Izod Center

Izod Center
The Izod Center as seen from a nearby parking garage
Former names	Brendan Byrne Arena (1981–1996) Continental Airlines Arena (1996–2007)
Location	50 Route 120, East Rutherford, New Jersey 07073
Coordinates	40°48′42″N 74°4′3″W / 40.81167°N 74.0675°W / 40.81167; -74.0675Coordinates: 40°48′42″N 74°4′3″W / 40.81167°N 74.0675°W / 40.81167; -74.0675
Broke ground	1977
Opened	July 2, 1981
Owner	New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
Operator	New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
Construction cost	US$85 million ($205 million in 2011 dollars[1])
Architect	Grad Partnership and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners
Capacity	20,049 (NBA Basketball) 20,029 (NCAA Basketball) 19,040 (Hockey) 20,000 (Concerts)
Tenants
New Jersey Nets (NBA) (1981–2010) New Jersey Devils (NHL) (1982–2007) Seton Hall Pirates (NCAA Basketball) (1985–2007) Fordham Rams (NCAA Basketball) (2011–present)

The arena's architecture features sharp, cantilevered corners which also serve as the entrance gates.

The Izod Center with the under-construction Meadowlands Xanadu on March 14, 2009

The arena, when it was named Continental Arena, during a college basketball game

Izod Center (originally Brendan Byrne Arena, and formerly Continental Airlines Arena) is a multi-purpose arena, in the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. It opened in 1981 and currently has a maximum seating capacity of 20,000. It is primarily used for sports, concerts and other various shows and events.

It was formerly home to the New Jersey Nets of the NBA, the New Jersey Devils of the NHL and the Seton Hall Pirates of the NCAA. They have since moved to the Prudential Center, in nearby Newark. It currently hosts part of the Fordham Rams' men's basketball schedule.^[2] The arena attracts spectators and fans from the New Jersey and New York metropolitan areas.

History

Construction on a new arena across Route 20 (now 120) from Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack began in 1977. The arena was designed by Grad Partnership and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners and was constructed at a cost of $85 million. Originally named Brendan Byrne Arena (after Brendan Byrne, the sitting governor of the state, who was also a member of the ownership group seeking to bring an NHL team to the State), the arena opened July 2, 1981, with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musician Bruce Springsteen. This was followed by an ice show later that month. While the official name of the arena was "Brendan Byrne Arena," on television it was usually referred to as "The Meadowlands."

On October 30, 1981, the New Jersey Nets, who had played their previous four seasons at the Louis Brown Athletic Center at Rutgers University while the arena was being built, relocated to the Meadowlands and made their Brendan Byrne Arena debut, losing to the New York Knicks, 103–99. Later that season, on January 31, 1982, the NBA All-Star Game was hosted at the arena. Shortly after, the New Jersey Devils, relocated from Colorado, playing their first regular season game there on October 5, resulting in a 3–3 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On January 4, 1996, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced a naming rights deal with Continental Airlines under which the airline, with a hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport, would pay the NJSEA $29 million over 12 years. As Continental Airlines Arena, it hosted the 1996 Final Four--the last Final Four to date that has been held in an arena specifically built for basketball.

On May 5, 2007, the Devils played their last game at the arena, losing 3–2 to the Ottawa Senators, eliminating them from the Eastern Conference semifinals 4–1. Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building. The Devils subsequently relocated to the newly constructed Prudential Center in nearby Newark, New Jersey at the beginning of the 2007–08 NHL season.

Following the Devils' final season at the arena in 2007, Continental Airlines opted out of the naming rights agreement. A new agreement was made with Izod, a company, to rename the arena Izod Center. The company will pay $1.4 million per annum for the first two years of the agreement, while the Nets are still tenants, which will drop to $750,000 per year for the balance of the five-year deal.^[3] The columns of the arena's exterior were also repainted red as the arena assumed a new color scheme.

On February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark until the Barclays Center opens. On April 12, 2010 the Nets played their final game at the arena, a 105–95 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, with Terrence Williams making the final basket scored on the court.

