MetLife Stadium

History

As Giants Stadium approached 30 years of age, it was becoming one of the older stadiums in the NFL. The Jets, who had been the tenants to the Giants, were looking to have their proposed West Side Stadium built in Manhattan. Originally intended to be the 85,000-seat main stadium for New York's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, it was designed to be downsized to 75,000 seats for the Jets. However, it would have required significant public funding; progress on the project was halted in 2005 due to opposition from a number of sources, including Cablevision, who then owned the nearby Madison Square Garden. The Giants then entered into a joint venture with the Jets to build a new stadium in which the two New York teams would be equal partners.

Design and planning

The architects were tasked with designing a neutral stadium that would still embody the distinct personalities of both franchises. The Giants favored a traditional look of exposed steel framework and rusticated stone while the Jets wanted a sleek and modern look highlighted by metal and glass. With those features in mind the designers used the column/tower dynamic seen in many of Manhattan's skyscrapers as inspiration for the stadium's design.

The base of the stadium's facade is clad in limestone-like stonework while the rest of the stadium is distinguished by an outer skin of aluminum louvers and glass and by interior lighting capable of switching colors, depending on which team is currently playing–blue for the Giants and green for the Jets. This idea originated at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, which was previously shared between the city's two major soccer clubs, Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. Unlike Giants Stadium, MetLife Stadium can easily be reconfigured for the Giants or Jets within a matter of hours. The louvers' total linear length is exactly 50,000 meters (50 kilometers) or 163,681 feet (31.1 miles).

To change the field decorations, two 4-person crews take approximately 18 hours using forklifts and other machinery to remove the 40 sections of Act Global UBU Speed Series which make up the teams' respective end zones. Replaceable team logos at midfield were removed in August 2010, after Domenik Hixon tore his anterior cruciate ligament at a practice at the stadium during training camp. For the next decade, the NFL's logo was painted at midfield, instead of the logo of one of the teams, also shortening the transition time. However, in 2023, the Giants announced they would paint their team logo at midfield during their home games, with the Jets likewise taking the same approach. The paint is formulated to be easily dissolved by water to ensure it can be quickly removed, and as such it is not expected to be used when precipitation is expected. If the two teams are playing each other, the designated home team will have its configuration around the stadium. During their annual preseason matchups, both the Giants and the Jets will have an end zone with their team logo. Additionally in 2023, the stadium installed a new artificial surface called the FieldTurf Core System, the first multilayer dual-polymer monofilament fiber surface. The new surface also contains heavyweight infill. Overall, the system should be more durable and lower incidences of player injury.

Unlike a number of other new NFL venues, MetLife Stadium does not have a roof, as proposals to include a roof failed over a dispute for funding. Thus, indoor events such as the Final Four cannot be held at the facility, which runs counter to the original aims for the stadium.

Technical agreements

Lease terms

The Giants and the Jets formed the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture, to build and operate the stadium. The two teams leased the parcel of land on which the stadium stands from the NJSEA for a 25-year term, with options to extend it which could eventually reach 97 years. After the 15th year of the lease and every five years hence, one of the two teams may opt out of the lease after giving the state 12 months notice. The first such opportunity to opt out will occur in 2025 with a notice date of 2024. There will then be an opportunity to opt out in 2030, 2035, 2040, etc. However, if one team leaves for a new stadium, the other team would have to remain for the remainder of the lease. However, the high cost of building and relocating to a stadium makes it very unlikely. The teams also get parking revenue from the Meadowlands' western parking lots year round, even when there are no events at the stadium (this would occur when other parts of the Meadowlands host events).

Naming rights

Allianz, a financial services and insurance company based in Munich, Germany, expressed interest in purchasing naming rights to the stadium. The proposal was for a period of up to 30 years, and was estimated to be valued at between $20 million and US$30 million. Allianz sponsors the venue that inspired the color-change technology for MetLife Stadium: Allianz Arena in Munich.

Allianz's proposal drew protests from New York's Jewish community (the largest outside of Israel) and the Anti-Defamation League, due to Allianz previous close ties to the government of Nazi Germany during World War II. Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, secretary general of the North American Board of Rabbis, noted however that while the survivors' sensibilities were understandable, a naming deal is legitimate, noting "I have found Allianz to be receptive, to be sensitive and a friend of the Jewish people today." No agreement was reached and talks between Allianz and the teams ended on September 12, 2008.

