AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is a retractable-roof, multi-purpose stadium located in Arlington, Texas, situated within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex approximately 20 miles west of downtown Dallas. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. Built between 2006 and 2009, it became the third venue in the history of the Dallas Cowboys, and cost $1.15 billion to build, placing the facility among the most expensive stadiums ever built at the time of its construction. Known colloquially as "Jerry World" in reference to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the stadium has become a landmark attraction in the North Texas region and one of the most-visited sports and entertainment venues in the United States.

History and Development

The origins of AT&T Stadium stretch back more than a decade before its doors opened. As far back as 1994, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones began looking into the possibility of a new or expanded Texas Stadium, initially wanting to add 40,000 seats and a retractable roof. Over the next several years, Jones not only kept alive discussions of renovating Texas Stadium, but began looking at sites to construct a new stadium entirely.

In April 2004, the Cowboys announced plans to build a $650 million stadium at Fair Park in Dallas. The deal required $425 million in public financing from a hotel-occupancy tax and a car-rental tax. The deal fell apart in June when Dallas County commissioners said they could not justify asking voters to approve the team's request for $425 million in public funding. In July, the Cowboys and Arlington announced they were negotiating to locate the stadium near Globe Life Park. In August, the Arlington City Council agreed unanimously to put before voters a tax increase that would fund the city's $325 million portion of the project, and voters approved the tax increase on November 2.

A plot of land with residential development was chosen for the stadium's construction, necessitating the displacement of almost 1,200 residents. In January 2006, the Cowboys hired Oklahoma-based Manhattan Construction as the general contractor, and later that month, Tarrant County work crews began demolition of more than 150 Arlington residences and small-business structures to make room for the stadium. Excavation began in April 2006, with crews moving over 1.4 million cubic yards of earth, shaping a 13-to-14-acre stadium bowl an average of 54 feet deep.

The stadium was completed and opened to the public on May 27, 2009. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included Cowboys players such as Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, along with mayors of North Texas cities and various media personalities. The first event held inside the new facility was a country concert featuring George Strait on June 9, 2009. The Cowboys played their first NFL regular-season game in the new stadium on September 20, 2009, with former President George W. Bush handling the opening coin toss. The Cowboys lost to the New York Giants, 33–31, on a last-second field goal.

Originally known as Cowboys Stadium, the facility was renamed AT&T Stadium in July 2013 after AT&T Communications purchased the naming rights. The facility is owned by the city of Arlington, and the Dallas Cowboys lease it, paying $2 million in rent per year and an additional $500,000 on profits from the sale of naming rights.

Architecture and Design

Designed by HKS Architects, Inc., AT&T Stadium is one of the most distinctive stadiums in professional sports. The main contractor was Manhattan Construction. The lead architect for the facility was Bryan Trubey, one of the most prominent sports venue designers in the United States.

The stadium's roof is an engineering achievement supported by 14,100 tons of structural steel. It features two colossal arched box trusses, each measuring 16.5 feet in width and 35 feet in depth, spanning 1,225 feet — among the longest clear spans of any building structure in the world at the time of construction. The retractable roof was designed by structural engineering firm Walter P Moore, and the systems were implemented by mechanization consultants Uni-Systems. The roof can open and close in approximately 12 minutes.

HKS architects identified the historic hole in the roof from Texas Stadium as the single most recognizable brand element to be celebrated in their new design. Whenever the retractable roof is open, it pays tribute to the iconic opening in the roof at Texas Stadium that football fans around the world associated with "America's Team."

As fans enter AT&T Stadium, they receive panoramic views of the field, which sits approximately 50 feet below street level. The end zones are enclosed by five-panel glass retractable doors, each measuring 180 feet in width and 120 feet in height. These doors open in 18 minutes, connecting the stadium's interior spaces with expansive outdoor plaza areas.

The stadium has a main seating capacity of 80,000 but is expandable to seat nearly 100,000 fans for large events such as the Super Bowl. The facility includes more than 300 luxury suites and numerous club areas. A massive video board, spanning 160 feet in length and standing 72 feet tall, is suspended 90 feet above the center of the playing field, supported by a network of cables. At the time of its installation, this center-hung Mitsubishi video display was the largest HDTV screen in the world. The interior height of the stadium is so substantial that the Statue of Liberty could stand on the star at midfield and, even with the roof closed, her torch would not reach the ceiling.

