Since the NFL-playing Pittsburgh Steelers moved into their new facility in 2001, it has always been named Heinz Field. After two decades there has been a change - starting from this season the facility will thus be called Acrisure Stadium.

Construction of the arena began in mid-1999, when the old Three Rivers Stadium was still standing nearby, before being imploded. Some 12,000 tons of steel were used to build the stands and besides structural role, the steel is also a distinctive aesthetic element of the ground, as wished by Pittsburgh Steelers owners. They asked HOK Sport (now Populous) to make the steel industry history visible in the new stadium’s identity.

Construction took almost exactly two years. More controversy was raised by the budget of $281 million, covered from public funds. Despite the stadium formerly still being public property, it was transferred to Steelers and Panthers management after opening. Despite two football teams being hosts here, the ground was opened with a live concert by ‘N Sync.

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The naming rights were acquired by food processing giant Heinz in 2001. The deal, worth some $57 million, lasted until the last season, however, we already know that the contract will not be renewed. Terms of the new, 15-year agreement were not disclosed. Acrisure, the facility's new sponsor, is one of the top ten global insurance brokers, having grown its revenues to more than $3.8 billion in eight years. We are thus dealing with a real force in the global market.

The arrival of a new sponsor marks a new chapter in the history of the club from Pennsylvania. The top bookmakers companies would also like to take advantage of the moment of transition as they will certainly focus on locating their businesses near the venue, if not in the stadium itself. 

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"We are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium (...) Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums” - said the Steelers president, Art Rooney II.

Acrisure Stadium is the only sponsored venue where the team has ever played. Previously, it held its games at Three Rivers Stadium, Pitt Stadium, and even earlier at Forbes Field. The last big deal the franchise signed with a major brand, was the construction of a new training facility in the South Side. For Acrisure, this is also not its first investment in sports. The company owns the naming rights to an arena currently under construction in California.

Top 5 games that were played by the Steelers at Heinz Field

Steelers fans witnessed some amazing games at Heinz Field before they changed the name. They will surely pass on these good memories to the younger fans who will continue watching the games at the Acrisure Stadium. Here are the top 5 games that the Steelers played at the Heinz Field.

5. Steelers vs Bears (December 11th, 2005)

This was an unforgettable game as the Steelers were on a three-game losing streak and looking for a turning point. The game took place in some harsh weather conditions, which added to the overall fans' excitement.

At that time, Jerome Bettis was 33 years old and managed to rush 101 yards and complete two touchdowns. In the end, the Steelers were victorious with the final score being 21-9 in their favor. We must note that this was the year when the team from Pittsburgh became the world champions.

4. Steelers vs Browns (January 5th, 2003)

Many NFL fans often forget about this game, but it's a game that everyone should know about. It was a game that featured an incredible comeback that went in favor of the Steelers. At halftime, the team was trailing 17-7 and the Browns thought they'd clinched a victory.

However, when the second half began, the Steelers looked like an entirely different team. They were still losing some points throughout, but in the end managed to win with a score of 36-33.

3. Steelers vs Ravens (January 15th, 2011)

The Steelers met with the Ravens in a divisional round that involved a lot of physicality and quirkiness. It was a pretty close game right until the end. The team from Pittsburgh lost the first three-quarters of the match. However, two minutes before the end of the game, the score was 24-24.

Fans were witnessing some astonishing plays on the field. In the end, the Steelers won the game with a score of 31-24. It all looked like the perfect scenario for a Hollywood movie.

2. Steelers vs Packers (December 20th, 2009)

A highly unpredictable game that took place during freezing cold weather. The Steelers started out the game as they intended, ending the first quarter with a score of 14-7. At the beginning of the last quarter, they had a lead of 24-14. But, this is when the Packers took the initiative.

They took their first lead with 7:49 left to play and then their second lead at 2:12. But, in the last seconds of the game, Roethlisberger found Wallace, who ended it all with a touchdown. The final score ended 37-36 to the Steelers.

1. Steelers vs Ravens (January 18th, 2009)

Lastly, we have the game that booked the Steelers a place at the Super Bowl 43. It all started smoothly for the Steelers, who got a lead of 6-0 in the first quarter. The team managed to hold on to a solid lead right until the start of the last quarter.

With 9:29 left to play, the result was 16-14 for the Steelers, which meant that a dramatic finish was about to occur. However, at 4:24 left on the clock, Troy Polamalu makes a 40-yard interception return and clinches a touchdown. The Steelers ended up winning the game with 23-14.