In a 25-year deal signed on August 23, 2011, New York City-based insurance company MetLife purchased naming rights to the stadium, which became MetLife Stadium.

EPA agreement

In June 2009, the New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation and the EPA signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines plans to incorporate environmentally-friendly materials and practices into the construction and operation of MetLife Stadium. The agreement includes strategies to reduce air pollution, conserve water, and energy, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of construction. The goal of the agreement is to save the emission of nearly 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide during the stadium's construction and its first year of operation. Under this agreement, the stadium construction must use around 40,000 tons of recycled steel, recycle 20,000 tons of steel from Giants Stadium, install seating made from recycled plastic and scrap iron, and reduce air pollution from construction vehicles by using cleaner diesel fuel, diesel engine filters, and minimizing engine idle times. Other goals of this agreement include providing mass transit options for fans and replacing traditional concession plates, cups and carries with compostable alternatives. The New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation is to report the progress on its goals to EPA every six months. Based on the reports, the EPA has stated it will quantify the benefits of the venue's environmental efforts.

Accessibility and transportation

MetLife Stadium is accessible by car via Exits 16W and 19W on the western spur of the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and is also located adjacent to NJ Route 3 and NJ Route 120.

Coach USA provides the 351 Meadowlands Express Bus service between MetLife Stadium and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. New Jersey Transit provides the 353 Bus service for select events between MetLife Stadium and Secaucus Junction. In 2026, NJ Transit opened the Transitway, a dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) route for articulated buses from Secaucus Junction to MetLife Stadium.

The Meadowlands Rail Line operates on event days between Meadowlands station and Hoboken Terminal via Secaucus Junction, where there is connecting service to New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station, and other New Jersey Transit rail operations. The line opened to the public on July 26, 2009.

MetLife Stadium enforces a clear bag policy, allowing only transparent bags no larger than 12”x6”x12” and small clutches of 4.5”x6.5”, with exceptions for medically necessary items after inspection.

Criticism

Since its opening in 2010, MetLife Stadium has attracted criticism related to its design, playing surface and its accessibility.

Playing surface

Metlife Stadium’s playing surface has been criticized by NFL players due to frequent injuries that occur. Both the Giants and Jets have seen their players injured often on the field. Aaron Rodgers once suffered a torn Achilles at the stadium early on in his career with the Jets. Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Thomas and Malik Nabers have also suffered serious injuries at the stadium. MetLife Stadium has consistently ranked as having one of the worst playing surfaces in the NFL as a result. Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur complained about the playing surface after Josh Jacobs suffered a knee contusion during a game at MetLife Stadium. Despite these criticisms, NFL officials have insisted that the playing surface is safe. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the stadiums playing surface continued to elicit criticism despite the installation of a grass surface. France manager Didier Deschamps criticized the playing surface stating “The pitch in New York was really tough — it took a lot out of the players’ muscles.” Midfielder Adrien Rabiot said that it “seemed more like an artificial pitch” and described it as “hard and rigid.” Vinicius Junior of Brazil complained that the grass dried out quickly due to heat. Following this criticism, FIFA downplayed these concerns. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, these concerns were reiterated with players and coaches raising concerns about the condition of the pitch. The playing surface for soccer at the stadium had been a going concern since the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Due to these concerns, the selection of MetLife Stadium to host the final had been questioned, considering that other venues have been better received by players and coaches.

Transit access

Transit access to MetLife Stadium has been a subject of discussion concerning the stadium. At Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, spectators waited hours to get to and from MetLife Stadium, with many struggling to get to and from the venue. Dubbed as a “Mass Transit Super Bowl”, transit access to the stadium was deemed to be a logistical failure. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the location of the stadium was the subject of criticism due to the slow pace of transporting people out of the Meadowlands following the conclusion of games. Three hours after the stadium's first World Cup game concluded, spectators were still stuck at MetLife Stadium with ridesharing companies struggling to move spectators. These challenges occurred due to less than expected demand for taking New Jersey Transit train and bus service to the stadium, although following the conclusion of the World Cup, the agency reported that they set an overall ridership volume record over the eight games held at the stadium, and deemed it a logistical success in contrast to the Super Bowl.

Design

The design of MetLife Stadium has been criticized, often in part due to its lack of a roof. This concern was raised ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 given that the NFL does not award Super Bowls to stadiums in a cold climate that lack a roof.

