Ed Policy Is Balancing Tradition and Business Savvy With Titletown Naming Rights

In February, Green Bay Packers CEO and president Ed Policy was direct when he discussed the ever-changing landscape in the NFL from a financial perspective. The Packers are the only NFL team that the fans own and operate as a non-profit, so the road ahead is a bit blurred.

Ed Policy noted that some changes could be coming to bring in revenue, and that is now becoming a reality with the football field in Titletown. It's a savvy first move.

No, Policy and the Packers aren't selling the naming rights to Lambeau Field, although that could be an idea — blasphemous to some — that picks up steam in the years ahead. Instead, the full-sized football field in the Titletown district, which has become a hub of activities and family gatherings, will be renamed Emplify Health Field.

Per Dr. Scott Rathgaber, CEO of Emplify Health:

Policy didn't directly bring up the field in Titletown as a possibility for generating revenue via naming rights, but he mentioned the area around Titletown, which includes the field.

Nobody should be upset by this. The field at Titletown, which lacks an official name and is now called Emplify Health Field, is a smart financial move. It’s also likely to be the first of a few dominoes to fall.

Riots would've broken out had Policy gone straight to the naming rights at Lambeau Field. Angry mobs would have formed at Stadium View and Anduzzi's before spreading out throughout the city. But this move is unlikely to generate any Green and Gold insurrection.

What is more fascinating is trying to crack the code on what could come next.

The ice rink that operates in Titletown during the winter is in HyVee Plaza. The hill located right next to and technically above the skating rink, where snow tubing takes place, is already called Ariens Hill.

But despite the financial partnerships involving those two spots, Policy reiterated that the Packers aren't considering changing the Lambeau Field naming rights anytime soon.

The Packers' indoor practice facility is named the Don Hutson Center after the legendary wide receiver who played 11 seasons, all with Green Bay. Flanking the Don Hutson Center on either side are the two outdoor practice fields. There's Clark Hinkle Field and Ray Nitschke Field, which is where most of training camp takes place.

Would Policy consider selling the naming rights for those facilities, which have a more sacred tie to the organization than the new Titletown facilities? Possibly, although it still shouldn’t cause any uproar.

Policy didn't say the Packers are in financial trouble. He discussed the realities of operating as the only NFL team without a millionaire or billionaire owner and the difficulties that come with it. The Packers can't just sell off minority stakes in the team for huge infusions of cash, given the way they operate.

The reality is, it's very likely the Packers will continue to find ways to generate new revenue from many different sources, including naming rights of other facilities. Starting with Titletown Field might've been coincidental, but it's more likely an intentional — and small — first step. And for that, Ed Policy deserves some credit.