1 of 5 | Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played at Pittsburgh's Heinz FIeld for his entire NFL career. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI |
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July 12 (UPI) -- Ben Roethlisberger can be counted among the critics of the Pittsburgh Steelers stadium's recent name change, as the retired quarterback wrote on social media that the move to Acrisure Stadium "doesn't seem right."
Roethlisberger delivered his opinion on the name change Monday on Twitter and Facebook. The Steelers announced hours earlier that Heinz Field will now be known as Acrisure Stadium.
"I can't believe it, it doesn't seem right or real," Roethlisberger wrote on his social media platforms. "Home will always be Heinz Field! I will never forget the last game, and all the amazing fans at Forever Heinz!"
Roethlisberger, 40, announced Jan. 27 that he would end his decorated 18-year NFL career. The two-time Super Bowl champion entered the league as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. The Steelers' home stadium was known as Heinz Field for his entire career.
Pittsburgh officials said Monday that the naming rights deal with the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based financial technology and insurance broker is for 15 years. The stadium opened in 2001 as Heinz Field.
"We are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a news release. "Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums."
Kraft Heinz released a statement Monday about the change and said it couldn't "justify" paying the same amount Acrisure paid for the naming rights deal.
"While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay significantly more than we could justify," the Pittsburgh-based company said.
"While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we're excited to announce the details of our new partnership in the days ahead."