MetLife Sports Complex

The complex, as viewed from a satellite as of 2006. The racetrack is at the top, while Giants Stadium is on the left and the Izod Center is on the right.

The MetLife Sports Complex (formerly the Meadowlands Sports Complex) is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). The site currently consists MetLife Stadium, the Izod Center, the Meadowlands Racetrack, Meadowlands Rail Station, the Timex Performance Center, and the American Dream Meadowlands shopping and entertainment complex (currently under construction).

History

In the mid-1960s, civic leaders in New Jersey began calling for a sports complex in the New Jersey Meadowlands that would be able to lure a National Football League team from New York City. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority Law was passed by the New Jersey Legislature in 1971 and signed by then-Governor of New Jersey William T. Cahill. The first chairman of the NJSEA was David A. "Sonny" Werblin, former president of the NFL's New York Jets. By year's end, Werblin had secured a deal for the New York Giants, who were then playing in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, to move to the Meadowlands. Ground was broken on Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack on November 19, 1972.

To accommodate the new facility, access roads were improved. The New Jersey Turnpike, which had been suffering the burden of increased traffic volumes near its northern terminus in Ridgefield Park, built a new alignment, the "western spur", with an exit, interchange 16W, leading directly to the sports complex as well as to Route 3. Routes 3 and 20 (now 120) also received improvements.

On September 1, 1976, the Meadowlands Racetrack became the first complex venue to open, featuring harness racing. The track drew a capacity crowd of 42,133 for its initial date. Giants Stadium opened on October 10, 1976, as 76,042 fans watched the New York Giants lose to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–14.

By 1977, plans were in the works to expand the complex. A new arena was to be built on the opposite side of Route 20 from the stadium and racetrack, connected by vehicle ramps and a pedestrian bridge. Brendan Byrne Arena, named for the sitting governor, opened July 2, 1981, with the first of six sold-out shows by the rock musician Bruce Springsteen. The arena was renamed for its corporate sponsor, Continental Airlines, in early 1996. The arena is commonly known as "Continental" by the locals.

From Secaucus

In addition to the three venues, the complex also hosts events in the Giants Stadium parking lot. State Fair Meadowlands (formerly called the Meadowlands Fair, and not affiliated with the New Jersey State Fair held annually in Sussex County) began in 1986 and has been operated by State Fair of Belleville since 2003. The parking lot is also the home of a twice-weekly flea market, which is canceled when the parking spaces are needed for stadium events.

MetLife Stadium

MetLife Stadium is the new football stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It primarily serves as the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets American football teams of the NFL, and is thus the only facility home to two NFL franchises. The Giants' and Jets' previous home, Giants Stadium, was closed and demolished in 2010. In 2014, MetLife Stadium will host Super Bowl XLVIII.

Izod Center

The Izod Center (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena and Continental Airlines Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Opened in 1981, it was home to the New Jersey Nets NBA team until 2010 and to the New Jersey Devils NHL team until 2007. Both teams have since moved to the Prudential Center in Newark. Official seating capacity is 20,000 for concerts.

The IZOD Center is a popular concert destination. In 2008, it hosted sell-out performances by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the Jonas Brothers, Dave Matthews Band and Nickelback. It is consistently ranked in the top four arenas nationally by Billboard magazine in their ranking of venues for concert and family shows.

Racetrack

The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing. It is known popularly in the region as "The Big M".

Opened in the mid 1970s, the Meadowlands Racetrack held its first-ever harness race on September 1, 1976 while thoroughbred racing commenced on September 6, 1977.^[1][2] The Racetrack is the site of the Hambletonian, the most prestigious event in standardbred racing. The track is equipped to race at night and most of its races are at night.

The Racetrack, including the main building, horse barns and site, was designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm of Ewing Cole (now known as Ewing Cole Cherry Brott), who also designed a number of other track facilities around the world as well as Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (with Populous).

In the middle of the track is a lake, intentioned to resemble the state of New Jersey. The Meadowlands Racetrack is also one of the leading simulcast facilities in the world in terms of total handle.

Meadowlands Station

New Jersey Transit operates the Meadowlands Station at the complex, the terminus of the Meadowlands Rail Line.^[3] in preparation of the opening of the Xanadu Project. The station opened for service on July 26, 2009.^[4] Studies are underway regarding the extension of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail line to the Meadowlands Sports Complex as well.

