Almost a literal year after officially announcing that they had bought the naming rights, American Family Insurance today revealed the new name for Miller Park starting in 2021 – and it's not particularly hard to predict: American Family Field.
Multiple sources first reported the new name Monday night, but American Family Insurance eventually made the name official with a formal press release and tweet.
We are proud to announce the new stadium name for the @brewers starting in 2021 as American Family Field. We look forward to continuing our commitment to the Milwaukee community and beyond! https://t.co/FQLHem0npC pic.twitter.com/UO3kopHEAc — American Family Insurance (@amfam) January 22, 2020
"The name American Family Field incorporates what we learned from fans, the Brewers and marketing research that included analysis of our brand and other sporting venue names," said Jack Salzwedel, American Family chair and chief executive officer, in the release. "The name is short, simple and sweet with its alliteration of ‘Family’ and ‘Field.' The words ‘American Family’ capture our brand and reflect the family-oriented atmosphere that our research showed fans clearly value in the ballpark."
The new name will officially go into effect starting on Jan. 1, 2021, with the company's naming rights agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers running through 15 years.
As for the name, it's ... pretty much what you probably expected when the name change was announced last January. And it's very respectable! It's certainly no Smoothie King Center in New Orleans or KFC Yum! Arena in Louisville or even the new Truist Park in Atlanta. Plus, dropping the "insurance" part of the brand name definitely helps the new moniker roll off the tongue better than if the company's entire name got crammed in there – though it's a bit disappointing that the Brewers' spring training complex basically has the same name, making it feel a little less special.
Time will tell how the name will sit and if Milwaukeeans end up shortening it even more to AmFam Field – or if we end up just calling it Miller Park for the next 15 years anyways. After all, some people are just now finally moving past Milwaukee County Stadium.
Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more updates on the new name – including the ballpark's new logo and branding, expected to be announced later this year according to American Family Insurance. And in the meantime, enjoy and savor this final season of Miller Park as we know it.
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.