A little more than a week after the Broncos stadium was officially renamed Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the man credited with obtaining the naming rights for the Colorado-based company has resigned from the sporting goods retailer.
Jeff Schumacher, formerly Sports Authority’s chief marketing officer, “has resigned from The Sports Authority,” the company said in a brief statement.
“After leading several important and successful initiatives for the company, including the exciting new partnership with the Denver Broncos, Jeff plans to pursue new interests in his career,” said the statement. “We thank him for his contributions to the company and wish him the best in the future.”
Last Thursday, Schumacher relaxed in the mid-morning sun outside the stadium’s south entrance where the large new Sports Authority logo was unveiled.
Schumacher said it took a little more than a year for Sports Authority to decide if it made sense to seek the naming rights.
This was the second major departure from Sports Authority after the naming rights were obtained.
A week after inking a deal to hang the Sports Authority name on the stadium, Englewood-based Sports Authority said its chief executive, David Campisi, had resigned. The company said Campisi’s departure was a personal decision and “had nothing to do with Sports Authority’s relationship with the Denver Broncos or its decision to assume the stadium naming rights.”
The Metropolitan Football Stadium District voted on Aug. 16 to change the name of Invesco Field at Mile High to Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
At the time of Campisi’s resignation, Ray Baker, the stadium district’s chairman, said Campisi’s resignation wouldn’t affect the name of the stadium or an on-going, long-term relationship between the district and Sports Authority.
On Sept. 8, at the unveiling of the logo, officials from the Broncos and city praised Sports Authority.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
