On Tuesday, August 6, Florida International University (FIU) Athletics announced a partnership with entrepreneur Armando Christian Pérez (a.k.a. Pitbull). The 10-year agreement will see FIU Stadium rebranded as Pitbull Stadium, making it the first athletics venue to have an artist possessing the naming rights.

Pitbull started his music career as a rapper in South Florida. Since his debut in 2004, the Grammy-winning artist has achieved worldwide success. His collaboration with the University includes multi-faceted marketing and promotional opportunities between himself, a Miami native, and FIU, the only public Division I school in Miami, FL.

“This partnership with FIU is a true honor and a testament to what we can achieve when we work hard,” said Perez. “Renaming the stadium isn’t just about a name change; it’s about inspiring the community, creating opportunities and showing the world that with determination and a clear vision, anything is possible. We’re making history together, and we’re just getting started. Why dream when you can live it?”

“Pitbull’s career trajectory mirrors FIU’s ascent as one of the nation’s top public research universities,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell. “Like FIU, he started out very 305 and became worldwide.”

The partnership also marks Pitbull’s participation in FIU football’s Vice Night, featuring Miami-style colors and merchandise, with the Panthers donning their Vice uniform. This year’s game, featuring a new Vice uniform, will take place on October 22 against Sam Houston State and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

“This is a historic day for FIU Athletics to uniquely partner with a world-renowned artist and amazing person who truly values relationships and his community,” FIU Director of Athletics Scott Carr commented. “Armando’s financial support is program-changing, but his providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand. I couldn’t be more excited about our partnership, as this will take us to another level. We can now officially say: ‘Paws Up, Dale!'”

Van Wagner College, FIU Athletics’ third-party multimedia rights partner since 2016, assisted with the collaboration and attracted additional partners to enhance the partnership further, including South Dade Kia, which will be the presenting sponsor of the field—South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium.

Perez, a longstanding advocate for education, founded the first SLAM! (Sports Leadership, Arts and Management) tuition-free K-12 public charter school in Miami in 2012. Leveraging sports, science, technology, media, and more to engage students, the institution supports nearly 10,000 students across 14 schools in Florida, Nevada, Georgia, Texas, and Arizona. In 2022, SLAM! was one of 38 school systems worldwide recognized as a System of Distinction for excellence in education by Cognia, a global school improvement and accreditation organization.

Perez’s work extends beyond the classroom with the newly formed Self 1st Foundation, which will “serve as an extension of those efforts to bridge opportunity gaps and foster real, tangible impact in underserved communities.” SELF 1st, which stands for ‘Strengthening Education to Level the Field,’ “enhances educational access and resources for minority and underserved populations across all levels of education, including college and trade school.” The organization seeks to “cultivate academic excellence, inspire young minds and create a more equitable society where every individual, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed through the transformative power of education.”

Images courtesy FIU