The University of Arkansas announced on Thursday that its football stadium will carry a corporate name for the first time in more than two decades. Beginning with the 2027 season, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will be known as CommunityAmerica Razorback Stadium under a 13‑year sponsorship deal with CommunityAmerica Credit Union.
A legacy of naming rights
The stadium’s naming history stretches back to its origins as Bailey Stadium in 1938, a Works Progress Administration project. The name was dropped after Governor Carl Bailey’s defeat in 1941, and it was later rechristened Razorback Stadium before the Reynolds foundation added its name in 2000 following a $20 million gift.
The agreement does not affect the university’s core assets, and it leaves the institution’s academic and research operations untouched. It also marks the third occasion the stadium’s moniker has changed, reflecting a long‑standing effort to replace the Reynolds tribute that has adorned the venue since 2000.
Hunter Yurachek, the university’s athletics director, told the Board of Trustees in September that he expected the naming rights to generate between $4 million and $5 million annually. That figure places Arkansas among the higher‑end earners in the SEC, though it still trails the record‑setting deals at other conferences.
The partnership also reflects a broader shift in how college programs approach sponsorship. After more than two years of searching, the athletics department amended its contract with Learfield, its multimedia rights partner, to prioritize corporate suitors, including Arkansas‑based firms such as Walmart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, Stephens, Dillard’s, United Airlines, Kroger and FirstBank.
CommunityAmerica Credit Union, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, has expanded its footprint in Arkansas through a merger with Unify Financial Credit Union, establishing branches in Bentonville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Springdale and Lowell, as well as locations inside Harps stores. The new branding will be rolled out across the stadium’s exterior and interior spaces.
The agreement underscores the growing intersection of sports, business and regional identity, as universities seek sustainable revenue streams while corporate partners gain high‑visibility platforms. The stadium’s new name will debut in the 2027 season, ushering in a fresh chapter for Razorback football.