Trump wants name on Commanders’ stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, November 19^th, 2025

Image: District of Columbia

US President Donald Trump is said to be pressing the NFL’s Washington Commanders to name their planned new $3.7 billion stadium after him.

The Guardian reported that a senior White House official said Trump has conveyed his wishes directly to a member of investor Josh Harris’s ownership group.

Trump’s push comes as the team prepares to return to the RFK Stadium site, which served as Washington’s home from 1961 through 1996.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email: “That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible.”

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington Metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East Division.

The Commanders currently play at the 67,617-capacity Northwest Stadium, a multipurpose stadium in Landover, Maryland (US) located within the Census-designated place of Summerfield 2.5 miles east of Washington, D.C.

Their new 65,000-seat domed venue, part of one of the gigantic mixed-use development projects that have become the vogue in American sports, is scheduled to open in 2030.

The Guardian further stated that although the Commanders own the rights to sell a commercial stadium sponsorship, they cannot unilaterally decide to name the venue after an individual.

The land is controlled by the National Park Service, and the District of Columbia Council will lease the stadium to the team under legislation it approved in September.

A source said, “The team doesn’t have the authority. They can’t name the stadium on their own. The city would be involved, and the Park Service would be involved.”

Sources say Trump is not seeking to buy naming rights or have a private donor do so. He wants the stadium to carry his name as a tribute, similar to Chicago’s Soldier Field or Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Architects HKS were recently appointed as the Lead Architect for the team’s new, state-of-the-art stadium.

The new roofed stadium will host more than 200 activations every year including global sporting events, concerts, community festivals, and major national celebrations.

Sustainability, advanced technology, an enhanced fan experience, and amplified sponsorship integration will be at the forefront of the stadium design.

The stadium creates opportunities for ancillary development onsite with plans to deliver 5,000 to 6,000 new homes including 1,500 to 1,900 affordable units, preserve the beloved Fields at RFK, introduce new youth sports facilities, create opportunities for hotel and retail development, and dedicate at least 30 percent of the site to enhanced green spaces.

The broader RFK project is the largest economic development effort in Washington’s history. The Commanders will invest $2.7 billion, plus cost overruns, while the district will contribute $1 billion. The redevelopment will include housing, retail and a sports complex across 174 acres.

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