The stadium opened in 2006 as Cardinals Stadium. Later that year in September, the University of Phoenix acquired naming rights, renaming it University of Phoenix Stadium, in what was then a 20-year agreement. It was renamed in September 2018 for insurance company State Farm, which has an 18-year naming rights deal.[11][12]
History
Since moving to Arizona from St. Louis in 1988, the Cardinals had played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe. The Cardinals planned to play there for only a few years, until a new stadium could be built in Phoenix. The savings and loan crisis derailed funding for a new stadium during the 1990s. Over time, the Cardinals expressed frustration at being merely tenants in a college football stadium. The lack of having their own stadium denied them additional revenue streams available to other NFL teams. The Cardinals campaigned several times in the years prior to its construction for a new and more modern facility.
In 2000 and 2001 as the Cardinals began exploring places to build their new stadium, numerous cities began to bid for it. The Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority oversaw construction of the stadium and were responsible for finding the stadium's location. Tempe and Avondale were front runners, with other sites in downtown Phoenix, the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation, and near Fountain Hills also being considered. The Tempe site would be close to the Cardinals’ training facility but would cost the authority $30,000 monthly in water expenses. The Avondale land would be a donation by developer John F. Long, who would also assume the risk for the $26 million infrastructure cost.[13] By 2002, Mesa and Glendale had also submitted bids and taken over as top choices. Ultimately, Mesa residents would vote to not approve the building of the stadium and Glendale was with its promised $36 million in infrastructure improvements and 11,000 parking spots near the stadium.[14]
The ceremonial groundbreaking for the new stadium in 2003 was held on April 12, and after three years of construction, the 63,400-seat venue opened on August 1, 2006. It was designed by Eisenman Architects and HOK Sport (now Populous).[15] The stadium is considered an architectural icon for the region and was named by Business Week as one of the ten “most impressive” sports facilities on the globe due to the combination of its retractable roof (engineering design by Walter P Moore) and roll-in natural grass field,[16] similar to the GelreDome and the Veltins-Arena.[17]
LED video and ribbon displays from Daktronics in Brookings, South Dakota were installed in 2006 prior to Arizona's first game of the season at the new stadium.[18]
The cost of the project was $455 million, which included $395.4 million for the stadium, $41.7 million for site improvements, and $17.8 million for the land. Contributors to the stadium included the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority ($302.3 million), the Arizona Cardinals ($143.2 million), and the City of Glendale ($9.5 million).
The playing field outside and lined for the Arizona CardinalsStadium roof in 2007The interior with field removed. To protect the stadium's grass playing surface and to provide a flat floor for solid footing, non-football events are always held with the facility in this configuration.
The stadium has 88 luxury suites – called luxury lofts – with space for 16 future suites as the stadium matures.
The 25 acres (10 ha) surrounding the stadium is called Sportsman's Park (the team had previously played in a venue of the same name in St. Louis from 1960 to 1965). Included within the Park is an 8-acre (3.2 ha) landscaped tailgating area called the Great Lawn. The approximate elevation at field level is 1,070 feet (330 m) above sea level.
The stadium seating capacity can be expanded by 8,800 for "mega-events" such as college bowls, NFL Super Bowls, the NFC Championship Game, and the Final Four[19] by adding risers and ganged, portable "X-frame" folding seats. The end zone area on the side of the facility where the field tray rolls in and out of the facility can be expanded to accommodate an additional tier of seating which slopes down from the scoreboard level.
The roof is made out of translucent Birdair fabric and opens in 12 minutes. It is the first retractable roof ever built on an incline.
In 2024, the Cardinals announced renovations to add two luxury clubs to both endzones: Casitas Garden Club on the South end and Morgan Athletic Club on the North end. New tunnel seats and field seats will also be added.[20]
Events
Cardinals win NFC Championship, January 18, 2009
Events held at the stadium include Arizona Cardinals home games; public grand opening tours held August 19–20, 2006 (attended by 120,000 people); various shows, expositions, tradeshows and motor sport events; and international soccer exhibition matches.
The multipurpose nature of the facility has allowed it to host 91 events representing 110 event days between August 4, 2006, through the BCS National Championship January 8, 2007.
NFL
The first preseason football game was played August 12, 2006, when the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21–13. The first regular season game was played September 10 against the San Francisco 49ers (the Cardinals won 34–27). The stadium's air-conditioning system made it possible for the Cardinals to play at home on the opening weekend of the NFL season for the first time since moving to Arizona in 1988.
The Cardinals' first home playoff game since 1947 took place at the stadium on January 3, 2009, with Arizona beating the Atlanta Falcons, 30–24. The stadium also hosted the 2008 NFC Championship Game between the Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles on January 18, 2009, which the Cardinals won 32–25 in front of over 70,000 fans in attendance and advanced to Super Bowl XLIII.
