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MetLife Stadium

Coordinates: 40°48′49″N 74°4′28″W / 40.81361°N 74.07444°W / 40.81361; -74.07444
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MetLife Stadium
The New Meadowlands
File:MetLife Stadium Logo.png
Map
Former namesNew Meadowlands Stadium (2010)
LocationOne MetLife Stadium Dr.
East Rutherford, New Jersey 07073
United States
Coordinates40°48′49″N 74°4′28″W / 40.81361°N 74.07444°W / 40.81361; -74.07444
Public transitMeadowlands Station
OwnerNew Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
OperatorMetLife Stadium Company, LLC
(New York Giants 50%/New York Jets 50%)
Capacity82,500[6]
SurfaceUBU Sports' Speed Series S5-M (2013-present)
FieldTurf (2010-2012)
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 5, 2007[1]
OpenedApril 10, 2010[2]
Construction cost$1.6 billion
($2.24 billion in 2024 dollars[3])
Architect360 Architecture
EwingCole
Rockwell Group
Bruce Mau Design, Inc.
Project managerHammes Company Sports Development
Structural engineerThornton Tomasetti
General contractorSkanska AB[5]

MetLife Stadium is a stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home to the Giants from 1976 until December 2009 and the Jets from 1984 until January 2010. Like its predecessor, MetLife Stadium is the only NFL stadium shared by two teams.

The stadium is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority on paper. However, the Giants and Jets jointly built the stadium using private funds, and operate it through the MetLife Stadium Company, a 50/50 joint venture between the two teams. In contrast, the Jets were tenants of the NJSEA at Giants Stadium. The NJSEA continues to provide security and emergency medical services staff under contract to the stadium, as they have done in the past at Giants Stadium. The stadium opened as New Meadowlands Stadium on April 10, 2010, featuring the Big City Classic lacrosse event.[2] In 2011, MetLife, an insurance company based in New York City, acquired the naming rights to the stadium. At a construction cost of approximately $1.6 billion, it is the most expensive stadium ever built[7] and is the largest stadium in the NFL in terms of permanent seating capacity.[2][8]

On May 25, 2010, it was announced that Super Bowl XLVIII, to take place in 2014, was awarded to the stadium, the first time a Super Bowl would be played in the New York metropolitan area, and the first time that a non-domed stadium in a cold-weather city would host it.[9]

History

As Giants Stadium approached 30 years of age, it was becoming one of the older stadiums in the NFL. The Jets, who had been the lesser tenants in the Meadowlands, sought to have their own stadium built. The proposed West Side Stadium would have been built in Manhattan proper, but with significant public funding required. When that fell through, the Jets entered into a partnership with the Giants to build a new stadium that the two teams would share on equal footing.

Design

File:Allianzarenacombo.jpg
The Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich, is the first stadium to change color of its exterior. MetLife Stadium uses the concept of changing color of its exterior.
Construction on MetLife Stadium, as seen in 2007 (top) and 2008 (bottom) near Giants Stadium

The stadium is distinguished by an outer skin of aluminum louvers and by interior lighting that switches colors depending on which team is playing at home--blue for the Giants and green for the Jets.[10] This is a technique originated at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, which is shared between the city's two major Football clubs, Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. Essentially, unlike Giants Stadium, MetLife Stadium can easily be converted from a Giants game to a Jets game or vice versa within a matter of hours.[11] The special louvers and the associated hanging system were custom designed and manufactured by Overgaard Ltd. of Hong Kong and Architectural Wall Systems of Des Moines, Iowa. The total linear length of louvers is exactly 50,000 meters (50 kilometers) or 163,681 feet (31.1 miles).

Front row 50 yard line seats are 46 feet (14 m) away from the sideline, which is the shortest distance of all NFL Stadiums. To change the field decorations, two 4-man crews take about 18 hours to roll up 40 sections of FieldTurf that make up the teams' respective endzones.[12] Unlike most NFL stadiums, the NFL logo is painted at midfield instead of the logo of one of the teams, also shortening the transition time. The replaceable team logos at midfield were removed in August 2010 after Domenik Hixon tore his anterior cruciate ligament at a practice at the stadium during training camp.[13]

Unlike a number of other new NFL venues, MetLife Stadium does not have a roof, as proposals to include a roof failed due to a dispute over funding.[14] Thus, indoor events such as the Final Four cannot be held at the facility, which runs counter to the original aims for a new stadium in northern New Jersey.[15]

Twenty giant high-definition-ready light emitting diode (LED) pylons designed, manufactured, and installed by Daktronics at the north and east entrances display videos of the team that is playing. The pylons measure approximately 54 feet (16 m) high by 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. Inside, four 30 feet (9.1 m) by 116 feet (35 m) video displays from Daktronics, which incorporate high definition video technology, hang from each corner of the upper deck.[16]

