Pitbull Adresses The World For The First Time Following FIU Partnership
MIAMI, FL - On Tuesday, August 6th, FIU and recording artist Pitbull agreed on a partnership that will change the name of the football stadium to Pitbull Stadium - something never before done by a collegiate program.
"It's a great day to be a Panther and it's a great day to make history," said Athletic Director Scott Carr in the press conference. "Every time we talk about somebody, we're talking about how they have a tie to FIU. They're an FIU alum. They've got ties to FIU. We have over 250,000 living alumni in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. Think about that, in just those three counties, 250,000 alumni. We have power in numbers. We need you engaged. We need you supporting us and we can take this to a whole new level. So in closing, I'm thrilled to be the first to be able to say Paws Up, Dale."
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Pitbull, also known as Armando Christian Pérez is well known for the nicknames "Mr. 305" and "Mr. Worldwide." As a Miami native, Pitbull has helped fund schools around the state and continues to be a driving force in the community through donations and now by purchasing the naming rights to the stadium.
"For me, what it boils down to is Miami is always known for being underdogs," said Pitbull. "No matter what we do and what level we take it to, I would say even the whole state to a certain extent, but being underdogs is what I always felt about FIU...to just be seen, to be recognized, whether it be from education, business through sports, and me having ties at FIU with people that I love dearly and with everything I that I have, you know, they're no longer with us, some of them, but they're always with us. It's a very, very special moment.
One thing Pitbull did make known was the fact that he doesn't consider this a sponsorship of any kind. In fact, he believes that this is a movement that will open doors to ignite the community and allow for FIU to be put on the national, and worldwide, radar.
Panther football plays their first home game of the season on September 7 when they host Central Michigan.