Timex Performance Center

The Timex Performance Center is the main headquarters and practice facility of the New York Giants of the NFL. The facility, which is located on the westernmost portion of the MetLife Sports Complex grounds, opened in 2010 and replaced the old Giants practice fields located directly adjacent to the former Giants Stadium.

Future

View from an airplane on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport of New Meadowlands Stadium (under construction) and Giants Stadium in July 2009.

The future of the Izod Center is unknown after the New Jersey Devils moved to Prudential Center in Newark in 2007, followed by the New Jersey Nets in 2010. The moves left the arena without any major sports tenants. It was originally proposed to be demolished for the Xanadu Project, however, the current proposal for the new American Dream Meadowlands project could see the arena included in some form.

American Dream Meadowlands Project

The American Dream Meadowlands is a large mall and entertainment complex that is currently under construction. Formerly know as Xanadu, the project resides within the Meadowlands Sports Complex adjacent to the Izod Center.

Auto racing

In 1983, a Formula One auto race was planned for the New York City area. A temporary street circuit at the Meadowlands Sports Complex was one of the finalists for the location. A course at Flushing Meadows Park, in the New York City borough of Queens, was chosen, but the event was canceled before the first running.^[5] In July 1984, the CART IndyCar series held the first Meadowlands Grand Prix on a temporary circuit built in the Giants Stadium parking lot. The race was only moderately successful, and crowds were mediocre at best. In 1988, the course layout was moved to the streets surrounding Brendan Byrne Arena and redesigned to a 1.2-mile (1.9 km), six-turn layout in an effort to improve competition. The race continued until 1991, and crowds continued to stay away. In addition, from 1988–1991 the race was part of the Marlboro Million, a cash prize awarded to any driver who won the Marlboro Grand Prix, the Marlboro 500, and the Marlboro Challenge All-Star event in the same year.^[6] The prize was never won. In 1992, race officials announced plans to move the race to Manhattan, using a street course at the World Trade Center.^[7] Within a few months, however, the race was cancelled due to cost concerns.

In the early 2000s, conceptual plans were drafted to build a NASCAR-style speedway at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, as part of a revitalizing project. However, the plan was rejected, and abandoned.

Former facilities

Giants Stadium - 1976-2010

Tenants

Metlife Stadium

• New York Giants (NFL)
• New York Jets (NFL)

Former Giants Stadium tenants

• New York Giants
• New York Jets
• New York Cosmos (NASL) (1977–84)
• New Jersey Generals (USFL) (1983–85)
• New York/New Jersey Knights (WLAF) (1991–92)
• New York Red Bulls (MLS) (1995–2009)
• New York/New Jersey Hitmen (XFL) (2001)

Former Izod Center tenants

• New Jersey Nets (NBA) (moving to Prudential Center starting the NBA 2010–11 season)
• New Jersey Devils (NHL) (1982–2007) moved to Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey)
• Seton Hall University Men's Basketball (NCAA) (1981–2007) moved to Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey)
• New Jersey Red Dogs (AFL) (1997–2000)
• New Jersey Gladiators (AFL) (2001–2002)
• New Jersey Rockin' Rollers (Roller Hockey International) (1995)
• New Jersey Storm (NLL) (2002–2003)

Notes

1. ^ Cady, Steve (August 29, 1976). "Jersey Complex Opens Trot Track Wednesday". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F14FA3B5E16738DDDA00A94D0405B868BF1D3. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
2. ^ Cady, Steve (September 4, 1977). "Meadowlands Starts Flat Racing Tuesday Night". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70F15FC3C5F127A93C6A91782D85F438785F9. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
3. ^ Record Newspaper Accessed July 9, 2009.^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Clunn, Nick (July 26, 2009). "Thousands hop on board new Meadowlands rail service". The Record. http://www.northjersey.com/news/transportation/Thousands_hop_on_board_new_Meadowlands_rail_service.html. Retrieved 2009-08-02. 
5. ^ http://www.wilsonmotorsport.com/public_html/Resume-Website-2004.pdf
6. ^ "Extra Indy-Car Incentive". The New York Times. July 20, 1988. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/20/sports/extra-indy-car-incentive.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
7. ^ http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ftmt001.html

External links

• Meadowlands Sports Complex
• The Mills - Meadowlands Xanadu
• Teterboro Online: Xanadu Project
• George R. Zoffinger collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about George Zoffinger in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Coordinates: 40°48′51″N 74°04′26″W / 40.81417°N 74.07389°W / 40.81417; -74.07389