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 University
of Phoenix Stadium
Tempe, AZ
For the first time in their
history, dating back to 1898, the Arizona Cardinals (NFL) have a
stadium to call their own. From their formation as a football club in
Chicago in 1898 to their move to St. Louis in 1960 and move to Arizona
after the 1987 season, the team has never had a stadium of their own,
most recently playing at a collegiate stadium, Sun Devil Stadium.
Through the late 1990s the Cardinals began seeking a new stadium.
After several years of debate, in August 2002, the Arizona State
Tourism and Sports Authority voted to build a new retractable roof
stadium in Glendale, AZ for the Arizona Cardinals. At a cost of $455
million, the stadium not only features a retractable roof, but
features a retractable side and field that moves in and out of the
structure.
The stadium is built on 28 acres
that is owned by the sports authority, while the district owns the
remaining 152 acres that parking, parks and amenities were built
through privately issued bonds. In order to build the stadium the
Cardinals paid for 25% of the stadium, $109 million, including cost
overruns and the state Tourism and Sports Authority paid for 75% of
the stadium. The Cardinals also bought the land for the stadium at a
cost of $18.5 million.
For the first time since 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta
Bowl will not be held at Sun Devil Stadium. It moves to the University
of Phoenix Stadium in 2007.
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The retractable roof at the University of Phoenix
Stadium is comprised of two 180-feet long by 240-feet wide retractable
panels that will remain closed to allow for air conditioning during
the hot summer months and then open during the cooler months to take
advantage of the Valley's abundant sunshine. The fabric roof will
allow light to fill the stadium and provide an open, airy feel even
when the roof panels are closed. The roof system is designed to close
in approximately 12 minutes.
University of Phoenix
Stadium features a unique rollout natural-grass playing field,
contained in a single tray measuring 234 feet wide by 403 feet long
and weighing a hefty 18.9 million pounds. The first completely
retractable field in North America, it will be positioned inside the
stadium on game days to offer the preferred natural-grass playing
surface for football and outside the stadium the remaining 350+ days
of the year to receive the needed sunlight and water to grow. A total
of 462 steel wheels riding on 13 parallel steel rails are used to
slide the field tray in and out of the facility.
Construction of
University of Poenix Stadium began
in July 2003. Originally expected to be completed in time for the 2005
NFL
season, the stadium opened August
12, 2006 when the Cardinals played the Pittsburgh Steelers in a
preseason game. The Cardinals played their inaugural first game at the
stadium when they hosted the San Francisco 49ers on September 10,
2006. The new stadium features a modern futuristic look and seats
63,000 fans for football. The capacity can be expanded to 72,800 for
other events at the stadium. Not only is the stadium he home of the
Arizona Cardinals, but the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Super Bowl
and NCAA Final Four Championships. During the first month of its
opening, the facility was known as Cardinals Stadium. In September
2006, the
University of Phoenix purchased the
naming rights for 20 years.
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