Awards and recognition

In 2009, MetLife Stadium was named the "Greenest Stadium" in the NFL by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In July 2017, MetLife Stadium was named "Venue of the Year" by the Stadium Business Summit. The award is awarded to the world's best stadium, arena or sports venue, that deserves recognition for an outstanding performance over a 12-month period.

Notable events

Firsts and notable moments

The first event at the stadium was the Big City Classic lacrosse event, held on April 10, 2010.

September 12, 2010: The Giants hosted the first NFL regular season game in the stadium's history against the Carolina Panthers, the same team that defeated the Giants in the final game at Giants Stadium. The Giants defeated the Panthers, 31–18.

September 13, 2010: The Jets played their first game at the stadium, a 10–9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

November 14, 2010: The stadium encountered two power outages during a game between the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. The game was delayed about twenty-five minutes.

December 19, 2010: The Philadelphia Eagles staged a comeback against the Giants in what has become known as the Miracle at the New Meadowlands, coming back from being down 31–10 with about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter to win 38–31, capped off by DeSean Jackson's game winning punt return as time expired.

September 11, 2011: On the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a ceremony was held prior to the game between the Jets and the Dallas Cowboys honoring the victims of the attacks. The Jets defeated the Cowboys 27–24.

December 24, 2011: The visiting Giants defeated the hosting Jets 29–14 in what was the biggest regular season match-up between the two New York teams in recent years, due to postseason implications for both sides. Victor Cruz blew open a tight game with a 99-yard touchdown reception. The victory helped propel the Giants into the playoffs while contributing significantly to eliminating the Jets from a postseason appearance.

January 8, 2012: MetLife Stadium hosted its first NFL playoff game, with the Giants defeating the Atlanta Falcons 24–2 in an NFC Wild Card Game, en route to their Super Bowl XLVI championship.

Super Bowl XLVIII

On May 25, 2010, it was announced that Super Bowl XLVIII was awarded to the stadium, the first time a Super Bowl would be played in the New York metropolitan area, and the first time that a non-domed stadium in a cold-weather city would host it. Normally, Super Bowls must be held in indoor climate-controlled stadiums if they are held in a city with an average temperature lower than 50 °F (10 °C). However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell waived this requirement and allowed MetLife Stadium on the ballot because of a "unique, once-only circumstance based on the opportunity to celebrate the new stadium and the great heritage and history of the NFL in the New York region." The game was played on February 2, 2014. The temperature at kickoff was 49 °F (9 °C), making it only the third-coldest Super Bowl on record. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43–8 for their first Super Bowl victory.

Professional wrestling

MetLife Stadium has twice hosted WrestleMania—the flagship pay-per-view event of the professional wrestling promotion WWE. WrestleMania 29 was held at MetLife Stadium on April 7, 2013. With 80,676 spectators, it was the third most-attended event in WWE history, and the highest-grossing event in WWE history at $12.3 million. Six years later, MetLife Stadium hosted WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019, overtaking WrestleMania 29 with an attendance of 82,265, and $16.9 million in revenue. Six years after WrestleMania 35, MetLife Stadium also hosted the first ever two-night SummerSlam, on August 2–3, 2025.

Soccer

MetLife Stadium is also designed for soccer. To prepare for a match, the stadium uses retractable seating in the field level corners to fit a FIFA-sanctioned soccer field. Along with being noted for providing exceptional sight-lines, this has allowed the stadium to host several major international matches.

The first international exhibition match was between Mexico and Ecuador on May 7, 2010, in front of 77,507 fans. The stadium hosted another international exhibition soccer match between the United States and Brazil on August 10, 2010. Brazil won 2–0 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 77,223; the game was played on a temporary grass field.

On March 26, 2011, the stadium hosted an international friendly, between the United States and Argentina, which ended in a 1–1 draw and was played in front of a sellout crowd of 78,926.

On June 18, 2011, the stadium hosted two quarterfinal matches of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Costa Rica played Honduras to a 1–1 draw with Honduras winning on penalties 4–2 in the first match. The second match featured Mexico against Guatemala with Mexico winning 2–1.

On June 9, 2012, Argentina and Brazil played a friendly match, with Argentina winning in a thrilling 4–3 match featuring a Lionel Messi hat trick. Another exhibition match in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was played on November 14, 2012, between Colombia and Brazil, with Brazil acting as the local team despite a higher affluence of Colombian fans.

On August 4, 2013, the stadium hosted two second round matches of the 2013 International Champions Cup. The first match saw Valencia defeat Inter Milan 4–0 and the second match saw Chelsea defeat AC Milan 2–0.

