CLEVELAND — On Monday, crews began removing the FirstEnergy signs off of Cleveland Browns Stadium, a symbolic end of the naming rights partnership that had lasted for a decade.
The Browns formally announced a mutual agreement to end its stadium naming rights deal with FirstEnergy on April 13. As a result, the facility once again is known as "Cleveland Browns Stadium," as it was from 1999-2012. FirstEnergy's naming rights to the stadium began in 2013 and had been scheduled to run through the 2029 season, when the club's lease at the facility expires.
The signage was removed off of the east side of the stadium on Monday.
While rigging could be seen above the FirstEnergy sign on the north end, indicating that it might be the next to come down.
Controversy over FirstEnergy's partnership with the Browns came to the forefront in recent months as a result of the company's involvement in the House Bill 6 bribery scandal, which notably led to criminal convictions for former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and ex-state Republican Party Chair Matt Borges.
Last June, Cleveland City Council passed a resolution urging FirstEnergy to relinquish its naming rights to the stadium — something Browns fans had already been calling for on social media since news of the scandal was first made public in 2020.
Whether the Browns will continue to keep their own name on the stadium or sell the rights to another company in the near future remains unclear. The Browns are considering their options for updating the facility that opened in 1999, with potential options including a renovation or a new stadium altogether.