Plans

There are plans in place to downscale the Izod Center in conjunction with several developments, leaving much of the arena's future in doubt. In addition to the Devils and Seton Hall men's basketball teams moving to the Prudential Center in Newark and the construction of an alternative entertainment and shopping center on the Meadowlands grounds called American Dream Meadowlands, the Nets are planning to relocate to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City.

The Barclays Center is the center of an extensive redevelopment project called the Atlantic Yards being built by Nets owner Bruce Ratner's real estate development company. Originally, the arena was planned to be open for the Nets for the 2009–10 season, but lawsuits, economic issues, and a recession have plagued the project. The earliest the franchise would relocate to Brooklyn would be 2011, although these plans are still in doubt.^[4]

In September 2006, the Nets and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced an extension of their lease to keep the team in the Meadowlands until 2013, with a provision to leave as early as 2009 if the Brooklyn arena is completed. It has been reported that Ratner has sought to sell the Nets, thus thwarting any possible move to Brooklyn.^[5] In 2009, Newark mayor Cory Booker and Devils owner Jeffrey Vanderbeek have called for the closing of the Izod Center because it is a competing venue to the Prudential Center for events, and that it is a "drain on taxpayers."^[6]

In October 2009, a deal was brokered to have the Nets play at the Prudential Center for two seasons, beginning in the 2010–11 NBA season. The deal also included a partnership with the Prudential Center hosting sporting events (Devils, Nets, Seton Hall), and the Izod Center handling concerts and family shows. The two arenas would form a joint venture, Jersey Presents LLC, and wrestle leverage from promoters who had been playing the two against each other.^[7] “You can’t have two venues that close together fighting each other and have that be productive for the state,” said Jerry Zaro, economic czar to former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, who is brokering the deal.^[8] The Nets' agreement to play the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons in Newark was finalized on February 18, 2010.^[9]

Arena usage

Sports

The arena has primarily served as a sports venue in its history. The arena was the home of the NBA's New Jersey Nets basketball franchise from 1981 to 2010. It was the home arena for the NHL's New Jersey Devils hockey franchise from 1982 to 2007 and the NCAA's Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team from 1985 to 2007 as well as continuing to play host to various regular season men's college basketball , most recently on December 4, 2010 between Duke University and Butler University. The Fordham Rams have taken over the former Nets' locker room and now use the arena as their secondary home.^[10] Izod Center uses two separate floors for NBA and NCAA basketball- a standard hardwood floor for Nets and the arena's old parquet floor for regular season college basketball (since 2007, the NCAA has used a uniform floor for regional sites).

College basketball first arrived at the arena with the opening rounds of the 1984 NCAA basketball tournament. Seton Hall moved its Big East Conference men's basketball games to the arena for the 1985–1986 season, enhancing a tradition that would soon become rich. The arena hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four in 1996, the last traditional arena to do so to date. On eleven occasions (1986–91, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2007) the arena hosted the semifinals and finals of the tournament's East Regional. Only Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium, which hosted 13 regional finals from 1940–52, has hosted more.^[11] It also hosted the 1982–1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 1986 Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournaments.

One of the most infamous moments in the venue's history came on January 22, 1987, when the "334 club" was formed. After New Jersey was hit with 20 inches of snow, only 334 fans attended the Devils' 7–5 victory over the Calgary Flames.^{[citation needed]}

Other teams that have called the arena home include the New Jersey Rockets of the Major Indoor Soccer League, the New Jersey Rockin Rollers of Roller Hockey International, and the New Jersey Red Dogs / Gladiators of the Arena Football League. Two different National Lacrosse League teams have played at the arena – the New Jersey Saints from 1987–1988, and the New Jersey Storm from 2002–2003. The New York Cosmos also used the arena to host indoor soccer games.

