MetLife Stadium

MetLife Stadium

Former names	New Meadowlands Stadium (2010–2011)
Location	1 MetLife Stadium Drive,[1] East Rutherford, New Jersey 07073 United States
Coordinates	40°48′49″N 74°4′28″W / 40.81361°N 74.07444°W / 40.81361; -74.07444Coordinates: 40°48′49″N 74°4′28″W / 40.81361°N 74.07444°W / 40.81361; -74.07444
Public transit	Meadowlands Station:   Meadowlands Rail Line
Owner	MetLife Stadium Company, LLC (New York Giants 50%/New York Jets 50%),[2] New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (land)
Operator	MetLife Stadium Company, LLC (New York Giants 50%/New York Jets 50%)
Capacity	82,566
Surface	UBU Sports' Speed Series S5-M (2013–present) FieldTurf (2010–2012)
Construction
Broke ground	September 5, 2007[3]
Opened	April 10, 2010[4]
Construction cost	$1.6 billion ($1.74 billion in 2016 dollars[5])
Architect	360 Architecture EwingCole Rockwell Group Bruce Mau Design, Inc.
Project manager	Hammes Company Sports Development
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti
General contractor	Skanska AB[6]
Main contractors	Structal–Heavy Steel Construction, a division of Canam Group[7]
Tenants
New York Giants (NFL) (2010–present) New York Jets (NFL) (2010–present)

The MetLife Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Meadowlands at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. It is the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants of the National Football League. The stadium is owned by the New York Giants and New York Jets; which jointly built the stadium using private funds, and operate it as equal partners through a joint venture. The stadium opened as New Meadowlands Stadium in 2010. 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^[8] and is the second-largest stadium in the NFL in terms of seating capacity.

MetLife Stadium is the only NFL stadium shared by two clubs. It and the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, are the only current facilities to house two teams from the same sports league in the U.S.

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 in Manhattan proper, the proposed West Side Stadium. Originally intended to be the 85,000-seat main stadium for New York's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, it was designed to be downsized to 75,000 seats for the Jets. However, the West Side Stadium would have required significant public funding, which collapsed in 2005. The Jets then entered into a partnership with the Giants to build a new stadium in which the two teams would be equal partners.

Design

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.^[9] This is a technique which originated at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, which is shared between the city's two major soccer 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.^[10] 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 four-person crews take about 18 hours to roll up 40 sections of FieldTurf that make up the teams' respective endzones.^[11] Unlike most NFL stadiums, the NFL's 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.^[12]

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.^[13] 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.^[14]

20 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 are four 30 feet (9.1 m) by 116 feet (35 m) video displays from Daktronics, which incorporate high definition video technology and hang from each corner of the upper deck.^[15]

The new stadium has seating for 82,566 people, including 10,005 club seats and approximately 218 luxury suites, making it the second-largest NFL stadium in terms of total seating.^[16]

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 visitors' locker room adjacent to it; the unused visitors' locker room is used as a spillover area by the home team on game days.^[16][17]

Technical agreements

Lease terms

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

The two teams lease the stadium through the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture. The lease has a 25 year term, 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).^[18]

Naming rights

Allianz, a financial services and insurance company based in Germany, expressed interest in purchasing naming rights to the stadium. The proposal was for a period of up to 30 years,^[19] and was estimated to be valued at 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.^[20] 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.^[21]

On June 27, 2011, it was reported that insurance company MetLife entered discussions to purchase naming rights to the stadium.^[22] The new name, MetLife Stadium,^[23] became official when all parties signed a 25-year deal on August 23.^[24][25]

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 is to report the progress on its goals to EPA every six months. Based on the reports, the EPA has stated it will quantify the benefits of the venue's environmental efforts.^[26][27]

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.^[28]

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.^[29]

Notable events

WrestleMania 29

On April 7, 2013, WWE's 29th annual flagship event, WrestleMania 29 was held at MetLife Stadium. It drew 80,676 fans, which became the second highest attended event in the history of WWE after WrestleMania III

80,676 fans pack MetLife Stadium for WrestleMania 29

The event was the fifth WrestleMania in the New York metropolitan area; WrestleMania I, X, and XX were held at Madison Square Garden, and a portion of WrestleMania 2 was held at Nassau Coliseum. It was the third WrestleMania held in the state of New Jersey after WrestleMania IV and V, both of which were held at Trump Plaza/Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

The main event was John Cena challenging WWE Champion The Rock, also seeking to avenge his loss to The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII. Also featured was CM Punk versus The Undertaker, concluding a storyline revolving around Paul Bearer's death and The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak. The penultimate match was Triple H versus Brock Lesnar in a No Holds Barred match; if Triple H lost, he would have to retire.

