Texas Rangers’ Old Ballpark to be Renamed Choctaw Stadium

Can’t say that I saw this one coming.

Not that I’m surprised that the Ballpark in Arlington (yes, it will always be called that by me) is undergoing yet another a name change. It’s just that I’m surprised a casino operator secured the naming rights for the old ballpark.

Then again, Fox Sports was recently rebranded as Bally Sports in an effort to promote their casinos, so this sort of thing may eventually become the rule rather than the exception.

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My impression is that it’s a pretty good bet (no pun intended) that gambling will be legalized here in Texas in the next few years and casinos are looking to spread awareness of their brands in advance.

So far, the reactions to the renaming of the ballpark have been mostly negative:

The ballpark was renovated a couple of years ago to transform it into a multi-sport, rectangular playing field from a baseball diamond.

Choctaw Stadium will host multiple different events in the coming months, including high school and college football, professional soccer and Dallas’ new Major League Rugby team, the Jackals.

The stadium will host its first event as Choctaw Stadium tonight (August 26) in true Texas style with a little high school football when Arlington Sam Houston takes on Garland's Lakeview Centennial High School.