It’s a new era for Arizona Stadium. For at least the next two decades, the official name of the University of Arizona football’s venue will be Casino Del Sol Stadium. 

From left to right, Amanda Sampson Lomayesva, CEO of Casino del Sol, Desiree Reed-Francois, director of Arizona Athletics and Julian Hernandez, chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, hold up football jerseys at the conclusion of a press conference at Casino Del Sol Stadium on November 17, 2025. It was announced on Monday that the University of Arizona football’s venue will be named Casino Del Sol Stadium.

Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star

Arizona Athletics announced on Monday that it reached a 20-year naming rights agreement with Casino Del Sol, an enterprise of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, for Arizona Stadium.

The 20-year deal with Casino Del Sol is valued at more than $60 million — the largest total amount in the Big 12 and one of the largest valuations in Power 4.

“We went through a process where we looked at the asset valuation, we did some market testing, we looked at term modeling, brand safety reviews and we evaluated our community and talked with a lot of people,” Arizona Athletic Director Desireé Reed-Francois told the Star.

“We wanted a corporate partner that would provide impact, but would also value community and create a true partnership. In Casino Del Sol, we found exactly that partner.”  

People are also reading…

Arizona State, which has a 15-year, $50 million naming rights agreement with Mountain America Credit Union, has the largest per-year average in the conference at $3.33 million. 

UCF’s deal with Acrisure is valued at 10 years, $19.5 million ($1.95 million per year). Houston has a 20-year, $20 million agreement with Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) that runs until 2034. Texas Tech has had a 20-year, $21 million naming rights deal with AT&T since 2006, which is set to expire next June.

Washington’s football stadium is Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium, a $41 million deal over 10 years ($4.1 million per year). Kentucky, Syracuse, Georgia State and FAU have naming rights deals that range between $1.4 million and $3.25 million per year.  

“We benchmark these things and we’re really proud of the relationship and proud of the partnership,” Reed-Francois said. “We’re just very thankful. … We’re going to continue to be aggressive in raising revenue. We have to.” 

Arizona isn’t done yet. 

Reed-Francois said the “looking at every naming opportunity possible” for McKale Center, but added “McKale will always be in the name. Let me be very clear.” 

“Like I said, we have to be really aggressive and we’re exploring other opportunities,” Reed-Francois said during a news conference on Monday. 

Since Reed-Francois was hired as Arizona’s athletic director in 2024, “naming rights is an important revenue stream that we aggressively sought,” she said.

Arizona Athletic Director Desireé Reed-Francois is all smiles as she begins a press conference on the renaming of the University of Arizona football’s venue to Casino Del Sol Stadium on November 17, 2025. 

Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star

“The cost of running an athletic department, as you know, has gone up across the country,” Reed-Francois said. “That’s not even including this new era of revenue-share. … Every expense category has gone up, whether it’s medical services — that’s gone up 25% — equipment has gone up 33%, recruiting has gone up, coaching salaries have gone up, scholarships have gone up 17%.

“The cost of running a championship athletic department has increased. That means we have to be incredibly aggressive in providing resources for our coaches and student-athletes to compete at the highest level and make our community proud. This partnership with Casino Del Sol is one facet in that drive for competitive resources. We’re going to keep adding and we have to be aggressive in that space.” 

The money from the agreement will go “towards investing in our student-athletes and our coaches and our global operation,” Reed-Francois added. Additionally, the money will also assist with facility upgrades and venue amenities to improve fan experiences at UA sporting events.  

Built in 1928, Arizona Stadium has a capacity of 50,782 and is also home to the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.

“We want to provide competitive resources for all of our programs, including football,” Reed-Francois said. “This is one of those levers that provide comprehensive support. We keep investing in our football program, we keep investing in our student-athletes and this is the modern era of college athletics. Resources are critical.”

In its second season under head coach Brent Brennan, the bowl-bound Wildcats are 7-3 and have won three straight games entering their home finale against Baylor Saturday morning. Reed-Francois said “Coach Brennan, his staff and our student-athletes have done a really commendable job this year.”

Casino Del Sol has received the naming rights to Arizona Stadium for the next 20 years.

Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star

“That team, every young man on that team, the way they have demonstrated grit, fight and this relentless determination, it just makes you really proud,” she added.  

Casino Del Sol was one of many suitors for naming rights at Arizona Stadium. Reed-Francois didn’t disclose the other options, but said the UA “casted a very wide net.” 

“We went down the road with several partners, but the more we kept narrowing it down and narrowing it down, it became very evident that the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Casino Del Sol checked every box that we were looking for,” added the Arizona athletic director.

“Today is a proud moment for Casino Del Sol and Pascqua Yaqui Tribe,” said Pascua Yaqui Tribe chairman Julian Hernandez. “We push for the same community movement and improving and showing that we care for our people, our community and for all Tucsonans here. … I appreciate this opportunity for the Pascua Yaqui (Tribe) and Casino Del Sol.” 

Casino Del Sol, located on Valencia Road, was founded by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and has evolved into the one of the most prominent entertainment spaces in Southern Arizona, between its casino gaming, sportsbook, resort, AVA Amphitheater (outdoor concert and show venue), meeting spaces and restaurants. Casino Del Sol’s Sewailo Golf Course served as the home course for both UA golf programs for nearly a decade. 

The original Casino of the Sun, which started as a bingo hall in 1982, is still operating up the road on Camino De Oeste.  

The framework of the new Casino Del Sol is taking shape. The first casino with Tucson’s city limits will be located at 1055 W. Grant Road.


Kelly Presnell

Casino Del Sol is opening a new 154,000-square-foot location on Grant Road near Interstate 10. It’ll be known as Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa’am (pronounced vah-hee tah-ahm). Vahi Taa’am is “three suns” in yoeme, the official language of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. The Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa’am location is set to be completed by the end of 2026.

Reed-Francois said Levi Esquerra, a special advisor for Native American advancement and tribal engagement at the UA, served as a liaison between the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the UA athletic department. 

In addition to “naming rights and prominent stadium signage,” Casino Del Sol, which has been a prominent sponsor for Arizona Athletics for years, will have field logos and digital branding — and possibly jersey patches in the future, said Reed-Francois, who noted over 12.5 million people watched UA sporting events on television in the last year. 

Amanda Sampson Lomayesva, the CEO of Casino Del Sol, said Casino Del Sol and the UA will “work to bring more community events, gatherings and expanded programming to this stadium,” which includes concerts.

Reed-Francois said there’s also a “community service element” to the partnership with Casino Del Sol. 

The UA plans to partner with Casino Del Sol to host sports clinics and create “academic and cultural access points with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe,” which became another reason why both parties reached an agreement for naming rights for Arizona Stadium.   

“We kept narrowing it down and narrowing it down and we had great conversations and meaningful dialogue with Pascua Yaqui Tribe,” Reed-Francois said. “It all came to fruition and we’re really proud of where we landed.

“It’s not just a transaction, this is a community connection, as well,” said Reed-Francois. 

Lomayesva added: “I view this partnership through the lens of investment. Not just financial, but investment in relationships, visibility and community impact. Casino Del Sol has always been about more than hospitality and entertainment. We’re a part of the cultural and economic fabric of Tucson, Arizona.

“We invest in the people who live here, we celebrate the diversity of our region and we look for opportunities, both big and small, to move our entire community forward — and this is a big one. This partnership does exactly that. It positions the Casino Del Sol name alongside one of the most storied athletic programs in the United States.” 

Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports

Be the first to know