What’s in a name?
The Metropolitan Football Stadium District approved the Broncos’ request on Wednesday to temporarily rename their home as Broncos Stadium at Mile High. The stadium opened in September 2001 and was called Invesco Field at Mile High. In August 2011, Invesco transferred the naming rights to Sports Authority, which signed a 25-year agreement worth $6 million per year.
Sports Authority, though, went bankrupt in 2016 and the Broncos paid $3.6 million to assume the rest of the contract, which allowed them to gain control of finding a new corporate sponsor. The Broncos took down the external Sports Authority signs at the stadium in January.
The old Mile High Stadium was built in 1948 and expanded capacity in 1960. The last Broncos game at Mile High was played on Dec. 23, 2000, with the Broncos beating the 49ers 38-9. The stadium was demolished in 2002 after the new stadium hosted the Broncos’ 2001 season.