There will not be a PGE Park come 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. – KATU Sports has learned that PGE Park will no longer be called PGE Park in the not-so-distant future.
The owner of Portland's Timbers soccer team, Merritt Paulson, tells KATU Sports that the Stadium Sponsorship deal with PGE is ending shortly and the newly renovated downtown stadium will soon have a new title sponsor.
"PGE wants to continue on in a meaningful level here," Paulson said. "They're going to be a founding partner going forward to major league soccer. It's been a great arrangement with them, but the name will not continue to be PGE Park into the longer future."
In short, the MLS team will "very likely" be playing at a park with a different name.
PGE, which has had stadium naming rights since 2001, will remain involved as a Timbers sponsor as the team makes its Major League Soccer debut next year.
Paulson said he hopes to announce a new title sponsor within the next several months.
Soccer comes to the park
In February 2010 Portland City Council voted four to one to approve a $31-million plan to remodel the Park – booting the Portland Beavers to make way for a soccer stadium. As such, this year marked the last baseball season at the park, with the Beavers baseball team still looking for a new home.
By that time, provisional construction was already beginning to convert the stadium. Though Major League Soccer won't officially start in Portland until 2011, the Timbers even joined major-league U.S. Open Cup play in June.
Paulson did not disclose how much the team is asking for the title sponsorship spot – now that a major league team is playing on its field.
– KATU.com Reporter Jennifer Meacham contributed to this report.
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