UNT and Apogee today announced a 20-year naming-rights sponsorship agreement for the new Mean Green Athletics football stadium, located within the Mean Green Village athletics complex on the UNT campus in Denton, Texas. The $20 million deal is the second largest naming-rights agreement for college football stadiums to date.
Apogee Stadium is the centerpiece of the recently developed Mean Green Village, which encompasses most of the academic, training and competition facilities for UNT’s nearly 400 student-athletes. With a capacity of nearly 31,000, the stadium was built under the design and construction of award-winning companies HKS and Manhattan Construction. It features 21 luxury suites, 750 club seats, banquet space and a team spirit apparel store.
Apogee is the nation’s largest provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) for higher education. Since 2008, Apogee has successfully partnered with UNT to manage the student ResNet for the residential community on the UNT campus.
“As we began the process of attracting a partner for the stadium naming rights, our primary goal was to find a company that tied into and complemented the mission of higher education,” said UNT Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal. “I believe this partnership will benefit the University of North Texas in many ways and help make UNT a more productive and innovative place because Apogee is committed to those principles. To say we are excited to have Apogee on our team would be an understatement!”
The agreement between North Texas Athletics and Apogee was reached through a collaborative effort between North Texas Athletics, Apogee and Premier Partnerships - nationally recognized sports sales and advisory firm based out of Los Angeles.
“UNT found an ideal teammate in Apogee, a Texas-based company that shares our commitment to higher education and to having positive economic and social impacts. We know firsthand Apogee’s stellar quality and commitment to students and through this new partnership we are able to improve the environment for our students and our communities,” said UNT President V. Lane Rawlins.
“Apogee has a deep respect for UNT and we’re proud to partner with North Texas Athletics on the development of this new venue,” said Chuck Brady, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Apogee. “Both UNT and Apogee are dedicated to the advancement of higher education through innovative, technology-based learning and experience. UNT is a very progressive campus and we felt that culturally it was a great fit. If we can invest back into higher education while raising awareness of ResNet outsourcing for schools, it’s a win for the university, a win for UNT students and a win for us.”
With more than 36,000 students, UNT is the nation's 33rd largest university. As the largest, most comprehensive university in Dallas-Fort Worth, UNT helps drive the North Texas region.
“Apogee Stadium sits as a landmark near the entrance to UNT and is a symbol for the university’s commitment to provide students the best undergraduate education experience in Texas while fostering the three A’s: academics, athletics and the arts,” Rawlins said. “This state-of-the-art venue will give fans the opportunity to bond through Mean Green pride and to carry on the traditions that have been woven into the fabric of our local communities.”
As part of UNT’s dedication to green, Apogee Stadium is striving to become the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified stadium for standards for clean technology innovation. It will feature renewable energy, providing power through three 121-foot wind turbines with 30-foot long blades. It is estimated that the three wind turbines will offset the energy consumption of the stadium and Mean Green Village by about 6% and eliminate 323 metric tons of carbon dioxide being emitted annually.
Apogee Stadium will replace 59-year-old Fouts Field as the new home of the Mean Green. The first game in Apogee Stadium will feature North Texas versus Houston on Sept. 10.
About the University of North Texas
As a student-focused public research university with more than 36,000 students, the University of North Texas is the nation’s 33rd-largest public university. UNT offers 97 bachelor's, 88 master's and 40 doctoral degree programs, many nationally and internationally recognized. UNT is the flagship of the UNT System.
UNT is committed to providing students the best undergraduate education in Texas and is known for keeping high-quality public higher education affordable and accessible to a diverse population. UNT has awarded more than 200,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees with about 100,000 alumni living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A nationally recognized university, UNT maintains a legacy in music, art and education excellence as it is growing as a major research university.
About Apogee
Apogee is the largest, most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) in higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content.
About Premier Partnerships
Premier is a nationally recognized sports sales and advisory firm specializing in the development and execution of customized commercial sales strategies for top tier facilities, sports and entertainment destinations, league and team properties, and municipal projects. Premier was founded in 2003 to provide experienced, focused, passionate, and results driven commercial sales solutions. Headquartered in Los Angeles with representation in Washington, DC and New York, Premier was recently honored as Sports Business Journal's Best in Property Consulting, Sales and Client Services. Premier executives have created thousands of mutually beneficial business partnerships, including successful naming rights agreements at O.Co Coliseum, PPL Park, Viejas Arena, and Pizza Hut Park.
