Pitbull will now have a football stadium named after him after purchasing the naming rights.
On Tuesday (August 6), the board of trustees at Florida International University approved a deal that turns FIU Stadium into Pitbull Stadium for the next five years, with an option to renew an additional five additional years afterward.
The deal will set Mr. 305 back a cool $1.2 million a year, and will also include some social media obligations. He will also have to appear at one athletics fundraising event per year and make an anthem for the team.
But he will also get some cool perks outside of the naming rights, including use of the stadium 10 days per year and two reserved suites for all home football games. His spirits brand, Voli 305 Vodka, will also be the preferred brand distributed in the stadium.
Per ESPN, Pitbull said in a statement: “What we’re doing here is groundbreaking. We’re making history. This is history in the making. You’re going to see that every other university is going to want to do the same thing. But the difference is, we don’t do this for propaganda, we do it from the heart. We do it because it’s meaningful. We do it because I’m from the crib. I’m 305. I’m from the bottom. This is my backyard.”
FIU athletic director Scott Carr added: “This is a historic day for FIU athletics to uniquely partner with a world-renowned artist and amazing person who truly values relationships and his community. [Pitbull]’s financial support is program-changing, but him providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand.”
The Panthers will play their first official game at Pitbull Stadium on September 7 against Central Michigan University.
On the music side of things, Pitbull ended up on the receiving end of some vitriol from Drag-On last fall after claiming he beat the former Ruff Ryders rapper in a battle years ago.
“A @pitbull, iv been watching you tell lies for over 15 years about how you battled me and won [laughing emoji],” he wrote in a lengthy message. “First off, I was shooting a video with DMX (no love for me) and they begged me to come out side to hear you and spit with you.
“I didn’t even want to come out there and I shouldn’t of, but I did, that was not a battle at all and you know this.. don’t let this nig% @irvgotti187 pump you up to get smoked. I don’t know why you have been saying you got on through me because you have been VERY successful.”
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He continued: “Now you even added more lies to the story [laughing emoji]. Iv battled real nig%s with REAL BARS, so now you have my undivided attention!! – so check this out – if you mention my name one more time in a disrespectful way you will be my next PART 47- I will dedicate that one to you and @irvgotti187 with no problem.
“I do NOT bother no one but you keep messing with me – why? I know ima bar trophy to some of you rappers – and before you respond go watch my other freestyle parts & see if you want this smoke. on my mama I will smoke you pitbull – and I like mixing my weed up anyway.”
The spat stems from a recent episode of Gold Minds with Kevin Hart in which Mr. Worldwide revisited rumors he cleaned the floor with Drag-On during a freestyle battle in the late ’90s.
Neither Pitbull nor Irv Gotti responded to Drag-On’s Instagram post.
