ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota United's new soccer stadium in St. Paul will be called Allianz Field.
The Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America has committed as the official sponsor of the stadium, slated to open in 2019.
Allianz has its name attached to stadiums in seven other countries, including Germany's Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich and site of a 2006 World Cup semifinal. This will be a first for the U.S.
Allianz had been looking to buy naming rights to the NFL stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, used by the Giants and Jets, but the team stopped negotiations in 2008 after the deal was criticized by Jewish groups and Holocaust survivors. The company said then it had atoned for its past history and should not be judged by its World War II record. The venue later was named MetLife Stadium.
The MLS stadium will initially have a seating capacity of 19,400 with possible expansion to nearly 25,000 in the future. The natural grass field will be heated and will measure 120 yards by 75 yards.
