Comerica Park renamed Fifth Third Park starting in 2027 season
The Detroit Tigers and Fifth Third announced on Monday that Comerica Park will be renamed Fifth Third Park beginning with the 2027 season.
The announcement came before the Tigers kicked off a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.
"It's so much more than where the Tigers play baseball," said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment. "Everything that's happened in downtown Detroit all started with the dream of bringing the Tigers downtown, and so many memories have been created for this incredible community since then, and there are so many more memories to be created in this incredible ballpark. That's why Fifth Third is such a great partner of ours. We have a dedication to this community and the great people who live here."
Tigers fan Alex Lucas told CBS News Detroit that she's bummed by the name change.
"My husband's grandfather was a higher up with Comerica, so when it became Comerica, we were very excited and have always had an allegiance to it, but when they talked about changing the name, it kind of made us sad, so we made the choice to travel from St. Louis here so we could get another game in at Comerica and kind of say our farewells to it," Lucas said.
Comerica Park opened in 2000 as the new home of the Major League Baseball team, the Detroit Tigers. Its namesake was Comerica Bank, a regional bank whose history began in Detroit.
The Tigers have been playing under signs that read "Comerica Park," but it appeared likely that 2026 would be the last season with that name.
It's been almost a year since Fifth Third Bank announced an acquisition merger of Comerica Bank. Almost immediately, there were questions about naming rights and intentions for the stadium, but bank officials said it was too early to discuss any potential changes. A series of bank branch closures and transfers has taken place in recent months.
"Baseball stadiums change their names all the time. So it really doesn't matter what it's called, we all know we're going to see the Tigers, that's what it's about," baseball fan Scott Paul said when the bank merger was announced.
Fifth Third Bank has held past or present naming rights for several sports stadiums, including Fifth Third Field in Toledo, home of the Mud Hens, Toledo's Triple-A Minor League Baseball affiliate with Detroit.
The MLB regular season ends on Sept. 27, and then the playoffs begin for the run-up to the World Series in October.