On November 15, 2013, Argentina and Ecuador played an international friendly to a 0–0 draw.

On June 10, 2014, the stadium hosted an international friendly before the 2014 FIFA World Cup between the Republic of Ireland and Portugal with Portugal beating Ireland 5–1.

College football

On October 16, 2010, Rutgers hosted Army in the first college football game to be played in the new stadium, with the Scarlet Knights defeating the Black Knights in overtime, 23–20. During the game's second half, Rutgers player Eric LeGrand was injured on a special teams play, defending a Rutgers kickoff, and paralyzed from the neck down.

Syracuse University has hosted selected home games at MetLife Stadium in lieu of the Carrier Dome. The first of these games, branded as New York's College Classic, was played in 2012 against the visiting USC Trojans, who won 42–29. In 2013, the team opened its season against its rival Penn State at the stadium, losing 23–17. In 2014, the team hosted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at MetLife Stadium, losing 31–15. A rematch was held in 2016, once again losing to the Fighting Irish 50–33.

On November 16, 2019, MetLife Stadium hosted the 61st Cortaca Jug rivalry game between the NCAA Division III Cortland Red Dragons and Ithaca Bombers. With an attendance of 45,161, it set a record for the most-attended football game in Division III history. The game was held at MetLife Stadium as part of season-long commemorations of the 150th anniversary of college football.

On December 11, 2021, MetLife Stadium hosted the 122nd Army–Navy Game. This was the first time the historic matchup was held at MetLife. Previous matchups were held at Giants Stadium in 1989, 1993, 1997, and 2002. Navy defeated Army 17–13.

Outdoor ice hockey

In 2024, MetLife Stadium hosted two National Hockey League games as part of the Stadium Series. The New Jersey Devils hosted the Philadelphia Flyers on February 17, 2024. Devils captain Nico Hischier scored the first NHL goal in MetLife Stadium history on a breakaway 32 seconds into the first period of the game, ultimately scoring two goals on the night en route to the Devils victory over the Flyers by a final score of 6–3 before a crowd of 70,328 fans. The following day, the New York Rangers defeated the New York Islanders 6–5 in overtime following a 3-goal comeback from a 3–5 deficit in front of 79,690 fans in attendance, which was the third largest attendance in NHL history. Rangers forward Artemi Panarin was awarded the game-winning goal 10 seconds into overtime as the net came off its moorings by Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson. After video review, it was confirmed that the puck would've crossed the goal line had the net stayed in place. This was the first time MetLife Stadium had ever hosted NHL hockey and the first time outdoor NHL hockey had ever been played in the state of New Jersey. Yankee Stadium hosted two games as part of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, in which the New York Rangers won both games, defeating the New Jersey Devils 7-3 and defeating the New York Islanders 2–1. Citi Field previously hosted the 2018 NHL Winter Classic as well, with the Rangers defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3–2 in overtime.

Other events

The stadium hosted the 12th Siyum HaShas, a celebration of the completion of the Talmud through the 7+1⁄2-year Daf Yomi study program, on August 1, 2012. At 93,000 seats, it was the highest capacity crowd in the stadium's history, due to on-field seating and a ticket sell-out. The siyum was a Department of Homeland Security level two security event, the most critical short of a presidential visit. On January 1, 2020, it hosted the 13th Siyum HaShas. On June 6, 2027, it will host the 14th Siyum HaShas.

In 2014, two of the "Keep Seeking First God's Kingdom!" International Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses were held at the stadium.

On July 14 and 15, 2017, the stadium hosted the 18th International Indian Film Academy Awards, the Oscars of Bollywood, for the first time.

On January 16, 2018, the stadium hosted the inaugural ball for newly elected New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

NFL attendances

In 2023, the New York Giants and the New York Jets were among the NFL teams with the highest average home attendance. Only the Dallas Cowboys drew a higher average home attendance, with 93,594 in 8 home games, although the average home attendance of the Cowboys was 80,000 without people watching on screens at the party decks. The table shows the average home attendances of the Giants and the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Incidents

On July 5, 2026, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a bomb threat was made during the match between Brazil and Norway. Two individuals, including 26-year-old Amar Ramkissoon, sent FIFA a text message at around 4:15 p.m. ET threatening to "blow up" the area. Authorities quickly tracked the threat, leading New Jersey State Police to arrest and charge Ramkissoon with creating a false public alarm and making terroristic threats. The threat ultimately did not disrupt the match.