On February 12, 2011, the arena hosted Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Silva.^[12]

For the 2010–11 NBA season, the New Jersey Nets moved out of the Izod Center to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Championships

Izod Center has played host to the 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. The arena has seen the Devils clinch two of their three Stanley Cup championships before a home crowd, winning Game 4 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals and Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals here (the Devils' other Stanley Cup win took place at Dallas' Reunion Arena in Game 6 of the 2000 Finals). The arena also was host to the Los Angeles Lakers winning an NBA Championship by sweeping the Nets on June 12, 2002,^[13] and the Anaheim Bullfrogs winning the 1997 Murphy Cup, the championship of Roller Hockey International, over the New Jersey Rockin' Rollers. The arena also hosted the 2003 NBA Finals. Izod Center is the most recent of five venues to host the Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals at the same time, the other four are Boston Garden, Madison Square Garden in New York, The Spectrum in Philadelphia and Chicago Stadium.

The parking lot of the Izod Center has also been the scene of the Devils' championship celebrations.

Concerts

Brendan Byrne Arena officials placed a large "Welcome Home Bruce" sign on their structure, during the 1992 shows of the Bruce Springsteen and the "Other Band" Tour.

The arena has been a popular site for concerts, due to having been designed with acoustics in mind and to it having a lesser facility fee for artists than competing venues, such as Madison Square Garden.

Jersey native Bruce Springsteen remains one of the most popular concert acts; his appearances have included a 10-night sold-out run in 1984, an 11-night run in 1992 and a 15-night sold-out run in 1999. This last feat is commemorated by a large banner hanging from the rafters, next to the banners representing the achievements of the resident sports teams.

Queen performed their final New Jersey show, with lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and bass guitarist John Deacon, during their Hot Space Tour on August 9, 1982, with Billy Squier as their opening act. Queen + Paul Rodgers performed during their Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour on October 16, 2005, as one of the only two US dates that year. This marked the first live performance by Queen in the US since 1982.

Portions of The Rolling Stones' 1983 concert film Let's Spend the Night Together were filmed at the arena.^[14] The concert footage was filmed in the fall of 1981.

The Grateful Dead recorded and Road Trips Volume 4 Number 2 on March 31 – April 1, 1988 and Nightfall of Diamonds on October 16, 1989.

A 1999 concert by The Dave Matthews Band was recorded for a PBS special and subsequently released as a concert album and DVD, entitled Listener Supported.

KISS performed on June 27, 2000, during their Kiss Farewell Tour, which was filmed and is available on the Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000 box set.

Cher performed the The Farewell Tour on July 2, 2002, and April 13, 2005. On the Cher: Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas DVD there is a video of Cher rehearsing at the Izod Center.

The arena played host to the final show of the politically-motivated Vote for Change Tour on October 13, 2004, featuring performances by Patti Scialfa, Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (with special guest John Fogerty and unannounced guest Eddie Vedder). ^[15]

The Red Hot Chili Peppers chose the arena as the venue to film their video "Snow (Hey Oh)", on October 17–18, 2006, including shots of the stairwells and tunnels of the stadium.

Prince & The New Power Generation kicked off their Welcome 2 America Tour here, with two consecutive shows, on December 15 and 17, 2010. They also performed two impromptu semi-private shows in the "Hospitality Room", where 50 fans attended the show on the 16th^[16] and 30 on the 18th.^[17]

Other events

The venue also hosted WWF/E SummerSlam in 1989, 1997 and 2007, as well as the King of the Ring tournament in 2001 and No Mercy 2004. The arena has also hosted several episodes of WWE Raw, as well as WWE SmackDown. WCW held events at the arena from 1984 to 1992, at which time the WWF returned. Also, WWE hosted Monday Night Raw on April 19, 2010 Live. On December 4, 2010, the arena will host a rematch of the Duke-Butler National Championship game from the previous season. WWE returned to the Izod Center on Thursday December 30, 2010, for a Smackdown House Show and hosted a WWE Supershow on Saturday June 18, 2011. The Ladder Match 2 Crash & Burn was also used for the DVD.

Fordham University's men's basketball team used the Izod Center as their home court for 4 games in the 2010-11 season.^[18]

Paramus Catholic High School holds their graduation ceremony at the Izod Center.^[19] Paramus Catholic, a high school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, is the only high school in New Jersey to hold a graduation on this scale. The tremendous seating area in the arena allows for an unlimited number of guests per graduate, unlike any other high school graduation in the state.