The 2015 Pro Bowl was the first Pro Bowl to be held at the same location as the same year's Super Bowl since 2010. The Pro Bowl returned to Hawaii in 2016.[21] On February 1, 2015, the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28–24 in Super Bowl XLIX held at the stadium.
On November 30, 2020, it was announced that because of Santa Clara County's new COVID-19 rules barring contact sports, the 49ers could not play at their home Levi's Stadium; they were subsequently forced to play their final three home games against the Buffalo Bills, the Washington Football Team, and the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Including a road game against the Cardinals, the 49ers played four of their final five games at State Farm Stadium to end the season.
On January 10, 2011, the stadium hosted the 2011 BCS National Championship Game between the Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks, which had an attendance record setting 78,603 on hand for the game.
*Note: The 2021 Fiesta Bowl only allowed family members of both universities due to COVID-19, and, as a result, did not record an official attendance.
College basketball
2017 NCAA Final Four
Before 2018, the venue was known as University of Phoenix Stadium. It hosted the Final Four, the semifinals and championship game of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, in 2017. The 2017 Final Four featured South Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon and North Carolina. Gonzaga defeated South Carolina in the first semifinal game 77–73 and North Carolina defeated Oregon in the second semifinal game 77–76. North Carolina defeated Gonzaga for their 6th national title, 71–65.
The stadium hosted the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The 2024 Final Four featured UConn, Alabama, NC State and Purdue. Purdue defeated NC State in the first semifinal game 63–50 and UConn defeated Alabama in the second semifinal game 86–72. UConn then defeated Purdue in the championship game 75–60 to become the first team since the 2007 Florida Gators to repeat as national champions.
Additionally, it hosted the West Regional semifinals and finals in 2009.
On February 7, 2007, the stadium hosted a soccer match attended by 62,462 fans. The United States men's national soccer team defeated Mexico, 2–0. On January 21, 2012, the U.S. played against Venezuela and won the match 1–0.
On November 19, 2015, the stadium was one of the sites selected for the 2016 Copa América Centenario.[24][25][26] The stadium hosted three matches, including Mexico vs. Uruguay on June 5, and the third-place match (United States vs. Colombia) on June 25.
In club soccer, Real Madrid battled MLS side LA Galaxy in August 2013. The Spanish side defeated the Galaxy 3–1.
An attendance record setting 72,219 fans at the State Farm Stadium for WrestleMania XXVI
The stadium hosted the WWE professional wrestling event WrestleMania XXVI which took place on March 28, 2010, with 72,219 fans in attendance.[27] This was the first WrestleMania since WrestleMania XI with a non-title match as a main event, the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Arizona and the third to be held in an open-air venue,[27][28] after WrestleMania IX and WrestleMania XXIV. The event grossed $5.8 million in ticket sales, making the event the highest grossing and attended entertainment event held at the University of Phoenix Stadium.[29]
This is the first act in the stadium's history to sell out two shows on a single tour. Glendale symbolically renamed itself to "Swift City" to honor the fact that the stadium kicked off the tour.[35][36]
The stadium has also hosted other events, including the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship High School Marching Band competition and several high school graduations.[citation needed]
On August 1, 2009, the stadium hosted Monster Jam Summer Heat, with Maximum Destruction defeating Captain's Curse in the racing finals and Grave Digger winning the freestyle event.[citation needed]
On January 30, 2016, Monster Jam returned to the stadium for the first time since 2009, with 16 of the best trucks. On February 6, the AMA Supercross Championship raced for the first time, after visiting Chase Field from 1999 to 2015.
A panoramic view of the interior of the stadium before a Cardinals football game, September 27, 2009
Video of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris virtually touring the vaccination center at the stadium on February 8[43]
On January 11, 2021, the stadium began to be used for administering COVID-19 vaccines 24/7,[45] averaging 7,000 vaccinations per day with the assistance of 500 volunteers.[46]
Naming rights
The movable field outside of the stadium.
On September 26, 2006, the University of Phoenix acquired the naming rights to the stadium totalling $154.5 million over 20 years.[47] On April 11, 2017, the University of Phoenix terminated the naming rights just over halfway into the 20-year deal, citing financial woes. The university kept its name on the stadium until a replacement sponsor was found. On September 4, 2018, State Farm reached a deal securing the rights through 2036. University of Phoenix will remain involved as a sponsor with the team in a reduced capacity as the Cardinals' "official education partner."
Parking space
The stadium has approximately 14,000 on-site parking spaces (plus 12,000 adjacent spaces),[48] located in numerous lots that surround the stadium's 2,000 disabled parking spaces. The design improvement, featured for example in a Discovery program about this stadium, is zoning. Parking spaces for guests are zoned with preferred leaving directions, to achieve the fastest possible movement of traffic.[49]
