The new era of FAU Athletics is upon us as Flagler Credit Union was introduced on Tuesday afternoon as a naming rights partner for the University. The historic partnership will be the first of its kind in FAU history and it will see FAU stadium be renamed to Flagler Credit Union, along with Flagler becoming the official credit union of the athletic department and the school alumni.
The lucrative partnership is worth $22.5 million over 12 years, meaning a payout of $1.5 million per year will be due to FAU. The deal became the most lucrative stadium naming rights deal in the AAC and amongst the top of the Group of 5 conferences.
One thing that sticks out amongst FAU athletics is the department and its respective teams’ family oriented approach and when conducting a national search for a naming rights partner the university’s leadership wasn’t willing to sacrifice good character in its prospective partners. Luckily for FAU, they didn’t have to sacrifice anything, as they partner with a financial institution which has rooted itself in the South Florida community for nearly 2 decades and according to Brian White, Flagler’s leadership team are good natured people, which to him made this deal an easy one.
“What stood out about Flagler from the very beginning was, not only do they have a great reputation, it’s a great organization, but also they display genuine interest from the very beginning, Dr.Volnick was with us, we hosted our leadership team and hosted the Flagler leadership team and and the Dort financial leadership team as well for the USF game on November 1, right here in the stadium. But it was a full day with the group, and I think for a partnership like this. And Ken (Lavicka) said it well, this isn’t a transaction. This isn’t a one time thing. This is a partnership over a long time. We want to make sure we’re partnering with the right people. And that was just very evident to us,” Brian White said.
Flagler Credit Union has featured locations from Palm Beach to Boca Raton for over 2 decades and they were acquired by Michigan based Dort financial in 2023, expanding their services and overall capital. The past year has been one of growth for Flagler and their partnership with FAU is one that aligns with their mindset of expansion.
For CEO Brian Waldron, this idea was presented him just 9 months after Dort Financial’s acquisition of Flagler and at first he laughed at the idea of being involved in stadium rights, mentioning that when his marketing director and chief strategy officer presented him this deal he “Chuckled and told them to get out of his office.” That was the initial reaction, however after many discussions with FAU leadership, it was evident to Waldron that this was an opportunity to show a philanthropist side of a credit union that not many are able to see and he could not be more thrilled with how it worked out.
“First and foremost, It’s a name recognition piece. And I think when we do that, we can drive people in to help us. What is Flagler credit union? Why did they choose to do naming rights? And it gives us an opportunity to explain ourselves and how we choose to enrich their lives to make them better. I think for us, it’s being involved in campus, whether it’s with educators or the students themselves. And you know, the community at large, to bring everyone together with sports is really important. When you come together and you see people celebrating, isn’t that also part of being enriched? And we really believe that,” Waldron said.
Flagler not only becomes the naming rights partner for the stadium, but they will look to make their presence known around FAU’s campus by promoting financial literacy and engaging with the community in a variety of ways. Both FAU’s leadership and Flagler were clear that this is a partnership and not a transaction, meaning that both sides will look to engage each other in ways that will benefit both sides in a mutual way.
In today’s day and age of college athletics, one thing that can surely benefit an athletic department is an influx of NIL related money. It is still unknown what exactly this money will be used for, however Waldron says that Flagler could be open to any future opportunities that could potentially enrich lives.
“We haven’t really looked at all the possibilities of what that would mean to develop more partnerships. But of course, anything that we feel like it’s going to enrich lives. We’d be happy to take a look at and be a part of,” Waldron said.
As for FAU, this is a monumental investment in their athletic programs which comes at a time where any influx of cash is crucial for an athletic department, NIL or not. According to a study from NIl-NCAA.com, an estimate of potential revenue sharing for 2025-2026 would place FAU at 6th in the conference, with a total revenue of $9,468,471 and shareable revenue of $2,083,064.
With FAU joining the AAC just 2 years ago, middle of the pack in overall revenue is not a bad place to be, however with an investment like the one they received from Flagler it is evident there is room to grow in the revenue department. There is no better feeling than being in a good position financially and although Brian White is unsure of where these funds are going to be dispersed, the money puts them in a good spot and will open the door for many future options.
Photo Rick Henderson
“At this point our financial health has never been more important, and that’s every school in the country with changes going on in college athletics. So it’s very important for us to be as healthy as we can financially. And that opens doors up for many different things we can do,” White said.
Although the exact specifications of where the funds will go is something that will be decided at a later date, one potential possibility is that a recent donation from the Haggerty family, alongside money from the Flager deal could go towards potential stadium renovations or additions. According to White, there is nothing imminent with stadium renovations, however the University is always acting with a forward thinking approach and evaluating options regarding the stadium.
“We’re constantly, annually, looking at the stadium and updating and upgrading different things within the stadium on a regular basis,” White said.
The future is here for FAU athletics as for the first time in school history, a branded name will be attached to the house that Howard built, marking an exciting new chapter for the university. Now with a deal in place, the next few months will be something to keep an eye on as both parties look to capitalize and make the most out of this historic partnership.