WrestleMania XXIX garnered 1,048,000 PPV buys, 205,000 fewer than the previous year's event.^[30] The event set a new record for the highest grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $72 million.^[31]

Super Bowl XLVIII

Inside MetLife Stadium during the first-ever preseason game held there, between the Giants and Jets on August 16, 2010

On May 25, 2010, it was announced that Super Bowl XLVIII 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.^[32]

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43–8 for their first Super Bowl victory, when MetLife Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014.^[33] The NFL requires that a Super Bowl hosting stadium must have an average temperature of 50° 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".^[34][35]

Firsts and notable moments

Pre-game ceremony prior to the Jets-Cowboys game on September 11, 2011

• The first event at the stadium was the Big City Classic lacrosse event, held on April 10, 2010.^[4]
• September 12, 2010: The Giants host the first NFL regular season game in the stadium's history against the Carolina Panthers, winning 31–18.^[36]
• September 13, 2010: The Jets play their first game at the stadium, against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, losing 10–9.^[37]
• November 14, 2010: The stadium encounters two power outages during a game featuring the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. The game is delayed about eight minutes.^[38]
• December 19, 2010: The Philadelphia Eagles stage a comeback against the Giants in what has become known as the Miracle at the New Meadowlands, coming back from being down 31–10 with about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter to win 38–31, capped off by DeSean Jackson's game winning punt return when time expires.
• September 11, 2011: On the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a ceremony is held prior to the game between the Jets and the Dallas Cowboys honoring the victims of the attacks.^[39] The Jets defeated the Cowboys 27–24.^[40]
• December 24, 2011: The visiting Giants defeat the hosting Jets 29–14 in what is the biggest regular season match-up between the two New York teams in recent years, due to postseason implications for both sides. The victory helps propel the Giants into the playoffs while contributing significantly to eliminating the Jets from a postseason appearance.^[41]
• January 8, 2012: MetLife Stadium hosts its first NFL playoff game, with the Giants defeating the Atlanta Falcons 24–2 in an NFC Wild Card game,^[42] en route to their Super Bowl XLVI championship.
• November 22, 2012: During a 49-19 loss to the New England Patriots, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez runs into the backside of teammate Brandon Moore, fumbling the ball, and leading to a Patriots touchdown, in an infamous play known as the butt fumble.
• On November 23, 2014: During a 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. snagged a 43-yard one-handed touchdown catch from Eli Manning early in the second quarter. The catch, which was completed with only three fingers while Beckham was being interfered with, has been hailed by Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy, Victor Cruz and LeBron James as the best catch of all time.^{[43][44][45][46][47]}

Concerts

International soccer matches

The first international exhibition match was between Mexico and Ecuador on May 7, 2010 in front of 77,507 fans. The stadium hosted another international exhibition soccer match between the United States and Brazil on August 10, 2010. Brazil won 2–0 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 77,223; the game was played on a temporary grass field.^[61][62] The stadium hosted another international friendly, between the United States and Argentina on March 26, 2011, which ended in a 1–1 draw and was played in front of a sellout crowd of 78,926.^[63] Another exhibition match in preparation for 2014 FIFA World Cup was played on November 14, 2012 between Colombia and Brazil, with Brazil acting as the local team despite a higher affluence of Colombian fans.

Other events

On October 16, 2010, Rutgers hosted Army in the first college football game to be played in the new stadium, with the Scarlet Knights defeating the Black Knights in overtime, 23-20. During the game's second half, Rutgers player Eric LeGrand was injured on a special teams play, defending a Rutgers kickoff, and paralyzed from the neck down.

The stadium hosted the 12th Siyum HaShas, a celebration of the completion of the Talmud through the 7 ¹⁄₂-year Daf Yomi study program, on August 1, 2012. 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 two security event, the most critical short of a presidential visit.^[64][65]

On September 7, 2012, the stadium hosted the first New York's College Classic game, with the visiting USC Trojans defeating the Syracuse Orange, 42-29. Syracuse has relocated three of its home games from the Carrier Dome to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey under the banner of New York's College Classic, losing all three games, a fourth was played against Notre Dame in September 2014.

Since 2012, the stadium has been the main site of the two-day electronic music festival Electric Daisy Carnival's stop in the New York Metropolitan Area bringing electronic acts such as Armin Van Buuren, Hardwell, Porter Robinson, Tiesto, and many more.

On September 27, 2014, Syracuse Orange hosted Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the their fourth New York's College Classic, which boasted 76,802 fans in attendance. Syracuse lost their fourth straight classic to a score of 31-15.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MetLife Stadium.

