Ripken Stadium is getting a fresh coat of identity just in time for summer baseball. The Aberdeen IronBirds have inked a naming-rights deal that will rechristen the ballpark as IBEW 24 Union Field at Ripken Stadium, a new moniker that puts a local labor group front and center instead of a national corporate brand. The change kicks in as the IronBirds open their MLB Draft League home slate this weekend, giving the union prime exposure from the very first pitch.
Attain Sports Confirms the Naming-Rights Deal
Attain Sports, which owns the IronBirds, announced the agreement on June 2. The ballpark’s full official title will be IBEW 24 Union Field at Ripken Stadium, as reported by The Baltimore Sun. According to the Sun, Attain CEO Greg Baroni highlighted the stadium’s visibility from Interstate 95 as a major selling point, and the team is keeping the financial terms under wraps. Team officials are describing the agreement as a multi-year partnership that leans heavily on community engagement and on-site sponsorship activation rather than just a name on the marquee.
A Union on the Scoreboard Instead of a Mega-Brand
IBEW Local 24, a Baltimore-based electrical workers union with decades of regional presence, is stepping into the role usually reserved for a Fortune 500 sponsor. The union, whose website details its local offices and apprenticeship offerings, is treating the partnership as both a visibility boost in northeastern Maryland and a way to support local initiatives tied to the ballclub. Union leaders say they have not published the full commercial specifics yet and that more information will roll out as the new branding and signage schedule is finalized.
Why the Name Was Up for Grabs
This is not the first time the Aberdeen ballpark has had a sponsor attached to its name. In 2015, Leidos secured the rights, and the venue became Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, according to MiLB.com. That deal wrapped up in 2025, leaving the naming slot wide open. The timing dovetailed with a shift in ownership, after Cal and Billy Ripken sold a majority stake in the team to Attain Sports in 2024, a transaction detailed by OurSports Central.
What Fans Can Expect for the 2026 Season
The IronBirds are suiting up in the MLB Draft League this summer, and the City of Aberdeen has announced that the club will play a roughly 40-game home schedule at Ripken Stadium beginning in June 2026. Venue listings show home games at Ripken Stadium starting the weekend of June 5, when the team opens its Draft League home slate. Fans should watch for the new IBEW 24 Union Field branding to appear on the scoreboard, around the concourse, and on printed materials as the season gets rolling.
Why Sponsors Want In
Attain Sports executives have repeatedly pitched Ripken Stadium’s roadside profile as a marketing ace in the hole. Baroni told The Baltimore Sun that the ballpark’s scoreboard is seen by millions of drivers each year traveling along I-95. Team officials say inquiries from potential sponsors ramped up after the franchise’s league realignment and the change in ownership. Observers will be watching to see how prominently the union’s branding shows up in community programs and any local hiring or apprenticeship outreach tied to the club.
For now, the shift is mostly a highly visible name change that fans will notice on tickets, signage, and the big board during the next home series. Attain Sports and IBEW Local 24 say they will share more specifics on branding, community tie-ins, and activation plans in the coming weeks.
