Ketchup Bottles Removed As Pittsburgh's Heinz Field Becomes Acrisure

PITTSBURGH, PA — Do you have to tap the "57" to make a giant bottle of Heinz ketchup come down off a stadium scoreboard easier?

Crews began stripping the Steelers' and Pittsburgh Panthers' home field of its Heinz signage on Monday. Fans and players must prepare to hear the words "Acrisure Stadium" instead of "Heinz Field," which they've been saying since 2001.

Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger was in disbelief when the name change was announced.

"I can't believe it, it doesn't seem right or real! Home will always be Heinz Field!" he wrote on Twitter. "I will never forget the last game, and all the amazing fans at FOREVER HEINZ!"

The Steelers moved from Three Rivers Stadium to Heinz Field, which has a capacity of 68,400, for that 2001-02 season.

The Steelers reached a 15-year sponsorship agreement with Acrisure, a Michigan-based financial tech company, earlier this month.

The H.J. Heinz Company, which makes thousands of food products, was of course headquartered in the Steel City at One PPG Place. When Kraft and Heinz merged in 2015, the company became co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Financial details were not disclosed.

“Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement.

Heinz initially signed a 20-year sponsorship agreement with the Steelers that was scheduled to end after the 2020 season. The two sides came to terms on a one-year extension that ran through 2021 but Heinz opted not to pursue a new deal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.