It's N-R-G
It's official: Reliant Stadium gets a new name, but don't call it Nerg
It's official. And it's N-R-G, not Nerg.
NRG Park and NRG Stadium signs will soon replace all displays with Reliant references — down to cups and napkins at the complex — before the Houston Texans take the field for the upcoming football season.
Members of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. voted unanimously Wednesday to rebrand both Reliant Stadium and the entire Reliant Park to NRG properties. The name change is effective immediately with new signage set to be implemented soon.
“We are pleased that the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC) has voted to authorize the rebranding of Reliant Park and its related facilities, including Reliant Stadium, to NRG Park and NRG Stadium, respectively," NRG Energy officials said in a statement released after the vote. "We look forward to continuing our support of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Houston Texans and all of the park’s events and activities."
NRG Energy is the parent company of Reliant Energy, the complex’s former namesake source. Reliant purchased the naming rights for the stadium and park buildings in 2002 for $300 million, a then-record naming rights fee. NRG Energy acquired Reliant’s retail operations in 2009. The stadium is the only rodeo and NFL indoor/outdoor facility with retractable roof and natural grass stadium that can be configured to utilize a 125,000-square-foot space for general sessions, catered functions, exhibits, concerts and much more.
NRG Stadium is set to host the 2016 Final Four and the 2017 Super Bowl, mammoth events that will give the new NRG name plenty of play — if everyone learns to pronounce it phonetically.