Stadium Central

Now that the players and owners have settled their differences, it is nice to focus on the events on the field or, for my sake, on the field and the structures surrounding those fields. This year is a quiet one on the stadium front, with most of the NFL-related stadium news being focused on proposed stadiums in California as well as a number of battles for new stadiums. There are modifications to report to a number of stadiums along with potential name changes as corporations shuffle their sponsorship agreements.

Certainly, the biggest noise has been coming from Los Angeles, with the city and AEG moving forward with a plan to build a football stadium in downtown near the Staples Center and Convention Center that would bring football back to the city after the Rams and Raiders left following the 1994 season. The stadium, to be named Farmer's Field with the sponsorship of the eponymous insurance company, would be privately financed by AEG, but the city would need to kick in approximately $250 million for demolition of part of the convention center along with infrastructure improvements. The estimated cost of the stadium is a whopping $1.2 billion.

Image of proposed Los Angeles stadium (from www.stadiumsofprofootball.com)

Up the coast in the San Francisco Bay area, the San Francisco 49ers have presented models for a new stadium to be built in Santa Clara. In keeping with the setting, the $987 million stadium will feature seats with colors of "zinfandel" and "Bordeaux" and will strive to be flexible enough to accommodate yet-to-be identified technological innovations coming out of Silicon Valley. The projected opening date is 2015, but financing has not been finalized.

Among existing stadiums, the most significant changes have occurred to the Superdome, with a total of $336 million being spent since Hurricane Katrina to develop a practically new stadium within the confines of the existing structure. Seats have been reconfigured away from an oval arrangement to one with improved sightlines for both football and basketball. One of the most noticeable features is the fact that most of the seats have been converted from a multi-colored confetti pattern to a uniform dark grey. Not all seats have been converted, however, with seats in the end zone areas awaiting extra funding to complete the transition. Of more significance than seat color, concourses have been expanded and suites have been added throughout in an effort to provide extra revenue for the Saints.

One other stadium modification of note has occurred at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. The team has modified the upper deck in the end zone by removing seats and adding a party deck. This action has decreased the capacity of the stadium from over 90,000 to about 85,000. Rumor has it that another deck will be added to the other end zone in an attempt to provide amenities comparable with the other newer stadiums in the NFC East.

Keep an eye on a few teams seeking new stadiums. In particular, situations in San Diego and Minneapolis may lead to either the Chargers or the Vikings bailing on their homes for Los Angeles.

In stadium naming news, it appears that the Broncos' stadium in Denver will change names from Invesco Field to a name that includes Sports Authority. It would be an interesting move for the Colorado-based Sports Authority considering the home of the Colorado Rapids of the MLS is sponsored by the other major sports retailer in the United States, Dick's Sporting Goods. In Seattle, the home of the Seahawks will see a change from Qwest Field to CenturyLink Field. Lastly, it appears that the Meadowlands Stadium will be sponsored in the near future by MetLife.