America First Field Unveiled As New Home Of Real Salt Lake

Sep 10, 2022, 5:07 PM | Updated: 5:07 pm

Home of Real Salt Lake, America First Field.(Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)

(Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake will now play its home games at America First Field after the club and America First agreed on a new multi-year partnership.

KSL Sports has learned that the new stadium naming rights deal between RSL and America First is among the biggest deals in the league between club and sponsor. The deal will last 15 years and will be worth upwards of $5 million annually.

“Since our inaugural game back in 2005, America First Credit Union has supported Real Salt Lake’s connection with this community, offering our amazing fans numerous in-stadium, grassroots and digital initiatives,” said Real Salt Lake President John Kimball.

“This partnership has grown immensely over our 18 seasons, and today’s unveiling of the America First Field signage and nomenclature propels the partnership to an entirely new level. Both RSL and America First Credit Union share many tenets, including an ambitious vision of, commitment to, and innovation for our collective community. The depth, breadth and term of this naming rights deal for America First Field is exemplary of that partnership, and we look forward to further deepening our jointly held roots across not only the great state of Utah but throughout the Intermountain West.”

#RSL unveils it’s new stadium partner, America First.

Rio Tinto Stadium will not be known as America First Field.

KSL Sports has learned that the deal is among the best in MLS. pic.twitter.com/EFZdAw2UDa

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 10, 2022

The news occurs following an overhaul for Real Salt Lake. New owners, David Blitzer and Ryan Smith, since taking control have altered the trajectory of the club. Manager Pablo Mastroeni signed on a full-time basis, the stadium enjoyed much-needed touch-ups and color, and now the stadium has a new name.

America First Field was built in 2008 and has been home to Real Salt Lake ever since.

It has enjoyed a large array of spectacles including the 2009 MLS All-Star Game, 2011 CONCACAF Champions League Final, 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Final, 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and a number of US men’s and women’s national team games.

Furthermore, the stadium has also been home to the Utah Royals who played its home games inside the building for its three-year existence in Utah.

Rugby is also another popular sport played at America First Field and once played home to the Utah Warriors before they moved their facilities to the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah.

The first concert ever held at Rio Tinto Stadium was by The Eagles in 2009, the stadium has also welcomed the likes of KISS, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, and Jason Aldean.