Sun Life Stadium name change coming soon?

Is Joe Robbie Stadium/Pro Player Park/Pro Player Stadium/Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium/Land Shark Stadium/Sun Life Stadium about to have a name change? It should.

On January 18, 2010, the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Financial reached a five-year agreement for the naming rights to the stadium formerly known as Joe Robbie. That deal paid the Dolphins $7.5 million per season, for a total of $37.5 million. Counting the years since that deal, it should be set to expire this upcoming weekend.

The timing was perfect for the Dolphins, who were coming out of a one-year contract with Jimmy Buffett and Anheuser-Busch for the stadium to be called Land Shark Stadium after Buffet's beer, and for Sun Life Financial, who put the name on the stadium just weeks before the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl were held in the stadium. At the time, the benefits to Sun Life Financial, in terms of exposure and name recognition, was estimated to be worth $26 million.

Of course, Sun Life Financial could renew their agreement with the Dolphins, but at the end of 2011, the Canadian based company pulled most of its United States based operations, and said they would not be extending the agreement.

Jumping back to January 13, 2015, we should be days away from the naming rights agreement ending, and Sun Life Stadium becoming something else. Whatever that is, from reverting to some form of Joe Robbie Stadium/Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium or if a new naming rights deal is in the works, the name of the stadium currently undergoing major renovations should also be updated.