EDUCATION
A decade-old naming deal gets reshuffled as UWF’s new football stadium changes the math on PenAir Field.
The University of West Florida Board of Trustees will vote Thursday, Aug. 13, on a plan to rename the UWF Fieldhouse the “PenAir Field House at UWF,” a move that grows out of a decade-old naming agreement with PenAir Credit Union and the University’s push to open its new football stadium.
The item, listed as BOT-4 on Thursday’s agenda, is presented by Tori Bennett, UWF’s vice president for the Division of Advancement and president of the UWF Foundation. See 2026.08.13 Pen Air Naming.
Background
Back in 2016, PenAir Credit Union made a $1 million commitment to support UWF football. In gratitude, the University named its on-campus football field “PenAir Field” for a 10-year term set to expire June 30, 2026.
- In 2020, with UWF still playing its home games downtown rather than on campus, the University and PenAir amended the deal, tacking on three more years and pushing the naming term to June 30, 2029.
Fast forward to the construction of Darrell Gooden Stadium, UWF’s new home field. As that project came together, the University asked PenAir to let the “PenAir Field” name come off two years sooner than planned — in 2027 instead of 2029. PenAir agreed.
The intent of this agreement is for UWF to provide PenAir Credit Union the naming rights for “PenAir Fieldhouse” for three years as a substitute for taking the name off of “PenAir Field” two years early.
- Note: To build the stadium, UWF Trustees approved borrowing up to $20 million from the UWF Foundation earlier this year. A lead gift of more than $9 million from the Gooden family secured the naming rights in 2024, and Escambia County’s Tourist Development Council kicked in $2 million after the former inUWF president, Dr. Martha Saunders, lobbied the TDC and County Commission in the spring of 2025.
The New Deal on the Table
In exchange for giving up those two years early on the stadium naming, UWF is proposing to hand PenAir the naming rights to the Field House instead — for three university fiscal years, running July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
- PenAir Field (inside the stadium) keeps its name through June 30, 2027
- PenAir Field House naming begins July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2029
- PenAir Credit Union owes no additional money beyond its original 2016 commitment to get the Field House naming
What’s Next
If trustees approve the item Thursday, UWF will begin updating signage, publications and digital materials to reflect the “PenAir Field House” name. The football stadium itself will continue operating as “PenAir Field” for one more season before that name comes off in 2027, clearing the way for whatever comes next at Darrell Gooden Stadium.