A notable quirk in the stadium's history involves its enormous video board. During the facility's first preseason game on August 21, 2009, a punt by Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso struck the scoreboard. By rule, the down was replayed. The unorthodox positioning of the video boards above the field has since been the source of ongoing discussion regarding its interference with punts on multiple occasions.

Notable Events

Since opening in 2009, AT&T Stadium has played host to a wide range of significant sporting and entertainment events. On February 6, 2011, the stadium hosted Super Bowl XLV, in which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31–25.

On February 14, 2010, the stadium hosted the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. With an announced crowd of 108,713, the game became the highest-attended basketball game in history, setting a Guinness World Record. Other major sporting events at the stadium include the 2009 Big XII Football Championship, the annual Cotton Bowl Classic, and the inaugural 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In April 2022, the stadium served as the host of WWE's WrestleMania 38.

AT&T Stadium is also the permanent home of the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Big 12 Championship Game, and the Southwest Classic. Among the diverse events the venue has hosted are national bowling championships, corporate conferences, international soccer competitions, world championship boxing, and professional wrestling. On the musical front, the stadium has welcomed many of the world's largest touring acts, from U2 to Beyoncé. In 2023, the venue hosted two nights of concerts by Metallica that were simultaneously beamed to cinemas around the world.

In February 2025, the Dallas Stars and AT&T Stadium were announced as the host of the 2027 NHL Stadium Series, marking the first time a professional hockey game will be played in Arlington. The outdoor game is scheduled to take place on the stadium's field, continuing the NHL's tradition of staging regular-season games in football and baseball venues across North America.

Art Collection

AT&T Stadium holds a distinction rare for any sports venue: it functions as a legitimate contemporary art gallery. When the Jones family conceived the facility, their vision extended beyond providing a home for the Dallas Cowboys to creating an architectural and cultural destination that would appeal to fans of art, design, engineering, and technology alike.

The Jones family commissioned 18 contemporary artists to create site-specific artworks for the stadium. Guided by an advisory council comprised of leading members of the Dallas–Fort Worth art community, Gene Jones established the Dallas Cowboys Art Collection. Notable installations include Win! from Mel Bochner, featuring football-centric exclamations, and outside, the Sky Mirror, a 35-foot-diameter concave mirror created by artist Anish Kapoor at a reported cost of $13 million.

The stadium houses approximately 92 artworks from 62 artists, making it the only NFL stadium with a functioning art gallery open to the public. Guided art tours of the collection are available, covering works not ordinarily visible during regular events. Various tour options are offered, including a general Art Tour, an Educational Tour, a VIP Guided Tour, and an Owner's Experience.

2026 FIFA World Cup

AT&T Stadium will serve as a host venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is organized across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The stadium will host nine matches during the tournament — more than any of the other 15 host venues — including five group stage matches, two Round of 32 matches, one Round of 16 match, and one semifinal on July 14.

In accordance with FIFA's longstanding policy prohibiting corporate-sponsored venue names, the stadium will temporarily operate under the name "Dallas Stadium" for the duration of the World Cup. FIFA enforces this policy uniformly across all host venues, requiring stadiums with commercial naming rights agreements to adopt geographically neutral names during the tournament. Owner Jerry Jones acknowledged the requirement, and the temporary renaming has been confirmed by FIFA and tournament organizers.

The stadium underwent a series of renovations in advance of the tournament, with the reported $295 million project focused on upgrades to suite areas. To comply with FIFA regulations, changes were also made to the playing surface to widen the field and accommodate natural grass. AT&T Stadium is one of two venues in Texas selected to host World Cup matches, the other being NRG Stadium in Houston.

The 2026 tournament will be the second time the World Cup has been held in the United States, following the 1994 competition. That year, Dallas hosted six tournament matches at the Cotton Bowl, including a quarterfinal match between Brazil and the Netherlands.

References

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