Detroit ― A new name is coming for the Tigers’ home ballpark, possibly as soon as 2027.
Monday’s announcement that Fifth Third Bancorp is acquiring Comerica Bank for $10.9 billion means that Comerica Park, the Tigers’ home since 2000, will eventually be renamed, officials said, and that it could happen after the 2026 season concludes, according to officials.
“We’ll definitely come back to that and work with all the partners to say, what’s the right name to be on the ballpark,” said David Girodat, Fifth Third’s Michigan regional president. “It’s an iconic asset in the city of Detroit.”
Comerica Bank confirmed Monday there are no plans to change the stadium’s name for the 2026 season, but said a rebrand is to come. The bank said it will work collaboratively with the Ilitch family, which owns the Major League Baseball team, on the eventual transition, with Fifth Third continuing as a sponsor of various sports properties.
Representatives from the Tigers’ parent company, Ilitch Sports & Entertainment, declined to comment Monday.
Erik Gordon, a law and business professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, said most naming agreements include a provision that says if the company changes its name or is acquired, the sports facility gets the name of the new company, typically at the new company’s expense.
Comerica Bank, founded as the Detroit Savings Fund in the 1800s and headquartered in Detroit until moving to Dallas in 2007, has held the naming rights of the Tigers stadium since it opened. That deal marked the first stadium naming rights in franchise history.
Two years before the Tigers’ ballpark opened, Comerica Bank signed a 30-year, $66 million deal with the Tigers for the naming rights, and that was to run through 2029. In 2018, that deal was extended by five years, through 2034.
Before the 2025 season, the Tigers increased the amount of company signage at the stadium, replacing the script “Tigers” with Comerica’s name atop the top of the big scoreboard in left field and adding it behind home plate, as well.
“Fifth Third and Comerica share a deep commitment to the communities we serve, including Detroit. Comerica Park is a beloved landmark with a rich history, and we recognize its significance to Tigers fans and the city,” Fifth Third and Comerica said in a joint statement to The News on Monday morning. “As we move forward with the merger, we remain focused on honoring the legacy of both institutions and continuing to support the places and partnerships that matter most to our customers and communities.”
It’s worth noting, Fifth Third has a history of baseball stadium naming rights, as well. The Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, play in Fifth Third Field, and the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Tigers’ Single-A affiliate, used to play in Fifth Third Ballpark. That stadium now is called LMCU Ballpark.
The expected acquisition of Comerica Bank would make Fifth Third Bancorp the ninth-largest bank in the country.
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