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State Farm Stadium

Coordinates: 33°31′39″N 112°15′45″W / 33.52750°N 112.26250°W / 33.52750; -112.26250
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University of Phoenix Stadium
Map
Former namesCardinals Stadium (August–September 2006)
Location1 Cardinals Drive
Glendale, Arizona, 85305
United States
Coordinates33°31′39″N 112°15′45″W / 33.52750°N 112.26250°W / 33.52750; -112.26250
OwnerArizona Sports and Tourism Authority
OperatorGlobal Spectrum
Capacity63,400 (expandable to 72,200; standing room to at least 78,600[9][10])
SurfaceTifway 419 Hybrid Bermuda Grass
Construction
Broke groundApril 12, 2003
OpenedAugust 1, 2006
Construction cost$455 million[1]
($688 million in 2024 dollars[2])
ArchitectEisenman Architects
Populous (HOK Sport)[3]
Structural engineerTLCP Structural, Inc. (bowl)[4]
Walter P Moore[5] to a design by Buro Happold (roof)[6]
Services engineerM-E Engineers, Inc.[7]
General contractorHunt Construction[8]
Tenants
WrestleMania XXVI (WWE) (2010)
Arizona Cardinals (NFL) (2006–present)
Fiesta Bowl (BCS) (2007–present)

University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) and the annual Fiesta Bowl. The stadium is located next door to the Jobing.com Arena and it features the first fully retractable natural grass playing surface built in the United States on top of an AirField Systems drainage system. An opening on one side of the stadium allows the playing field to move to the exterior of the building, allowing the entire natural turf playing surface to be exposed to daylight.

The stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLII, and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game, a game that it hosts every four years, which set the venue's entertainment attendance record of 78,603 on January 11, 2011.[11] It will again host Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.

The University of Phoenix acquired the naming rights in September 2006, shortly after the stadium had opened under the name Cardinals Stadium. The "University of Phoenix" name is applied as a corporate sponsor, and not as the home stadium of the University (which has no intercollegiate athletics program).

The stadium has also hosted the WWE event WrestleMania XXVI with 72,219 fans in attendance. The event was held in the stadium on March 28, 2010.

Facility information

The 63,400-seat stadium opened on August 1, 2006 after three years of construction.[12] The stadium is considered an architectural icon for the region and was named by Business Week as one of the 10 “most impressive” sports facilities on the globe due to the combination of its retractable roof (engineering design by Walter P Moore to a scheme design by Buro Happold) and roll-in natural grass field, similar to the GelreDome and the Veltins-Arena.[13] It is the only American facility on the list. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the new stadium was held on April 12, 2003.

Light emitting diode (LED) video and ribbon displays from Daktronics in Brookings, South Dakota were installed in 2006 prior to Arizona's first game of the season.[14]

The cost of the project was $455 million. That total included $395.4 million for the stadium, $41.7 million for site improvements, and $17.8 million for the land. Contributors to the stadium included the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority ($302.3 million), the Arizona Cardinals ($143.2 million), and the City of Glendale ($9.5 million).

The playing field outside and lined for the Arizona Cardinals.
The roof of University of Phoenix Stadium.

The first preseason football game was played August 12, 2006 when the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-13. The first regular season game was played September 10 against the San Francisco 49ers (the Cardinals won 34–27). The stadium's air-conditioning system made it possible for the Cardinals to play at home on the opening weekend of the NFL season for the first time since moving to Arizona in 1988.

On October 16, 2006, the stadium hosted a notable game between the Cardinals and the undefeated Chicago Bears where the Bears came back from a 20-point deficit to defeat the Cardinals.

The stadium hosted the highest attended soccer match in the state of Arizona on February 7, 2007, when 62,462 fans watched the United States men's national soccer team defeat Mexico, 2–0.

University of Phoenix Stadium from a bird's eye view

The multipurpose nature of the facility has allowed it to host 91 events representing 110 event days between the dates of August 4, 2006 through the BCS National Championship January 8, 2007. These events included Arizona Cardinals games; public grand opening tours held August 19 & 20, 2006 (attended by 120,000 people); various shows, expositions, tradeshows and motor sport events; the Rolling Stones concert November 8, 2006; the AIA 4A and 5A state championship games for football (the first high school to win a football championship at the stadium was Cactus Shadows High School of Cave Creek, AZ on December 2, 2006); an international soccer exhibition match; the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship High School Marching Band competition (the first marching band to ever play on the field was Foothill High School, from Pleasanton, California on December 29, 2006); the Fiesta Bowl January 1, 2007 featuring the Boise State Broncos vs. the University of Oklahoma Sooners (Boise State won 43-42 in overtime); and the BCS National Championship January 8, 2007 between the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 2 University of Florida Gators, which the Gators won 41-14. It also held the 2008 Fiesta Bowl between the Oklahoma Sooners and the West Virginia University Mountaineers, as well as the 2009 Fiesta Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes. It has also held many high school graduations.

