On Tuesday September 3rd .2024, at 11 AM eastern time the Cleveland Browns ownership group held a press conference at Cleveland Browns Stadium. It was not expected that the reason for the event was to announce the new domed stadium project in Brookpark Ohio. Currently the issue is being debated with the City of Cleveland and the Browns on what exactly to do with current stadium. The press conference was to announce to the new naming rights of the stadium to Huntington Bank Field. It is a new 20-year partnership with Huntington Bank and the Cleveland Browns. But the building needs more than a new name.

The city of Cleveland offered approximately $482 million dollars to contribute to half of the cost to renovate the current stadium. With this offer the Cleveland Browns will have to renew the lease with the city for another 30 years. The current lease is due to expire after the 2028 season. There is a problem with this offer and plan by Cleveland city officials.

The problem with the offer is the current stadium is not structurally sound. In 1999 the current Huntington Bank Field was built in a rush. The stadium was poorly built, and every corner was cut in its construction. The foundation is from the original Municipal Stadium that was poured in 1931. It has been reported that the current foundation on Huntington Bank Field doesn’t have another 20 years left in it. This information came from the builders and engineers that built the stadium in 1999.

There was no word on whether the new partnership the Browns have with Huntington Bank would have any effect on the new stadium. When Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was asked about it, he deflected the question. And he said it would be answered in the coming days. Corporate sponsorships of sports stadiums are nothing new.  A new name on an old stadium is nice. But a new stadium will be a lot nicer.