The new stadium has seating for 82,566 fans, including 10,005 club seats and approximately 218 luxury suites, making it the largest NFL stadium in total seating.[17]

lower bowl mid-bowl upper bowl
33,346 21,323 27,897

MetLife Stadium includes a total of four locker rooms: one for the Giants, one for the Jets and two for visiting teams. The home teams have locker rooms on opposite ends of the stadium with a visitor's locker room adjacent to it; the unused visitor locker room is also used as a spillover area by the home team on game days.[17][18]

Lease terms

View of New Meadowlands Stadium (under construction) and Giants Stadium (on right) in July 2009.

The lease for the new stadium is for 25 years, with options to extend it that could eventually reach 97 years. After the 15th year of the lease, every five years, one of the two teams may opt out of the lease after giving the state 12 months notice. However, if one team leaves for a new stadium, the other team would have to remain for the remainder of the lease. Based on the teams' histories, this clause presumably allows the Jets to eventually decide that they want to play in their own stadium and leave if they can find a way to finance it, although the high cost of the stadium and relocation of team facilities to New Jersey makes this unlikely (although the Jets have relocated their facilities to Florham Park, New Jersey). It is unknown if the lease starts upon construction or upon the stadium's opening. The teams also get parking revenue from the Meadowlands' western parking lots year round, even when there are no events at the stadium (this would occur when other parts of the Meadowlands host events).[19]

Transportation

MetLife Stadium is accessible via Exit 16W on the western spur of the New Jersey Turnpike and is also located adjacent to Route 3 and Route 120. Coach USA provides bus service between the stadium and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.[20]

The Meadowlands Rail Line operates on event days between the newly constructed Meadowlands Station and Hoboken Terminal via Secaucus Junction, where there is connecting service to Pennsylvania Station (New York City), Pennsylvania Station (Newark), and other New Jersey Transit rail operations. The line opened to the public on July 26, 2009.[21]

Naming rights

Allianz, a financial services company based in Germany, expressed interest in purchasing naming rights to the stadium. The proposal was for a period of up to 30 years,[22] and was estimated to be valued at somewhere between $20 million and $30 million USD. However, it sparked protests from New York's Jewish community (the largest outside of Israel) and the Anti-Defamation League, which opposed the move due to close ties in the past between Allianz and the government of Nazi Germany during World War II. However, Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, secretary general of the North American Board of Rabbis, agreed that although survivors' sensibilities are understandable, a naming deal is legitimate. "I have found Allianz to be receptive, to be sensitive and a friend of the Jewish people today," he said.[23] Allianz sponsors the venue that inspired the color-change technology for MetLife Stadium: Allianz Arena in Munich. No agreement was reached and talks between Allianz and the teams ended on September 12, 2008.[24]

On June 27, 2011, it was reported that insurance company MetLife entered discussions to purchase naming rights to the stadium.[25] The new name, "MetLife Stadium,"[26] became official when all parties signed a 25-year deal on August 23.[27][28]

EPA agreement

The exterior of MetLife Stadium.

In June 2009, the New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation and the EPA signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines plans to incorporate environmentally-friendly materials and practices into the construction and operation of MetLife Stadium. The agreement includes strategies to reduce air pollution, conserve water and energy, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of construction. The goal of the agreement is to save the emission of nearly 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide during the stadium's construction and its first year of operation. Under this agreement, the stadium construction must use around 40,000 tons of recycled steel, recycle 20,000 tons of steel from Giants Stadium, install seating made from recycled plastic and scrap iron, and reduce air pollution from construction vehicles by using cleaner diesel fuel, diesel engine filters, and minimizing engine idle times. Other goals of this agreement include providing mass transit options for fans and replacing traditional concession plates, cups and carries with compostable alternatives. The New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation will report the progress on its goals to EPA every six months. Based on the reports, EPA will quantify the benefits of the venue’s environmental efforts.[29][30]

Super Bowl

Main article: Super Bowl XLVIII
Inside MetLife Stadium during the first-ever preseason game between the Giants and Jets on August 16, 2010.

