions about the land," Bowser said. "It is clear to a lot of people that the best site in the region is one that's centrally located, it's on Metro, it's been a stadium and it has, also, a lot of emotional attachment for players and fans."
The stadium was known as FedExField for decades
The stadium was named FedExField since 1999, about two years after it was completed, according to the team. FedEx announced in February that it would pull out of the naming rights agreement two years early; it wasn't due to expire until 2026.
Since then, the stadium has been called Commanders Stadium.
It's another big change after years of upheaval for the Commanders, including the team's own name change, new ownership and, more recently, the announcement that team President Jason Wright would depart after the 2024 season.
The Commanders previously announced plans to spend $40 million to upgrade infrastructure and the fan experience at the Landover stadium.
The Commanders' lease at the stadium is set to expire in 2027.
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