The Atlanta Braves have begun removing signage from SunTrust Park, an important step as the franchise prepares to rebrand its ballpark.
In December, the merger between ballpark naming-rights partner SunTrust and BB&T was finalized, with the merged bank named Truist. While the merger had been in the works for some time leading up to its finalization, the logistics of rebranding the ballpark are elaborate, requiring that roughly 150 signs be updated to reflect the facility’s new moniker.
That process is underway, as crews were seen removing SunTrust Park signage at the ballpark on Wednesday. A new name for the ballpark has not been announced, nor have the Braves disclosed an exact date for when it could be revealed, but the removal of the SunTrust Park branding marks an important step in the process. More from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves CEO Derek Schiller told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last month that the stadium would get a new name after the first of the year and well before the start of the 2020 baseball season.
“There is going to be a date where we are no longer called SunTrust Park and we’re called Truist something,” Schiller said at the time. “… I would expect we’re going to move fast on announcing those types of things once we get into the new year.”
Schiller couldn’t be reached for further comment Wednesday. But based on his earlier statements, it is no surprise that workers began removing signage. The SunTrust Park sign that had been high above the right-field gate was hauled away in pieces after being removed Wednesday.
The naming-rights partnership between the Braves and SunTrust was first announced in 2014. Notably, BB&T has also been a major player in sports facility naming rights, including various ballparks around affiliated minor league and independent baseball. That includes the BB&T Ballpark moniker used for the homes of the Winston-Salem Dash (High A; Carolina League) and Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League), BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field for the Williamsport Crosscutters (Short Season A; NY-Penn League), and the High Point Rockers’ (independent; Atlantic League) BB&T Point.
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