Northwest Federal Credit Union has acquired the naming rights for the stadium used by the NFL’s Washington Commanders football team.

The financial details were not disclosed, but CNBC reported that the deal runs through the 2030-31 season with an average annual value in the low $8 million range.

The $4.6 billion-asset Northwest said the Commanders will rebrand the team’s home from Commanders Field to Northwest Stadium.

The stadium has been without a naming rights partner since FedEx ended its deal with the Commanders in February.

“Northwest Federal Credit Union has been an integral part of this community for generations and we could not be prouder to partner with an organization as committed to the DMV as we are,” said Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris in a press release.

The partnership includes exclusive Northwest branding across the stadium, including a new stadium logo featured on exterior and interior signage, as well as Northwest serving as the team’s jersey patch partner for off-season and in-season practices.

Jeff Bentley, president and CEO of the Herndon, Virginia-based credit union, said Northwest and the Commanderrs want to ensure that “Northwest Stadium is an impactful place where we rally together over our common love of football, giving back to the community, and creating memorable experiences that last a lifetime.”

In 2023, Northwest became the Commanders’ official credit union partner.
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But the Independent Community Bankers of America said the deal is just another example of credit unions exploiting a tax exemption created nearly a century ago to help them serve people of modest means.

“Today’s announcement that Northwest Federal Credit Union is spending $8 million of its members’ deposits each year for the Washington Commanders football stadium naming rights is just the latest example of how credit unions are violating the limits established by Congress to justify their federal tax exemption,” ICBA president and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said in a statement.

Northwest FCU earned roughly $11.4 million through the second quarter of 2024, a 27% decrease compared to a year earlier, according to call report data from the National Credit Union Administration.

“Northwest is thrilled to continue building on the great work we have achieved alongside the Commanders. With a combined history of nearly 170 years in the D.C. metro area, this expanded partnership was an amazing alignment of our values to enrich the local community.”

 – Jeff Bentley
President & CEO
Northwest Federal Credit Union