The Cardinals' first home playoff game since the 1940s took place at the stadium on Jan. 3, 2009, with Arizona beating the Atlanta Falcons, 30-24. The stadium also hosted the 2008-09 NFC Championship Game between the Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 18, 2009, which the Cardinals won 32-25 in front of 70,650 fans in attendance.

University of Phoenix Stadium with field removed.

The stadium has 88 luxury suites — called luxury lofts — with space for 16 future suites as the stadium matures.

The 25 acres (10 ha) surrounding the stadium is called Sportsman's Park. Included within the Park is an 8-acre (3.2 ha) landscaped tailgating area called the Great Lawn.

There are no obstructed view seats in the stadium. There are visible areas in the upper deck of the end zone where seats could have been put in but were not due to the giant super columns supporting the roof structure.

Cardinals win NFC Championship, 18 Jan., 2009

The stadium seating capacity can be expanded by 8,800 for "mega-events" such as college bowls, NFL Super Bowls, and the NFC Championship Game[15] by adding risers and ganged, portable "X-frame" folding seats. The endzone area on the side of the facility where the field tray rolls in and out of the facility can be expanded to accommodate the additional seats.

The roof is made out of translucent "Bird-Air" fabric and opens in twelve minutes. It is the first retractable roof ever built on an incline.

The shape of the stadium is loosely modeled after a barrel cactus, a widespread plant in the Arizona desert.

University of Phoenix Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008 in which the New York Giants defeated the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 with a paid attendance crowd of 71,101. This game was mentioned as one of the biggest upsets of all time. This was the second time the Phoenix area hosted a Super Bowl, the other being Super Bowl XXX held in nearby Tempe at Sun Devil Stadium in 1996 when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On August 1, 2009, the stadium hosted Monster Jam Summer Heat, with Maximum Destruction defeating Captain's Curse in the racing finals and Grave Digger winning the freestyle event.

On January 10, 2011, the 2011 BCS National Championship Game had an attendance record setting 78,603 on hand for the game.

On October 11, 2011, it was announced by the owners that University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, will host Super Bowl XLIX.

On January 21, 2012, United States men's national soccer team played against Venezuela national football team and won the match 1-0.

On January 30, 2013, Mexico national football team played against Denmark national football team. The game was broadcast on Televisa Deportes, UniMás, TV Azteca, etc. The match ended in a 1 - 1 tie.[16]

A panoramic view of the interior of the stadium before a Cardinals football game, September 27, 2009

Naming rights

The movable field outside of University of Phoenix Stadium.

On September 26, 2006 the University of Phoenix acquired the naming rights to the stadium totalling $154.5 million over 20 years.[17]

Parking space

"Cardinals" Stadium have approximately 14,000 on-site parking spaces(plus 12,000 adjacent spaces),[18] located in numerous lots, surround the stadium.2,000 disabled parking spaces. The design improvement, featured for example in Discovery program about this stadium is zoning. Parking spaces for guests are zoned with the preferred(because of journey target, like home side of World) leaving directions, to achieve the fastest possible movements.[19]

Notes and references

  1. ^ University of Phoenix Stadium Funding & Economic Impact
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ University of Phoenix Stadium architect: Populous
  4. ^ "The University of Phoenix Stadium Sets New Standards". STRUCTURE magazine. February 1, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  5. ^ Emporis.com - University of Phoenix Stadium
  6. ^ Gannon, Todd (2008). Eisenman Architects/University of Phoenix Stadium for the Arizona Cardinals. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. p. 100.
  7. ^ M-E Engineers, Inc. - Projects
  8. ^ This Week's News: The Cardinals Signature Stadium
  9. ^ "The Big Game On the Horizon". Buccaneers.com. February 9, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  10. ^ Auburn Claims SEC's Fifth Straight National Title By Dropping Oregon On Late Field Goal
  11. ^ Sunnucks, Mike (January 11, 2011). "BCS Game Sets New University of Phoenix Stadium Attendance Record". Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  12. ^ Stadium Statistics
  13. ^ World-Class Sports Stadiums: BusinessWeek
  14. ^ "Installation Spotlight: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz".
  15. ^ Watters, Carrie (January 11, 2009). "Cards vs. Eagles Sells Out in 6 Minutes". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  16. ^ http://www.azcentral.com/sports/azetc/ar
  17. ^ Wong, Scott (September 26, 2006). "Stadium Name Deal: $154.5 mil Over 20 Years". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 26, 2006. [dead link]
  18. ^ http://www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/stadium/statistics
  19. ^ http://www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/guest/directions
Wikimedia Commons has media related to State Farm Stadium.
Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the
Arizona Cardinals
2006 – present 		Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
2007 – present 		Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the
BCS National Championship Game
2007, 2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of
Super Bowl XLII
2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of NFC Championship Game
2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of
Super Bowl XLIX
2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of WrestleMania XXVI
2010 		Succeeded by

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