MetLife Stadium will host Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014.[31] The NFL requires that a Super Bowl hosting stadium must have an average temperature of 50 degrees or higher in February or be held in an indoor climate-controlled facility. However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell waived this requirement. The stadium was allowed on the ballot because of a "unique, once-only circumstance based on the opportunity to celebrate the new stadium and the great heritage and history of the NFL in the New York region".[32][33]

Notable moments

Pre-game ceremony prior to the Jets-Cowboys game on September 11, 2011
  • September 12, 2010: The Giants hosted the first NFL regular season game in the stadium's history against the Carolina Panthers, winning 31–18.[34]
  • September 13, 2010: The Jets played their first game at the stadium against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football with a 10–9 loss.[35]
  • November 14, 2010: The stadium encountered two power outages during the game that featured the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. The game was delayed about 8 minutes.[36]
  • December 19, 2010: The Philadelphia Eagles stage a comeback against the Giants in what has become known as "Miracle at the New Meadowlands," coming back from being down 31–10 with about 8 minutes to go in the fourth quarter to win 38–31, capped off by DeSean Jackson's game winning punt return when time expired.
  • September 11, 2011: On the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a ceremony was held prior to the game between the Jets and the Dallas Cowboys honoring the victims of the attacks.[37] The Jets defeated the Cowboys 27–24.[38]
  • December 24, 2011: The "visiting" Giants defeated the "hosting" Jets 29–14 in what was the biggest regular season match-up between the two New York teams in recent years, due to postseason implications for both sides. The victory helped propel the Giants into the playoffs while contributing significantly in eliminating the Jets from a postseason appearance.[39]
  • January 8, 2012: MetLife Stadium hosted its first NFL playoff game with the Giants defeating the Atlanta Falcons 24–2 in an NFC Wild Card game,[40] en route to their Super Bowl XLVI championship.
80,676 fans pack MetLife Stadium for WrestleMania.

Other events

2010 (Inaugural Year)

The first concert at the New Meadowlands Stadium was on May 26th. New Jersey native Bon Jovi, who performed four shows at the venue on their The Circle Tour. On opening night, Train was a special guest star to open the show. The second concert at the stadium was Hot 97's Summer Jam. Eagles performed here on June 10 as part of their summer tour.

The stadium hosted an international exhibition soccer match between the United States and Brazil on August 10th. Brazil won 2–0 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 77,223; the game was played on a temporary grass field.[41][42]

2011

The stadium hosted another international friendly between the United States and Argentina on March 26th, which ended in a 1–1 draw and was played in front of a sellout crowd of 78,926.[43]

U2 performed at the stadium on July 20th on their U2 360° Tour. The show was originally to be held on July 19, 2010, but had to be postponed following Bono's emergency back surgery. The show was the third to visit the Meadowlands on the U2 360° Tour, the first two being at Giants Stadium on September 23 and 24, 2009.

2012

Another exhibition match in preparation for 2014 FIFA World Cup was played on November 14th between Colombia and Brazil, the latter one acting as the local team although with a higher affluence of Colombian fans.

The stadium hosted the 12th Siyum HaShas, a celebration of the completion of the Talmud through the seven-and-a-half year Daf Yomi study program, on August 1st. At 93,000 seats, it was the highest capacity crowd in the stadium's history, due to on-field seating and a ticket sell-out. The siyum was a Department of Homeland Security Level 2 Security event, the most critical short of a Presidential visit.[44][45]

On September 7th, the stadium hosted the first New York's College Classic game, with the visiting USC Trojans playing the Syracuse Orange, in the first of many "home" Syracuse games in MetLife over the next decade.

Future opponents include Penn State on August 31, 2013 and Notre Dame on September 27, 2014 and September 3, 2016.

September 19th: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed the first of three shows (September 19, 21 & 22) as a part of their Wrecking Ball Tour. These were his first shows in MetLife Stadium, after having played the final shows at the old Giants Stadium – performing there a total of 24 times in his career.

2013

On April 7th, MetLife Stadium hosted the WWE event WrestleMania 29. It was attended by 80,676 fans.

Taylor Swift performed at MetLife Stadium during her Red Tour with special guest Ed Sheeran on July 13th.

July 25th: Bon Jovi performed the first of two shows (July 25 & 27) as a part of their Because We Can tour. These shows were marked by the noticeable absence of lead guitarist Richie Sambora who had been replaced by guitarist Phil X after a reported feud between band lead singer Jon Bon Jovi and Sambora.

