MLS club San Jose Earthquakes have announced a brand new naming-rights deal for their soccer-specific stadium.
From 2015, the Quakes will play in the newly-built and named Avaya Stadium after reaching a 10-year agreement with the Santa Clara-based communications firm.
San Jose have played at the Buck Shaw Stadium since 2008 but will now move into an 18,000-seat venue near the San Jose International airport.
President Dave Kaval said: "We wanted a partner that wasn't just a name on the building, that brought strategic value.
"And especially in this area, having a technology partner, best of breed in their industry, that is a huge win for our fans, for the community, for the Quakes and for Avaya, too, because this can be a showcase for everything they're doing. Those are all the reasons we felt it would be a natural partnership."
Kaval added: "In privately financing a stadium, one of the critical aspects of success is building a commercial model.
"And this [deal] is really the foundation of that. It not only obviously helps reach those financial goals, but it's like a lighthouse for those other companies, that actually can see that and realize, 'Hey, this is a business venture and a project that is going to be successful.'"
OFFICIAL: Quakes partner with @Avaya, granting official naming rights of our new home @AvayaStadium! #Quakes74pic.twitter.com/jExO0gpzSQ
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) November 19, 2014
