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On February 2, 2014 the biggest game in sports
will be played in the biggest city in the United
States. For the first time in the history of the
Super Bowl, the game will be played outside in a
cold weather city at MetLife Stadium in East
Rutherford, NJ. The stadium is home to both the New
York Giants and Jets, but will be the site of Super
Bowl XLVIII as the Seattle Seahawks battle the
Denver Broncos.
MetLife Stadium is one of the newest stadiums in
the NFL. Both the Giants and Jets shared Giants
Stadium for 26 seasons and each team originally
wanted new separate stadiums built. In September
2005, both the Giants and Jets announced that they
had reached an agreement to build a new stadium in
the Meadowlands. After the Jets failed to get a new
stadium built in Manhattan, they decided to team up
with the Giants to build a new stadium adjacent to
Giants Stadium.
In September 2007, renderings and details of
the new Meadowlands stadium were released. Although site work
begin in April 2007, official groundbreaking was
held on September 5, 2007. The has a seating
capacity of 82,500 in four levels that enclose the stadium. This
includes 9,200 club seats and 117 luxury suites. Fans sitting in
the front row along the 50 yard line seats are the closest to
the action in the NFL at 46 feet away. It
features two club areas, the Coach's Club and the mezzanine
level clubs. The Coach's
Club features a 20,000 square foot bar
and lounge on the field deck just five yards from the team's
bench. On the mezzanine level are the east and west side clubs
where fans can enjoy a climate controlled atmosphere and a
variety of food and beverages.
Fans can see replays from the
gridiron on four 40' x 130' video/scoreboards that are located
in each corner below the upper deck.
Since the stadium is the home of two teams, individualization is
an important concept of the stadium. Interior illumination of
colors switch depending on the home team. Outside, giant red
pylons at the North and East entrances will show videos of
whatever team is playing at the facility. The signature feature
at the stadium is the Great Wall. In the shape of a rectangle,
this 400' x 40' high wall shows murals of players and team
moments outside the stadium. Both the Jets and Giants are
committed to staying in New Jersey for the next 99 years. This
is the first time two teams have come together 50/50 in a
partnership to build a new stadium. Known for its first season
as Meadowlands Stadium, the naming rights were purchased by
MetLife in August 2011 for 25 years at a cost of $17 to $20
million. The New York Giants played their first game at MetLife
Stadium on September 12, 2010, winning against the Carolina
Panthers.
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