|
 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.
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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2008 TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL |
FACTS & FIGURES |
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-Bowl Game:
Fiesta Bowl
-Sponsor: Tostitos
-Capacity: 63,000
-Surface: Grass
-Opened:
September 10, 2006
-Host Since 2007
-Cost: $455 Million
-Seating
Chart
-Tostitos
Fiesta Bowl Site |
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