The home of MLS’s Houston Dynamo and NWSL’s Houston Dash has a modified name, as branding has been unveiled for BBVA Stadium.
The new stadium name and corresponding signage change is part of BBVA’s ongoing brand unification happening across the globe. BBVA Group’s new logo and unified brand signals an advancement in the financial institution’s efforts to become a single, global digital entity in all areas where it operates.
“BBVA Stadium has been a key venue for the bank for multiple reasons,” said BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler. “It has hosted various sports, entertainment and charity events, cultivated a solid partnership between the bank and the Houston Dynamo and Dash, and over the past seven years, has provided an economic boost to the East End neighborhood. By updating the stadium’s name, we are re-establishing our commitment to creating even more opportunities to an up-and-coming area and its residents.”
More than 75 attendees were on-hand Thursday to witness the stadium’s name unveiling, which Rodriguez Soler led with a countdown from a press conference podium in the stadium’s Audi Sport Club.
In addition to the unveiling, Rodriguez Soler also announced the First Annual BBVA Classic, which will feature the Dynamo and Mexican powerhouse Club América from Liga BBVA. Previously known as the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup, the match will be held on Wednesday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. CDT as part of the new Leagues Cup tournament between Major League Soccer and Liga BBVA.
A portion of the proceeds from the game will benefit the Tejano Center for Community Concerns, a neighborhood resource center for families across Houston. The center, originally founded in East End in 1992, strives to develop education, social, health and community institutions that empower families to transform their lives.
A dozen students from the Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success Elite STEM Primary Academy’s girls and boys soccer teams attended the ceremony and were recognized during the press conference. The academy is one of the various programs the center offers to fulfill its mission.
Carlos Torres Vila, BBVA Group Executive Chairman, also made the trip from Madrid, Spain to attend the press conference and took a moment to address the people in attendance on behalf of the bank’s global operations.
“BBVA’s brand name unification and logo change are part of our purpose, to bring the age of opportunity to everyone. This new identity underscores BBVA’s commitment to provide its customers global products and services and the best user experience, developing solutions that help our customers make the best decisions in their lives and their businesses,” said Torres Vila. “I’m honored to have been in Houston to demonstrate our commitment to the city by unveiling our unified brand name and new logo on one of Houston’s own landmarks, the BBVA Stadium.”
The Thursday press conference also included an array of key Houston leadership and figures, including City Councilman Robert Gallegos, representatives from the City of Houston, the East End District, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, Houston Dynamo Legend Bobby Boswell and Houston Dynamo and Dash President John Walker.
“BBVA Stadium has quickly established itself as a premier sports and entertainment venue not only in Houston, but in America,” Walker said. “Along with our partners at BBVA, we look forward to continuing to deliver championship-level experiences to fans from around the world and showcasing the BBVA brand on a global scale for years to come.”
BBVA Stadium first opened in 2012 and has played host to more than 325 ticketed events including Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash homes games, Texas Southern Universityhome football games, international soccer and rugby matches and concerts. The stadium has hosted 19 different international soccer clubs, 29 men’s and women’s national soccer teams and 17 men’s and women’s national rugby teams.
The facility previously went by the name BBVA Compass Stadium.
Image courtesy BBVA Stadium.