End of an Era: Comerica Park to Become Fifth Third Park in 2027

DETROIT — For more than a quarter-century, Detroit Tigers baseball downtown has meant one place: Comerica Park. Beginning next season, that name will officially be gone.

The Detroit Tigers and Fifth Third Bank announced Monday that Comerica Park will be renamed Fifth Third Park beginning with the 2027 season, marking the first name change for the ballpark since it opened in 2000. 

The announcement had been anticipated following Fifth Third Bancorp’s acquisition of Comerica. The merger was completed in February, and Fifth Third completed the broader Comerica brand and technology conversion earlier this month. 

But knowing a change was coming and actually hearing “Fifth Third Park” are proving to be two different things for Detroit fans.

A Name Detroit Fans Grew Up With

Comerica Park opened in 2000 as the Tigers’ replacement for historic Tiger Stadium.

Over the next 26 seasons, “Comerica Park” became part of Detroit’s sports vocabulary. Fans shortened it to “Comerica” or “CoPa,” and the ballpark became the backdrop for an entire generation of Tigers memories. 

Magglio Ordóñez’s walk-off home run that sent Detroit to the 2006 World Series. Justin Verlander’s first no-hitter. Miguel Cabrera’s prime. The 2012 American League championship team.

All of it happened at a stadium Detroit knew as Comerica Park.

That’s part of what makes the reaction to Monday’s announcement different from a routine corporate naming-rights change.

Fans Aren’t Exactly Embracing “Fifth Third Park”

Early reaction online has included plenty of criticism, jokes and nostalgia for the Comerica Park name. In one active Tigers fan discussion Monday, reactions ranged from calling the new name uncreative to joking about its corporate sound, while others quickly discovered the potential “FTP” abbreviation. 

The reaction isn’t necessarily about Comerica Bank itself.

It’s about familiarity.

After 26 years, Comerica Park doesn’t feel like a corporate sponsorship to many Tigers fans anymore. It simply feels like the name of the ballpark.

That familiarity will take time to replace.

Why Is the Name Changing?

The change follows Fifth Third’s merger with Comerica, which brought Comerica’s longstanding relationship with the Tigers under the Fifth Third brand. 

Interestingly, Comerica’s naming-rights agreement wasn’t approaching its natural expiration. The Tigers announced an extension in 2018 that was supposed to keep the Comerica name attached to the ballpark through 2034. 

Fifth Third says the new name reflects its increased presence and long-term commitment to Detroit and Michigan. Following the merger, the bank says it has become the largest retail deposit holder in Detroit and Michigan and established its Michigan regional headquarters at One Campus Martius. 

The Tigers, meanwhile, are presenting the change as a new chapter in the history of the franchise.

Yes, There’s Already a Fifth Third Field

The name is also creating some confusion because Tigers fans have heard “Fifth Third” attached to baseball stadiums before.

Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, plays at Fifth Third Field. The West Michigan Whitecaps also played at a venue called Fifth Third Ballpark for roughly two decades before it became LMCU Ballpark in 2021. 

Detroit’s version will officially be Fifth Third Park.

And it isn’t even the only venue carrying that exact name: Fifth Third also has its name attached to Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

The Signage Is Coming Down

The transformation won’t happen immediately.

The stadium will remain Comerica Park through the remainder of the 2026 season. During the offseason, signage throughout the ballpark will be updated to reflect the Fifth Third branding. 

The Tigers are scheduled to open the 2027 season at home against the Chicago White Sox on March 25, which is expected to mark the first regular-season game at the newly named Fifth Third Park. 

Detroit May Take a While to Let “Comerica” Go

Corporate names change. Stadiums get new sponsors. From a business perspective, this isn’t unusual in professional sports.

But sports venues also become landmarks, and eventually the sponsor’s name can become disconnected from the corporation that originally paid to put it there.

That’s what happened with Comerica Park.

For Tigers fans born around the time the stadium opened, there has never been another name for the team’s downtown home. For older fans who made the transition from Tiger Stadium, Comerica Park eventually developed an identity of its own.

Now Detroit gets another adjustment.

The giant tiger statues will still guard the entrances. The downtown skyline will still sit beyond the outfield. The Tigers will still play at the corner of Woodward and Montcalm.

The sign will simply say something different.

Officially, it’s Fifth Third Park beginning in 2027.

But judging by the initial reaction around Detroit, don’t be surprised if plenty of people keep calling it Comerica for a long time.