Pitbull joins "SportsCenter" to discuss what it means to make history as the first artist with their own branded stadium. (2:45)
Pitbull will pay the school $1.2 million per year for five years, according to the documents tied to the vote. The rapper, singer and man, whose name is Armando Christian Perez, is also known as "Mr. 305" -- a nod to Miami's area code -- and attended Miami Coral Park High School.
"For me, what it boils down to is, Miami is always known for being underdogs, no matter what we do and what level we take it to," Pitbull said. "... Being underdogs is what I always felt FIU -- fighting, clawing their way to just be seen, to be recognized whether it be from education, , through sports.
"So when this idea came , it came just like a Miami-Dade County, 305 idea would come -- nobody would believe in it. ... All we had to do was, just like we say in Miami, take it to the house."
Recording artist Pitbull is purchasing the naming rights for Florida International's 20,000-seat football stadium for $1.2 million per year over five years. It will be known as Pitbull Stadium. AP Photo/J Pat Carter
The Miami-based university becomes the first to have a college athletics building named after a musician.
"What we're doing here is groundbreaking. We're making history. This is history in the making," Pitbull said. "You're going to see that every other university is going to want to do the same thing. But the difference is, we don't do this for propaganda, we do it from the heart. We do it because it's meaningful. We do it because I'm from the crib. I'm 305. I'm from the bottom. This is my backyard."
Included in the deal is an option for Pitbull to renew the agreement for five additional years.
As part of the deal, according to FIU board documents, Pitbull will create an anthem for FIU, post the school on social media 12 times a year and appear at one athletics fundraising event per year throughout the term of the agreement.
Pitbull will get use of the stadium 10 days per year throughout the term of the deal and the vodka company he owns will be the preferred brand distributed in the stadium. There's also perks like two reserved suites for all home football games.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000, according to the FIU website, and opened in 1995.
The contributed to this report.
