The Titans today will announce they have "reached a naming-rights deal with Nissan North America, and the team plans to name its home venue Nissan Stadium," according to sources cited in a front-page piece by Jim Wyatt of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. While financial terms were not immediately available, sources indicated that it is an "exclusive 20-year partnership." The rebranding of the stadium, known as LP Field since '06, "is expected to start immediately." The Titans "previously had a 10-year agreement" with building-products company Louisiana-Pacific, "but the deal was set to expire soon." As a result, the Titans "started the process of finding a new naming rights partner." Conversations "intensified with Nissan in recent months." New signage "will be installed in the coming weeks." Indications are LP "will continue to be a partner with the Titans." The LP deal "was worth" $3M annually (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 6/25). AUTOMOTIVE NEWS' Lindsay Chappell noted Nissan "employs more than 10,000 people in the greater Nashville area, including about 1,700 at its North American sales and marketing headquarters south of the city." The company’s auto plant in Smyrna, Tenn., just southeast of Nashville, "is currently the nation’s largest-volume assembly plant" (AUTONEWS.com, 6/24),
