Columbia Bank lands naming rights to Husky Stadium
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 29: The field before the college football game between the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks on November 29th, 2025 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, WA. (Jesse Beals / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - The University of Washington has reached a licensing agreement with Columbia Bank for the naming rights of Husky Stadium.
The deal was approved by the UW Board of Regents on Thursday afternoon. Husky Stadium will be called Columbia Bank Stadium beginning January 1, 2027. According to Christian Caple of On Montlake, the deal is reportedly worth $70 million over 10 years, making it the richest annual naming rights deal in college football.
"This is the kind of partnership great public universities should be building," school president Robert J. Jones said in a statement. "It brings together two institutions with deep roots in Washington and creates opportunities that extend well beyond Athletics. Columbia Bank Stadium will be the most visible expression of the relationship, but the larger opportunity is to develop meaningful collaborations that benefit our students, student-athletes, alumni and communities throughout the state while responsibly growing the resources that support our mission."
It's the first time the stadium itself has had a naming rights partner. Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium was the one previous sponsorship agreement involving the stadium, which expired this year at the conclusion of a 10-year agreement earlier this year.
The backstory:
Columbia Bank will become the fourth signature partner of the Washington athletics program, joining Alaska Airlines, PepsiCo and Starbucks. Columbia Bank will have its logo on the 25-yard lines at the stadium, as Alaska Airlines did under their previous agreement.
The deal is part of a broader plan "to support student-athletes' long-term financial well-being and future, while creating high-impact opportunities for students, alumni and communities across all three UW campuses."
"This is a historic long-term partnership for Washington Athletics and the University of Washington," athletics directors Pat Chun said in a statement. "Columbia Bank Stadium will be the most visible expression of the relationship, but the greater opportunity is what we can build together for our student-athletes, students and communities across Washington. At a time of extraordinary change in college athletics, partnerships like this help us create sustainable resources, expand opportunities, and continue investing in the people and programs that make Washington special."
Washington worked with One Roof Sports and Entertainment – the holding company of the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena – to develop the agreement with Columbia Bank. The agreement has aspirations of creating initiatives to help student-athletics with their financial futures. Per the news release, the plans include:
- Debt-Free Dawgs, focused on helping students build stronger financial foundations and reducing financial barriers to education opportunities,
- Financial Literacy for Every Husky, expanding access to practical financial education and resources for all students;
- NIL to Net Worth, helping student-athletes understand how to translate short-term NIL opportunities into long-term financial health;
- Financial Health Across Washington, leveraging the University's statewide reach and Columbia's regional presence to strengthen communities; and
- Additional academic, student, workforce, and community initiatives now in development.
"We're incredibly proud that Columbia Bank Stadium will become such a visible part of the larger University of Washington community and the tradition of Husky athletics," Columbia Bank president Chris Merrywell said. "Most importantly, UW leadership has a clear vision for expanding educational access and opportunity for students that our partnership will help advance. Over the next decade, we want to build something that creates lasting value for the University and Columbia, connecting our bank to the next generation of students, professionals and business leaders."
The Source: Information in this story came from The University of Washington, On Montlake and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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