
Judge grants Oklahoma LB Heinecke extra year
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke granted an extra year of eligibility for 2026 after court ruling.
MetLife Stadium will temporarily change its name to 'We Are New York New Jersey' ahead of the World Cup, leaving New Jersey feeling overshadowed. The stadium, located in East Rutherford, is home to the Jets and Giants.
Mentioned in this story
What do commuters on Route 3 in northern New Jersey have in common with the billions of soccer fans expected to tune into the World Cup this June?
They wonât see the âMetLifeâ logo on the stadium that will host the worldâs most-watched sporting event.
Some motorists who drive by the home of the Jets and Giants at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford may have noticed a banner reading âWe Are New York New Jersey,â signaling a temporary name change from MetLife Stadium.
And no, not even âNew Jersey New Yorkâ even though the stadium is in the Garden State.
FIFA said the temporary renaming of MetLife Stadium to New York New Jersey Stadium is in response to FIFAâs rule prohibiting venues named for corporations from hosting World Cup events.
âIn line with its brand protection policy, FIFA protects its brands and the exclusive rights of its sponsors, including clean zones around FIFA World Cup stadiums and other event sites,â a FIFA spokesperson told NJ.com in an email.
âFIFA is working closely with stadium authorities and host cities to implement these requirements in a manner consistent with previous editions of the tournament, while taking into account the unique infrastructure and operational considerations at each venue.â
The name change was previously reported by NorthJersey.com.
The stadium formerly known as MetLife will host eight World Cup matches starting on June 13 with Brazil vs. Morocco, culminating in the final on July 19.
The Manhattan-based Metropolitan Life Insurance Company bought the naming rights to the stadium in 2011 from the Jets and Giants, the stadiumâs joint owners, in a deal estimated to be worth $17 million to $20 million a year to the teams over 25 years.
MetLife Stadium is temporarily changing its name to promote the upcoming World Cup and highlight the New York-New Jersey region.
'We Are New York New Jersey' aims to represent the collaboration between New York and New Jersey, despite the stadium's location in New Jersey.
The name change has sparked discussions about New Jersey's identity, as it feels overshadowed by New York, even though the stadium is situated in the Garden State.

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke granted an extra year of eligibility for 2026 after court ruling.

New York Jets consider top prospects like Treydan Stukes for 2026 NFL Draft.
Teddy Knox ordered to pay $2.88 million in Rashee Rice crash case
Pacers to face Nuggets in Mexico City on Nov. 7, 2026, during Dia de Muertos!

Catch the PFL Belfast action with Kelly vs. Wilson and more! Live coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. ET.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
The absence of the MetLife logo for those five weeks means the short version of the company name likely wonât be seen or heard by many of the six billion viewers FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Fox Sports would tune into this yearâs tournament. More than 1.5 billion fans are expected to watch the final match alone, Sports Illustrated reported.
Infantino said soccerâs quadrennial finale has a global audience that far eclipses that of American footballâs annual championship game, which MetLife Stadium hosted in 2014.
âThe Super Bowl, which is fantastic, has what, 120-130 million viewers?â Infantino told Fox. âA World Cup is 104 Super Bowls in one month. Thatâs three Super Bowls a day.â
The 82,500-seat facility opened in 2010 as âNew Meadowlands Stadiumâ before the deal with MetLife. It replaced Giants Stadium, which had hosted World Cup competition in 1994, including a semifinal match between Italy and Bulgaria.
Other than FIFA, which stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association, the various parties involved were mum on the renaming issue.
Spokespeople for Metropolitan Life, the Jets, and the Giants did not respond to requests for comment on the name change. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, a state agency that governs the Meadowlands complex, referred a request for comment to the stadium, whose owner, MetLife Stadium Company LLC, did not respond.
Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.