Sports Authority moving in on Denver Broncos stadium rights - Ingles

Invesco Field at Mile High likely is down to its final hours.

Was that sound the cry of sadness? The roar of applause? The silence of ambivalence?

Sports Authority, an Englewood-headquartered sporting goods company, has a tentative deal in place with the Broncos and Invesco Ltd. to take over the naming rights of the 10-year-old stadium in Denver.

The deal would become official — and the Broncos' home would be called Sports Authority Field at Mile High, effective this season — if the Metropolitan Football Stadium District approves the naming rights reassignment during a 3 p.m. board meeting today.

If approved, Sports Authority would replace the 10 years remaining on Invesco's initial naming rights deal and extend it 15 more years through the year 2035.

Sports Authority would pay an average of $6 million per year to have its name on the Broncos' stadium, with 50 percent of that revenue going to the team and 50 percent going to the stadium district. Matt Sugar, a former stadium district spokesman who has been brought back as a consultant, said the stadium district uses its taxpayer funding to make capital improvements to the stadium.

Besides games played by the Broncos, the stadium has hosted the Democratic National Convention, concerts and other sports events.

The first regular-season Broncos game at Invesco Field at Mile High was played Sept. 10, 2001. The next day became forever known as 9/11. The Broncos are 86-74 in the 10 seasons since Invesco Field became their stadium.

Invesco Field has hosted just two NFL playoff games — both at the end of the 2005 season. The Broncos beat the New England Patriots 27-13 before losing the AFC championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17. This article was written by Mike Klis and appeared in The Denver Post.