The Columbus Crew has revealed the name of its new stadium: Lower.com Field.
The team announced Tuesday morning its naming rights partnership with Lower.com, an online mortgage lending company based in New Albany.
Columbus Crew majority investor and co-owner Dee Haslam said it was important for the team to partner with a company located in Central Ohio for the naming rights to the new stadium. She added that the company has the same values as the soccer club, such as high performance, strong relationships and developing their team.
"We can't wait to welcome our supporters to Lower.com Field," Haslam said. "They have been and continue to be the foundation of our club."
Lower.com CEO Dan Snyder said when he got the call about the naming rights, he expected the call to be about buying season tickets, or maybe getting a suite for his company.
"Little did I know that it would be such a wide, big investment and a partnership, and we'd actually get our name on the actual stadium, which is just amazing," Snyder said.
While specific details of the deal could not be revealed by Snyder and the Crew office, Snyder said he hopes that the naming will not only benefit getting his company's name out nationally but also benefit Columbus as a whole.
"We felt like it checked a bunch of boxes for us," Snyder said. "We want to make sure we're taking care of our backyard."
Crew executive vice president Steve Lyons said there were multiple companies that made offers for the naming rights, but they ultimately landed on Lower.com. He said most of the companies interested were local, but there was national interest as well.
"For us, aligning with the culture and the values of Lower, aligning with somebody as cutting-edge and forward-thinking as Dan and his company, and also looking at their core demographic … All of this just tied together and it was a perfect story for us," Lyons said.
Lyons added that he expects fans to be excited not only about the stadium's name, but that the team is upholding their goals to bring together more local partners for the new venue.
"I think once they see who this company is and their core values and their culture, they're going to be incredibly excited," Lyons said. "I think we have the best naming rights partner in the league."
The Crew will play its last game in the Historic Crew Stadium on June 19 against the Chicago Fire FC, and will play its first game at Lower.com Field against the New England Revolution on July 3 as the stadium officially opens.
