Tim Hortons Field, home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, to be renamed

The previous 10-year naming rights agreement has officially expired. Photo Credit: Hamilton Tiger-Cats/X. 

The Hamilton Sports Group, which holds the long-term stadium lease for Tim Hortons Field and also owns the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC, has announced that the east-end venue will be renamed.

The Hamilton Sports Group is led by businessman Bob Young, who is the Chair and largest single shareholder, and also includes Stelco, sports executive Scott Mitchell, and Jim Lawson (CEO of Woodbine Entertainment).

When Tim Hortons Field opened in 2014, Tim Hortons signed a ten-year naming rights agreement with the Hamilton Sports Group.

It is unclear exactly why that agreement is not being renewed.

However, Tim Hortons and Hamilton Sports Group will reportedly “continue to be major partners,” reads a press release.

Tim Hortons Field was also nicknamed “The Donut Box” and the name was considered fitting since the very first Tim Hortons in the world was opened in Hamilton on Ottawa Street North in 1964.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats formerly played at Ivor Wynne Stadium, before it was demolished to make way for Tim Hortons Field on the same property.

Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons, said, “We’re proud of our 10-year partnership that helped launch a beautiful new multi-purpose stadium for the City of Hamilton.” 

“We, along with Tims restaurant owners, look forward to continuing to be a sponsor of the Tiger-Cats and other Canadian Football League teams across the country.”

Matt Afinec, who serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Business Operations for Hamilton Sports Group, added, “Similar to how the stadium grounds have evolved over time, our partnership with Tim Hortons has evolved throughout the last 60-plus years.” 

“Since the first Tim Hortons store opened in 1964 on Ottawa Street North, our two brands have been connected as proud Hamilton partners. They’ll continue to be linked through this latest evolution, just in a different way.”

Afinec continued, “Tim Hortons will remain a significant and long-term partner of the Tiger-Cats and the stadium itself. We also look forward to continuing our great relationships with our local Tim Hortons restaurant owners here in Hamilton, who were instrumental in the stadium’s success over the last 10 years.”

There has been no update yet on what the new name of the stadium will be, with a press release simply stating that another naming rights partner will be announced “in due course.”

Tim Hortons Field has hosted multiple high-profile events over the years, including two Grey Cups.

The field hosted the 2021 Grey Cup between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which the Ticats dramatically lost 33-25 in overtime.

Then, in 2023, Tim Hortons Field hosted the Grey Cup between the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers which Montreal won 28-24.

The stadium was also home to an NHL Heritage Classic outdoor hockey game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs, an outdoor OHL game featuring the Hamilton Bulldogs, a Men’s Soccer World Cup Qualifier between Canada and the USA, over 40 Ticats games, and more than 70 Forge FC matches.

A number of other Hamilton-based venues have been renamed over the years.

Hamilton Place, the city’s leading music and performing arts venue, was renamed the FirstOntario Concert Hall in 2016.

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s most prominent arena, Copps Coliseum, was renamed the FirstOntario Centre and will now be getting another new name as part of the Hamilton Arena Project which will see the building get $280 million in renovations.

Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.