ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – The Rockford Park District’s state-of-the-art sports facility will soon get a new name.
In the UW Health Sports Factory’s nine years of play in the Forest City, it has welcomed several of the nation’s largest sporting events, like the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association, and the upcoming National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All In Volleyball Opening Weekend Tournament.
In 2015, UW Health and the Rockford Park District announced the naming rights partnership between the two.
In 2016, the City of Rockford, Rockford Park District, GoRockford, and the Winnebago County Regional Tourism Facility Board celebrated the grand opening of the soon-to-be regional epicenter for sports.
Now, the naming rights are up for grabs.
Come March 2026, UW Health will expand its partnership with the park district from the single location to encompass many of its parks, facilities, and services, including Clarence Hicks Sports Complex, park district pools, Lockwood Park, Riverview Ice House, Carlson Ice Arena, and ongoing support for the Sports Factory.
With the change comes a new partnership opportunity for a local, regional, or national business or organization to be the premier naming rights sponsor at the Sports Factory and have their name on more than a dozen pieces of signage across the building.
According to the Rockford Park District, the Sports Factory had an economic impact of $5,191,029 and attracted more than 600,000 patrons and participants in 2024.
In just the first six months of 2025, it has generated $3,390000 in economic impacts for Rockford and the surrounding communities.
Requests for Proposal are being accepted until 2 p.m., Wednesday, September 17, 2025. The bid package is only available from DemandStar, and any business interested must submit an application through DemandStar.
For more information on partnering with the Rockford Park District and the Sports Factory, click here.
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