SEATTLE — Qwest Field is no longer.
That’s not to say that the stadium that houses the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC unexpectedly went the way of the imploded Kingdome this week, but rather that said stadium has be renamed CenturyLink Field.
The Seahawks, Sounders FC and First & Goal, Inc. announced the change Monday, and a press conference will be held Thursday to reveal the CenturyLink Field’s new logo.
The news hardly comes as a surprise, as a merger went through in March between Qwest and CenturyLink, a Monroe, La.,-based telecommunications company. At the time of the merger, CenturyLink said in a statement that existing Qwest sponsorship contracts would remain in place and re-branding would be evaluated. This week, the re-branding happens.
Qwest bought the naming rights of the stadium previously known as Seahawks Stadium in 2004, agreeing to a 10-year deal that included a five-year option. Sounders FC will play the first game in the renamed stadium when it hosts New York Thursday night.
“Although the name of this facility will change; the history, tradition and spirit of the 12th MAN and the Sounders FC supporters will never change,” Seahawks, Sounders FC and FGI president Peter McLoughlin said in a statement. “We are excited about our partnership with CenturyLink and our on-going commitment to positively impact the fans of the Pacific Northwest.”
By John Boyle, Herald Writer
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