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It's primarily known as being the home of the
Arizona Cardinals, but University of Phoenix Stadium
host many other high profile events including
college football games and two Super Bowls. For the first time in their history, dating back to 1898, the
Cardinals have a stadium that they do not have to share with
another team. 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. 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.
The retractable roof at the University of
Phoenix Stadium is comprised of two 180-feet long by 240-feet wide
retractable panels close to allow for air
conditioning during the hot summer months and open during the
cooler months to take advantage of the Valley's abundant sunshine.
The fabric roof allows light to fill the stadium and provides
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. It is first
completely retractable field in North America. It is
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 Phoenix Stadium began in July 2003.
Originally expected to be completed in time for the 2005 NFL
season, the stadium opened on 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. 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. The new stadium has a very modern, futuristic
look and seats 63,000 fans for football. The capacity can be
expanded to 72,800 for other events at the stadium including the
Super Bowl. Not only is the stadium the home of the Arizona
Cardinals, but hosts the annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, hosted Super
Bowl XLII in 2008 and Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, and NCAA Final Four
Championships.
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