• MetLife Stadium at StadiumDB.com
• New Meadowlands Stadium Project Scoping Document
• Overgaard Ltd. / Facade Design & Supply
• MetLife Stadium Seating Chart
• The MetLife Stadium at World of Stadiums

Media from the New York Jets and New York Giants:

• New Jets Stadium Tour with Woody Johnson
• Virtual Tour and Fly-Through Video of NMS
• Tracy Morgan at the New Meadowlands Stadium
• January 2010 New Jets Stadium Tour
• Spectacular New Meadowlands Stadium Opens Its Door
• NJ/NY 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII Bid Presentation
• Time-lapse Video of Stadium Changeover
• Stadium naming rights
• MetLife Stadium Presser
• Bryant Park MetLife Stadium Celebration

New York Jets Formerly the New York Titans (1960–1962) Founded in 1960 Based in East Rutherford, New Jersey Headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey Franchise Franchise History Seasons Players Coaches Logos and Uniforms First-round draft picks Quarterbacks Broadcasters Flight Crew Stadiums Polo Grounds Shea Stadium Giants Stadium MetLife Stadium Culture American Football League Fireman Ed Flash Gordon West Side Stadium Rivalries New England Patriots Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins New York Giants Lore Heidi Game The Guarantee Announcerless Game New York Sack Exchange Clock Play The Monday Night Miracle Spygate Butt fumble Key personnel Owner: Woody Johnson General Manager: Mike Maccagnan Head Coach: Todd Bowles League championships (1) 1968 AFL championship (1) 1968 Division championships (4) 1968 1969 1998 2002 Super Bowl (1) 1968 (III) Retired numbers 12 13 28 73 90 Weeb Current league affiliations League: National Football League Conference: American Football Conference Division: East Division Radio: WEPN, WEPN-FM   Seasons (56) 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Book:New York Jets

Sports venues in the New York metropolitan area Active The Bronx Draddy Gymnasium Gaelic Park Rose Hill Gymnasium Van Cortlandt Park Yankee Stadium Brooklyn Aviator Sports & Events Center Barclays Center MCU Park Generoso Pope Athletic Complex Schwartz Athletic Center Steinberg Wellness Center Manhattan Chelsea Piers Icahn Stadium John McEnroe Tennis Academy Levien Gymnasium Madison Square Garden Wien Stadium Rucker Park Sportime Stadium Fort Washington Avenue Armory Queens Aqueduct Racetrack Belson Stadium Carnesecca Arena Citi Field Metropolitan Oval USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Arthur Ashe Stadium Louis Armstrong Stadium Louis Armstrong Gymnasium West Side Tennis Club Staten Island Richmond County Bank Ballpark Spiro Sports Center Staten Island Cricket Club Long Island Belmont Park Bethpage Ballpark Island Garden James M. Shuart Stadium Mitchel Athletic Complex Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Riverhead Raceway New Jersey Arm & Hammer Park Asbury Park Convention Hall Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium Richard J. Codey Arena FirstEnergy Park Freehold Raceway High Point Solutions Stadium Hinchliffe Stadium Jersey City Armory Louis Brown Athletic Center Mennen Arena Meadowlands Sports Complex Meadowlands Racetrack MetLife Stadium Monmouth Park Racetrack Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Princeton University Stadium Prudential Center Red Bull Arena Rothman Center Sun National Bank Center TD Bank Ballpark Wall Township Speedway Yanitelli Center Yogi Berra Stadium Yurcak Field Westchester Fleming Field Yonkers Raceway Rockland Provident Bank Park Rockland Lake State Park Defunct 69th Regiment Armory Bloomingdale Park Boyle's Thirty Acres Brighton Beach Race Course Bronx Coliseum Capitoline Grounds Commercial Field Coney Island Velodrome Eastern Park Ebbets Field Elysian Fields Freeport Municipal Stadium Dexter Park Downing Stadium Giants Stadium Gravesend Race Track Harrison Park Hilltop Park Island Garden (Original) Izod Center Jamaica Racetrack Jerome Park Racetrack Lewisohn Stadium Long Island Arena Madison Square Garden (1879) Madison Square Garden (1890) Madison Square Garden (1925) Madison Square Garden Bowl Metropolitan Park Morris Park Racecourse Newark Schools Stadium Newark Velodrome Palmer Stadium Polo Grounds Ridgewood Park Roosevelt Raceway Roosevelt Stadium Ruppert Stadium Rutgers Stadium (1938) St. George Cricket Grounds Shea Stadium Sheepshead Bay Race Track Singer Bowl Thompson Stadium Union Grounds Washington Park Yankee Stadium (1923) Proposed Kingsbridge National Ice Center New York City FC Stadium New York Cosmos Stadium In progress Port Imperial Street Circuit Never built Proposed domed Brooklyn Dodgers stadium The Lighthouse Project West Side Stadium Bergen Ballpark