The Washington Commanders will play their 2024 home games at the newly renamed Northwest Stadium, so named after the NFL franchise finalized a multiyear naming rights agreement with Virginia-based Northwest Federal Credit Union on Tuesday.
The new deal will run through the 2031-32 season. According to the Associated Press, the naming rights deal is worth $7.5 million a year.
“Northwest Federal Credit Union has been an integral part of this community for generations, and we could not be prouder to partner with an organization as committed to the [District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia region] as we are,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said in a statement.
The stadium, formerly known as FedEx Field before the shipping company exited the naming rights deal this offseason, is amid a $70 million renovation. Team officials unveiled new fan clubs, concessions areas and paint jobs before Sunday’s preseason finale, which Washington won 20-10 over the New England Patriots.
“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,” Harris said. ” And [we] look forward to creating incredible memories together on the field and in the communities we serve.”
The deal with Northwest will feature new logos on signs inside and outside the stadium. The credit union will also be represented through patches on the Commanders’ practice jerseys.
“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,” Jeff Bentley, Northwest’s CEO, said in a statement.
Harris is still hunting for a new stadium for the Commanders, noting on Sunday that he hopes to move the team by the 2030 season. The franchise is considering options in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
“It’s taking up a lot of my own mind space to find our next home, but we have conversations going with multiple jurisdictions,” Harris said. “Not a lot really to say, other than as you peel the onion, things get more and more detailed, more and more advanced.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has long expressed her desire to bring the Commanders back to her city, where the team played from 1937 through 1996.
The most likely spot for a new stadium in the city would lie on the site of the old RFK Stadium. D.C. officials commissioned two studies this year to analyze the viability and economic impact of a football field in the Northeast part of Washington.
“It is clear to a lot of people that the best site in the region is one that is centrally located, it is on Metro, it’s been a stadium,” Ms. Bowser told NBC4 on Monday about the RFK site. “And it has a lot of emotional attachment for players and fans.”
The land at the RFK site is operated by the National Park Service, so any new development would require federal approval. Legislation that would lease the land to D.C. is stalled in the Senate. Montana Republican Steve Daines said he won’t approve the bill until the Commanders honor their retired Redskin logo.
Despite Harris’ open flirting with the RFK site, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has said he plans to keep the Commanders in the Old Line State.
“We don’t just have land and space, but we have opportunity and we have a vision,” the Democrat told reporters at the Commanders’ training camp last month. “We really see this as something where you could have an entire experience that exists for fans not just to come watch games, but for people to live and exist as well.”
Last year, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin threw his state’s hat in the ring as the Commanders’ potential new home. The franchise already operates a training facility in Ashburn.
Virginia stadium talks have slowed since state legislators killed a proposed arena for the Wizards and Capitals in the spring.
For now, the Commanders will play their home games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland — 8 miles east of the nation’s capital.
To clear up the confusion related to the stadium’s directional name, some area residents have already offered nicknames for the building formerly known as Commanders Field.
NBC Sports’ JP Finlay offered the Fed, though several social media users noted the similarity to FedEx Field.
“Ex-Fed?” one X user joked. Others offered the Union as an alternative.
Commanders fans will see the stadium’s new branding for the first time on Sept. 15 for the home opener against the New York Giants.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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