Dos Equis
September 15, 2025
World Champions Cup
September 20, 2025
Pilot & Flying J
THE BACKGROUND
Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, the truck stop and c-store giant has a longstanding relationship with both the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Athletics, and is always looking for better ways to deepen their hometown – and home team – connection.
THE CHALLENGE
Evaluate, negotiate and provide a recommendation on sponsorship opportunities like naming rights to the basketball arena and baseball stadium, a new premium seating area in the football stadium, even a stadium-adjacent entertainment district.
Renaming Shields-Watkins Field or the iconic Neyland Stadium – named for the man most responsible for the growth and development of Tennessee's proud football tradition – was considered a non-starter by The Vol Network, rightfully fearing PR backlash.
OUR SOLUTION
First, Best, Only
In true Intersport fashion, we pitched an unprecedented, nontraditional naming rights partnership centered around the preservation of the football stadium and field, then in the midst of a long-term $337 million renovation project.
Announced in August 2024, NeylandStadium preserved by Pilot™ as well as Shields-Watkins Field preserved by Pilot™ strategically integrated the brand in a way all parties were comfortable with, benefitting a wide variety of key stakeholders from student athletics to fans to alumni.
RESULTS
In only the second year (2025-26), Pilot is on pace to reach fan awareness levels that typically take 8 years for naming rights brands to reach.
Sponsor-aware fans are choosing Pilot over competitors, shopping Pilot more frequently and buying more when they shop.
College football fans rank Pilot higher across the entire brand funnel than non-CFB fans do.
of the coverage leaned negative – unheard of for a naming rights deal of any kind.
Advertising Value Equivalency generated from earned media via 6.48 billion potential impressions
