CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s historic Governors Stadium will soon don a new name through a partnership with Fortera Credit Union. The 25-year, $2.5 million agreement will see the home of APSU football be renamed Fortera Stadium.
Crews will begin work to install signage reflecting its new identity in the days to come as the University and Fortera prepare to celebrate a new era. A celebration will take place Saturday, April 23 at the home entrance of the stadium, following the final day of spring football practice. The event is free and open to the public.
Festivities will begin with a noon baseball game, as the Governors take on Eastern Kentucky in Raymond C. Hand Park. At 1 p.m. Governors Softball will compete against Jacksonville State at Cheryl Holt Field.
Tailgate Alley opens at 3 p.m. in front of the newly named Fortera Stadium, followed by the Spring Football Game at 4 p.m. After the game, at approximately 5:45 p.m., a brief naming ceremony will take place with Tom Kane, president and CEO of Fortera Credit Union, and APSU President Alisa White speaking. The ceremony will be followed by a concert and end with a fireworks display at approximately 7:45 p.m.
The announcement of this partnership coincides with the credit union’s official name change to Fortera Credit Union. The financial cooperative hasbeen serving the community for more than 60 years and made the decision earlier this year to officially change its name from Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union to Fortera Credit Union.
Kane approached the University as part of the credit union’s ongoing community investment efforts.
“We’re a community credit union. We live here, we work here and we give here. At Fortera Credit Union, we believe it’s our responsibility to educate our members in order to help them make smart financial decisions,” Kane said. “We are equally committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve by investing in partnerships with organizations committed to doing the same. As we evaluated partnership opportunities, we found Austin Peay to be aligned perfectly with our own core values.”
The new agreement provides resources to enhance facilities within the athletic department. In partnering with APSU, Fortera Credit Union continues to expand its presence on campus, which already includes a Fortera ATM in the Morgan University Center.
“First and foremost, thank you to Fortera Credit Union for entering into this new and exciting partnership with Austin Peay State University,” APSU President Alisa White said. “Fortera has been a part of this community for more than 60 years, and many of its leaders and employees have earned their degrees from the University. We are proud of their accomplishments and are celebrating our partnership and our shared values and goals. We are honored that Fortera Credit Union wants to be part of Austin Peay’s future.”
The original Governors Stadium was built by the city of Clarksville as a multi-purpose facility in 1946. Originally named MunicipalStadium for its purpose of providing an athletic facility for Clarksville and Montgomery County Schools, the stadium also was also used by the Universitythrough an annual agreement. In 1970, the city conveyed one-third of the title to the state and the other third of the stadium to Montgomery County. Additionally, a local legislative enactment was passed by the General Assembly establishing a Municipal Stadium Authority and empowering it to operate thestadium, provided that the owners entered into a lease agreement with the Stadium Authority not to exceed 20 years.
In 1993, the University agreed to purchase Municipal Stadium from the Stadium Authority and Montgomery County, and the name of the stadium changed to Governors Stadium. The University demolished the home side of the original stadium at the end of the 2013 football season and opened the new facility at the start of the 2014 season.
Fortera Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, owned and operated by members, established in 1954. The Credit Union offersquality products and outstanding service to more than 50,000 members and their families with branches in Clarksville, Fort Campbell, Oak Grove and Hopkinsville. For more information, visit www.ForteraCU.com.