Media

References

  1. ^ Mike, Garafolo (September 5, 2007). "Giants and Jets Break Ground on New Stadium...Finally". The Star-Ledger. Newark. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Belson, Ken (April 8, 2010). "New Stadium, a Football Palace, Opens Saturday With Lacrosse". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Langan: Landscape Architecture + Planning
  5. ^ New Meadowlands Stadium, USA - About us - Skanska
  6. ^ MetLife Stadium - About Us
  7. ^ Esteban (October 27, 2011). "11 Most Expensive Stadiums In The World". Total Pro Sports. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  8. ^ "Home Field Advantage: The 10 Most Expensive NFL Stadiums". NBC Sports. Powerwall. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  9. ^ Associated Press (May 25, 2010). "Owners warm up to New York/New Jersey as Super Bowl XLVIII host". nfl.com. National Football League. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  10. ^ Sandomir, Richard (September 5, 2007). "Kaleidoscope of Colors Coming to New Stadium". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  11. ^ "New Meadowlands Stadium Getting Ready for Soft Opening". NFL.com. Associated Press. 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  12. ^ Rosenberg, Rebecca; Calder, Rich (September 13, 2010). "Now That's a Big 'Turnover'". New York Post. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  13. ^ Vacchiano, Ralph (August 13, 2010). "Mathias Kiwanuka Concerned Over FieldTurf at Meadowlands Stadium Following Domenik Hixon Injury". Daily News. New York. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  14. ^ "Giants, Jets revise billion-dollar stadium plan". ESPN.com. March 31, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  15. ^ NJSEA About Us
  16. ^ Muret, Don (June 2, 2008). "Daktronics to get contract for Jets-Giants stadium displays". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
  17. ^ a b Meyers, Gary (March 20, 2010). "Welcome to the Meadowlands: Exclusive Tour of Giants, Jets Brand New $1.7 Billion Stadium". Daily News. New York. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  18. ^ Seward, Aron (October 15, 2010). "New Meadowlands Stadium". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  19. ^ Story not found - NJ.com
  20. ^ "351 Meadowlands Express". Coach USA. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  21. ^ "N.J. Officials Launch Rail Service to Meadowlands". The Star-Ledger. Newark. Associated Press. July 20, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  22. ^ Sandomir, Richard; Robinson, Joshua (August 31, 2008). "Negotiations With Allianz on Naming of Stadium". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  23. ^ Yaniv, Oren (September 11, 2008). "Giants and Jets Fans Join Uproar Over Stadium Naming Rights Bid by Firm With Holocaust Ties". Daily News. New York. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  24. ^ Sandomir, Richard (September 12, 2008). "Allianz Drops Bid for Naming Rights". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
  25. ^ Lefton, Terry (June 27, 2011). "MetLife Eyes the Meadowlands". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  26. ^ Decambre, Mark (August 19, 2011). "New Meadowlands Stadium to Become MetLife Stadium". New York Post. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  27. ^ Ehalt, Matthew (August 23, 2011). "MetLife Name Unveiled at Stadium". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  28. ^ "MetLife Announces It Has Bought the Naming Rights to New Meadowlands Stadium for 25 Years". The Washington Post. Associated Press. August 23, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  29. ^ "EPA, New York Giants and New York Jets Team Up to Make New Meadowlands Stadium a Beacon of "Green"" (Press release). United States Environmental Protection Agency. June 1, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  30. ^ "EPA, New Meadowlands Stadium Developers Lay Green Groundwork". Concrete Products. July 1, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  31. ^ Mehta, Manish (May 25, 2010). "Super Bowl 2014 Vote: NFL Owners Award Super Bowl XLVIII to Giants, Jets & New Meadowlands". Daily News. New York. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
  32. ^ "SUPER: New Stadium Can Bid for 2014 Game". New York Jets. December 17, 2009. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
  33. ^ info, sports venue. "New NFL Stadiums with Super Bowl Dreams". Sports-Venue Info.
  34. ^ Vacchiano, Ralph (September 12, 2010). "New York Giants Open New Meadowlands With 31-18 Win Over Panthers, Hakeem Nicks Catches Three TDs". Daily News. New York. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  35. ^ Associated Press. "NFL Game Center: Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets - 2010 Week 1". National Football League. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  36. ^ "Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants - Recap - November 14, 2010". ESPN.com. November 14, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  37. ^ Begley, Ian; Mazzeo, Mike (September 12, 2011). "Giants, Redskins, Jets Remember 9/11". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  38. ^ "NFL Game Center: Cowboys vs. Jets". National Football League. September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  39. ^ Giants silence tumbling Jets to move 1 win from NFC East title
  40. ^ Eli Manning shreds Falcons, powers Giants to rematch with Packers
  41. ^ Leonard, Pat (August 10, 2010). "Young Brazil Squad, Led by Neymar and Alexandre Pato, Dust Off Veteran U.S. at Meadowlands, 2-0". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  42. ^ "Grass Field at Meadowlands for U.S.-Brazil Soccer in August". New York Post. Associated Press. May 28, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  43. ^ Bell, Jack (March 26, 2011). "Teenage Striker's Energy Propels U.S. to a Tie". The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  44. ^ "The Largest Torah Gathering in Modern Jewish History". Community Magazine. 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  45. ^ Bauman, Casriel (June 6, 2012). "Majority of Siyum Hashas Tickets Sold Out". matzav.com. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
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