49ers Chief Sales Officer John Vidalin yesterday confirmed that CAA Sports will be handling sales of naming rights for the team’s proposed stadium in Santa Clara. The news was first reported in the April 4 issue of SportsBusiness Journal. Vidalin said the review was among four agencies and took several months. “The vision is for the stadium to be one of the most environmentally friendly, combining sustainability, technology and a world-class fan experience,” Vidalin said, adding the asking price for the stadium name was not yet finalized. “CAA are proven market makers and they have done some impressive work in recent years.” It is the first naming-rights assignment for CAA Sports, though the unit has sold marquee facilities like the new Yankee Stadium and the current MSG renovation. The planned stadium is a 68,500-seat facility, scheduled to open for the ‘15 NFL season. Vidalin said the proposed venue will cost around $937M. It is not fully funded, but Vidalin noted “the city of Santa Clara is on board and we are on the way there.”