American Idol held auditions at the Izod Center on September 22, 2011.^[20]

Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey

Main article: Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey

The Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey was established in 1988 to honor athletes, teams, events and contributors associated with the state of New Jersey. There is currently no physical site or structure for the hall, but its members are honored with plaques that are displayed at Izod Center.

Public perception

The former Continental Airlines Arena signage

Izod Center frequently is cited near the bottom of arena polls. It is commonly referred to as "cold and dull" in appearance, as well as being "cavernous".^[21] In a 2005 poll, USA Today rated it the worst arena in the NBA, with the distance of the nosebleed seats from the court, and the level of crowding in the concourse after the game cited as reasons.^[22]

References

1. ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
2. ^ "Fordham 2010–11 Men's Basketball Schedule". Fordhamsports.com. http://www.fordhamsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/ford-m-baskbl-sched.html. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
3. ^ "Fashionable New Name for Arena". The New York Times. October 5, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/sports/basketball/05arena.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print. Retrieved October 11, 2007. 
4. ^ "Economy, uncertain financing delay plans for Brooklyn arena". ESPN. October 14, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3643309. Retrieved December 8, 2008. 
5. ^ Isola, Frank; Lawrence, Mitch (October 27, 2008). "Bruce Ratner explored Nets sale". Daily News (New York). http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/2008/10/27/2008-10-27_bruce_ratner_explored_nets_sale.html. Retrieved December 8, 2008. 
6. ^ "Devils Owner Vanderbeek Joins Calls For Izod Center Closing". SportsBusiness Daily. June 1, 2009. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/130575. Retrieved September 3, 2011. 
7. ^ "Prudential Center vs. Izod Center: Proper end to N.J.'s dueling arena saga". The Star-Ledger (Newark). October 27, 2009. http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2009/10/prudential_center_vs_izod_cent.html. 
8. ^ Brennan, John (October 22, 2009). "Prudential Center, Izod Center truce appears imminent". Bergen Record. http://www.northjersey.com/news/nets_prudential_.html. 
9. ^ "Nets reach deal to play at Newark arena until new home built". Tsn.ca. http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=310646. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
10. ^ "Fordham Men's Basketball Hosts Temple at IZOD Center on Wednesday at 7:00 pm". Fordhamsports.com. January 4, 2011. http://www.fordhamsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/010411aab.html. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
11. ^ OFFICIAL 2007 NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR RECORDS BOOK^{[dead link]}
12. ^ Sherdog.com. "Strikeforce Fedor vs. Silva". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/events/Strikeforce-Fedor-vs-Silva-15667. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
13. ^ "2002 NBA Playoff Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_2002.html. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
14. ^ Let's Spend the Night Together (1983)
15. ^ "2004 Setlists". Backstreets.com. http://www.backstreets.com/setlists2004.html. Retrieved September 11, 2011. 
16. ^ "16 December, 2010-am". Prince Vault. http://www.princevault.com/index.php/16_December,_2010-am. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
17. ^ "18 December, 2010-am". Prince Vault. http://www.princevault.com/index.php/18_December,_2010-am. Retrieved July 1, 2011. 
18. ^ "Fordham University Announces 2010-11 Men's Basketball Schedule". Fordham Athletics. 7 September 2010. http://www.fordhamsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/090710aaa.html. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
19. ^ "Paramus Catholic High School’s Commencement Exercises to Begin June 5th". MyBergen.com. http://www.mybergen.com/content/paramus-catholic-high-school%E2%80%99s-commencement-exercises-begin-june-5th. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
20. ^ ""American Idol" to Hold Auditions in East Rutherford, New Jersey Thursday, September 22". The Futon Critic. 29 August 2011. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2011/08/29/american-idol-to-hold-auditions-in-east-rutherford-new-jersey-thursday-september-22-482203/20110829fox01/. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
21. ^ Boeck, Greg (September 12, 2005). "Nets look for gains when it comes to ticketholders". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/nets/2005-09-12-fan-focus_x.htm. Retrieved August 30, 2009. 
22. ^ Boeck, Greg (April 12, 2005). "NBA arenas: Fantastic or not?". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2005-04-12-arenas-cover_x.htm. Retrieved December 8, 2008. 

External links

New Jersey portal

• Izod Center
• The Concert Database