At a time when financial inclusion is essential, naming-rights investments help credit unions expand both awareness and access to surrounding communities, including low-income neighborhoods that need us most.

In December 2024, Flagler Credit Union, a division of Dort Financial, announced a 15-year naming rights deal with Florida Atlantic University; FAU Stadium is now known as Flagler Credit Union Stadium, marking the most significant sponsorship in the American Athletic Conference.  In the press release announcing the sponsorship, I stated:

“This stadium is more than just a venue. It’s a place where memories are made, where athletes, alumni, and fans come together to celebrate teamwork, dedication, and excellence.”

It is worth emphasizing that sports bring people together, including families, friends, and neighbors.  When credit unions attach their names to these gathering places, we become part of the shared fabric of life in a community, not just another financial institution. That emotional connection with the community helps break down barriers of trust and awareness, especially for underserved, low-income populations. Since announcing the naming rights partnership, Flagler Credit Union, a division of Dort Financial, has increased its low-income membership by more than 8% in its southeast Florida market.

Stadium naming provides long-term endorsement and branding: every televised game, every community concert, every event builds exposure that outpaces traditional advertising. This visibility helps to normalize credit union membership among new audiences. In the case of Flagler Credit Union Stadium, this includes university students, a demographic that credit unions typically struggle to attract.

A GoBankingRates study revealed that only 26 percent of Generation Z and 14 percent of millennials utilize credit unions, with the majority opting for a large bank or online financial institution instead.  Flagler Credit Union, a division of Dort Financial, aims to engage with students and families, offering the opportunity to provide financial literacy to nearly one-third of the students identified as first-generation college students at FAU.

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Recently, Dort Financial reviewed the accounts opened at our Branch closest to Flagler Credit Union Stadium since the partnership began in July, and the numbers do not lie; the Branch is outpacing our other branches in opening new accounts, and 12% of new members are under the age of thirty.

Internally, too, the visibility is transformative; employees take pride in working for an organization whose name is “in-lights”. That pride helps in recruitment and retention, especially among mission-minded younger talent who expect their employers to stand for more than profits.

Let me be clear, the financial services landscape is crowded. Fintechs and banks pour billions into branding, user acquisition, and platform presence. If credit unions want to grow, especially among Gen Z, unbanked populations, and lower-income households, we need a bold presence. Stadium naming rights are that bold presence.

Stadium naming rights for credit unions are more than advertising.  When our name is in lights, we are visible, trusted, and accessible not just in branches or online, but in the lives and homes of our communities; precisely where we belong.  By linking the Flagler Credit Union brand to a place “where memories are made,” we become an integral part of community narratives.