Sounders FC on Wednesday morning announced a multiyear naming rights deal for their home playing surface, which will now be called the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field.
The casinos are owned by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. According to a news release, hundreds of members of the Puyallup Tribe will attend Saturday’s match between the Sounders and Austin FC, when the team unveils the newly named pitch. As part of the match’s opening ceremonies, Puyallup Tribe cultural director Connie McCloud will perform a pitch blessing.
“We are proud of this partnership with Sounders FC and honored to see our name and our salmon (logo) on the pitch at Lumen Field,” the Puyallup Tribal Council said in a news release. “Our impact in this region is positive and wide, from jobs to entertainment, and we want to ensure we team up with other community leaders that are also generous and welcoming to all people.
“The Sounders have been a joy to partner with and are committed to learning about and honoring our deep history and culture here as Puyallup people. We congratulate them for all their achievements.”
The deal also includes the new Sounders FC & Puyallup Tribe of Indians Career Development Program, offering soccer and arts opportunities to students at Chief Leschi Schools, which are operated by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. There are also internship opportunities “being developed.”
“We’ve enjoyed working alongside the Puyallup Tribe and EQC in an official capacity as our jersey sleeve patch and official replay sponsor since last year, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to grow that relationship even deeper as we move forward together in this new, expanded affiliation,” Sounders FC president of business operations Peter Tomozawa said.