Credit union buys naming rights for Aloha Stadium field

HONOLULU (AP) - The field at Aloha Stadium has been renamed after a credit union purchased a three-year deal for the naming rights.

The field is now officially the Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union Field at Aloha Stadium. The credit union will pay $275,000 per year as part of the agreement.

That price is much lower than the $2.5 million Hawaii Airlines paid over the course of its five-year naming rights deal that expired in December.

Officials have cited declining attendance at UH games as a factor in the drop, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (https://bit.ly/2bnwEu0).

“I know it is far from what we would actually like to see and what was done in the past, but we’re just grateful that Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union was willing to step to the plate and negotiate a naming rights agreement for the field,” stadium manager Scott Chan told the Aloha Stadium Authority at a Thursday meeting.

The new name will be displayed on the field’s new $1.2 million artificial turf in time for the University of Hawaii season opener against Tennessee Martin on Sept. 10.

Officials decided to upgrade the turf earlier this year after the U.S. women’s soccer team abruptly canceled an exhibition game there in December when players complained of poor field conditions.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, https://www.staradvertiser.com