Celebrities who could follow Pitbull's footsteps to revive a college football program include Taylor Swift and The Rock

Global music star Pitbull is on the brink of securing the naming rights for the football stadium at Florida International, with the university's board of trustees expected to officially greenlight the arrangement soon. The news has us wondering what other celebrities could use their unique brand to help struggling college football programs. We have four […]

Ian Valentino National College Football Writer
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Pitbull gestures to his crowd after a song during a stop on The Trilogy Tour at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. © Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Global music star Pitbull is on the brink of securing the naming rights for the football stadium at Florida International, with the university's board of trustees expected to officially greenlight the arrangement soon.

The news has us wondering what other celebrities could use their unique brand to help struggling college football programs. We have four great ideas below.


Pitbull Signs Stadium Deal with FIU

A report from ESPN indicates that the FIU Board of Trustees plans to convene on Tuesday to endorse a five-year agreement that would rename FIU Stadium to Pitbull Stadium.

The agreement details revealed that Pitbull is set to contribute $1.2 million annually for the five-year term. The artist, also known as Armando Christian Perez and fondly referred to as "Mr. 305" in acknowledgment of his ties to Miami, went to Miami Coral Park High School.

This initiative will mark the first occasion a college sports venue is named after a musician, with the Miami-centered institution leading the way. Here are four other celebrities who we'd love to see follow in Mr. Worldwide's footsteps.


Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

There might not be a more recognizable person in the world than Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson. The Rock is infallible, from his legendary WWF and WWE escapades to a run of movies that portrayed him in the same role for a decade. Even his XFL to UFL transition was a hit this spring.

His playing days at the University of Miami (FL) make a natural sponsorship opportunity, though the school isn't hurting for funding with its deep-pocketed boosters. Instead, Johnson could look at Boise State or West Virginia and bring greatness back to schools that once captured the nation's imaginations with explosive playmaking.


Post Malone

Every music community loves Post Malone. The metal community loves that he once tried out for Crown The Empire. The pop community is well-versed in his material. Both hip-hop and even the country scene have respect for the Syracuse native. 

What if Posty brought a big check to the Orange and tried to make his mark on a program that was once much more interesting? While Malone has embraced a friendship with the Nashville scene lately, a return to his roots is more fitting.


Arnold Schwarzenegger

The former Governor of California has accomplished about everything he can conquer in life. He's enjoyed a bit of a renaissance after a great Netflix documentary about his life. Now, he could return to California and partner with Cal or UCLA to help their programs.

Schwarzenegger's likeability is through the roof, and his personality would be welcomed in college football's zany atmosphere. Plus, who wouldn't want to hear some Austrian Death Machine pumping through the speakers in Berkeley?


Taylor Swift

The rise of Taylor Swift in recent years has been something to behold. Now that she's in the NFL space, to the chagrin of many fans, why wouldn't she invade college football? Given her penchant for taking a lot of private airplane rides, there also seems to be an opportunity with air-based sponsorships.

That leaves the Air Force Falcons, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the Boston College Eagles as terrific pairings with Swift. What would Swift have to gain from RED playing through their speakers? I'm not sure, but it'd be a fun twist!