America First CU Snags Naming Rights for Utah Soccer Venue

Professional soccer team Real Salt Lake’s Sandy, Utah venue officially became AMERICA FIRST FIELD on Saturday as part of a naming rights deal with Utah’s largest credit union.

According to an announcement from the $17.4 billion, Riverdale, Utah-based America First Credit Union, which has been affiliated with Real Salt Lake (RSL) since 2005 and was the club’s original corporate sponsor, the new venue name is just one element of an expanded partnership between RSL and the credit union – it also includes digital and traditional branding for America First at AMERICA FIRST FIELD, and the release of a co-branded America First/RSL debit card and credit card that will provide cardholders with exclusive benefits including discounted tickets, concessions, merchandise and special access to events.

“We’re elated to expand our relationship with Real Salt Lake and Major League Soccer by having our name on this elite sports and entertainment venue, and by offering the exclusive RSL-branded credit card and debit card,” America First President/CEO Thayne Shaffer stated. “This partnership will provide value to our members and help us continue to invest in our community and in organizations that support individuals, families and businesses as they work toward their personal and financial goals.”

In addition, the two organizations plan to continue working together on various community outreach initiatives throughout Utah, and America First will continue to serve as a presenting sponsor of various digital properties of RSL and Real Monarchs – a professional soccer club that is owned by and serves as the reserve team of RSL – as well as sponsor RSL’s youth camps and clinics, the credit union said. Also in the works is an America First-RSL promotion with local small businesses, which will result in the awarding of a single-season marketing and advertising sponsorship opportunity at AMERICA FIRST FIELD, the announcement said.

“Since our inaugural game back in 2005, America First Credit Union has supported Real Salt Lake’s connection with this community, offering our amazing fans numerous in-stadium, grassroots and digital initiatives,” Real Salt Lake President John Kimball stated. “This partnership has grown immensely over our 18 seasons, and today’s unveiling of the AMERICA FIRST FIELD signage and nomenclature propels the partnership to an entirely new level. Both RSL and America First Credit Union share many tenets, including an ambitious vision of, commitment to and innovation for our collective community. The depth, breadth and term of this naming rights deal for AMERICA FIRST FIELD is exemplary of that partnership, and we look forward to further deepening our jointly held roots across not only the great state of Utah but throughout the Intermountain West.”

In other news concerning credit union partnerships within the world of professional and college sports, Wescom Credit Union ($6 billion, Pasadena, Calif.) announced a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnership with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student-athlete and women’s softball star Maya Brady on Tuesday. Wescom’s first partnership of its kind since the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to profit from their NIL last year, it marks an expansion of Wescom’s existing seven-year partnership with UCLA.

The NIL partnership kicked off last month and runs through February 2023, according to Wescom’s website. During that time, promotions featuring Brady will be visible at UCLA Athletics events, as well as on Wescom’s website and social media channels.

Wescom supports the UCLA community by running a full-service branch on campus, offering exclusive products and services such as credit card reward programs and the UCLA Technology Loan, and serving as the official banking partner of a number of UCLA entities.

“We are excited to collaborate with UCLA Women’s Softball student-athlete Maya Brady, an outstanding individual on and off the field,” Ashley White, vice president, partner development for Wescom, stated. “Wescom is proud to serve the entire UCLA Bruin community and help students, like Maya, build better financial futures by offering personal service and products and services tailored to their needs.”

Brady stated, “I’m thrilled to partner with a financial organization so passionately committed to the Southern California communities it serves. As a result of Wescom’s ongoing support, UCLA students such as me have access to free finance-related educational resources that will empower us to make smarter decisions when it comes to our financial well-being. I chose UCLA for its academic rigor and athletics program, and I’m choosing to partner with Wescom because of their Bruin-focused initiatives that build better lives on and off campus.”