<
>

Nissan has deal for Nashville's Titans stadium naming rights

The home of the Tennessee Titans will have a new name this season.

The Titans reached a naming rights deal with automobile manufacturer Nissan North America.

The Titans officially announced the 20-year deal Thursday with the team's home being rebranded as Nissan Stadium. Signage will be installed in time for the 2015 season.

"This partnership sends a strong message about the positive future on the horizon for the Titans franchise, Nissan, the City of Nashville and Middle Tennessee," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. "In their fourth decade of operations in Middle Tennessee, Nissan has made yet another significant investment that demonstrates the strength of their commitment to the region. We are proud to partner with one of the world's most respected companies in Nissan, and we look forward to the positive impact of this relationship on our franchise and the City of Nashville."

The stadium was previously called LP Field due to a 10-year naming rights deal with Louisiana-Pacific Corp., a manufacturer of building materials, industrial wood products and pulp.

That deal began in 2006 and was set to expire soon.

The Titans have played in the same stadium since 1999, the same year they were renamed the Tennessee Titans. The team moved from Houston in 1997 and played in Memphis for one year as the Tennessee Oilers for one season.

They played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998.

From 1999 to 2002, Adelphia Business Solutions held the naming rights. The stadium had no naming rights deal for the next four seasons, before the 10-year deal with Louisiana-Pacific Corp.

The Titans will face the St. Louis Rams at the newly named Nissan Stadium in a preseason game on Aug. 23. Their regular-season home opener is Sept. 27 against the Indianapolis Colts.