Camping World scores naming rights to Citrus Bowl Stadium

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – First came the remake. Now the Citrus Bowl has a new name.

Camping World, the top RV retailer, has signed a long-term exclusive rights deal to rebrand the 80-year-old venue as Camping World Stadium effectively immediately, officials announced Tuesday.

“We’re proud to partner with Florida Citrus Sports and the Central Florida community to help build memories for the next generation of residents and visitors,” Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises said in a released statement.

With 14 Camping World SuperCenters in Florida, Lemonis said the company looked forward to strengthening its brand and supporting the growing RV and camping community in the Orlando area.

In addition to the stadium, Camping World agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal for the three upcoming neutral site college football games to be played at the stadium. Beginning with the Sept. 5 showdown between Florida State and Ole Miss, the games will be known as the Camping World Kickoff.

Recently, it was confirmed that the rivalry game between Florida and Miami will played at the iconic stadium in 2019.

“When we first started discussion about the Kickoff series, we told FCSports that their continued pursuit of high caliber teams was key if our name were to be tied to the series” Lemonis said in the statement. “The Florida and Miami matchup is another great example of that commitment and we’re thrilled to help ensure that the highest quality matchups are brought to the Central Florida community.”

The Citrus Bowl underwent $207 million in renovations in 2014 to become a state of the art stadium capable of attracting even bigger events. Besides college football, the stadium has been host to numerous concerts and is set to host the WWE WrestleMania for the second time.

The city is currently in the running to host the NFL Pro Bowl in 2017. The NFL still hasn’t made a decision on what city will host the 2017 Pro Bowl, but on Tuesday spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed Orlando is in the running with Houston, Honolulu and Sydney, Australia, to host the Pro Bowl this upcoming year.

The stadium already plays host to three college bowl games: Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl and AutoNation Cure Bowl.

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