AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is a retractable-roof, multi-purpose stadium located in Arlington, Texas, approximately 20 miles west of downtown Dallas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. 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 construct, placing it among the most expensive stadiums ever built at the time of its completion. 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 exploring 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 evaluating sites for an entirely new facility.

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 through a hotel-occupancy tax and a car-rental tax. The proposal collapsed in June when Dallas County commissioners concluded they could not justify asking voters to approve $425 million in public funding for the project. In July 2004, the Cowboys and the city of Arlington announced they were in negotiations to locate a new stadium near Globe Life Park. In August, the Arlington City Council voted unanimously to place before voters a tax increase that would fund the city's $325 million share of the project. Voters approved the tax increase on November 2, 2004.

The chosen site included an established residential neighborhood, and clearing it necessitated the displacement of nearly 1,200 residents. In January 2006, the Cowboys hired Oklahoma-based Manhattan Construction as the general contractor. Also 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 to shape a 13-to-14-acre stadium bowl averaging 54 feet in depth.

The stadium was completed and opened to the public on May 27, 2009. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured Cowboys legends Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, alongside mayors of North Texas cities and various media personalities. The first event held inside the new facility was a country concert by George Strait on June 9, 2009. The Cowboys played their first NFL regular-season game in the 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 purchased the naming rights. The facility is owned by the city of Arlington, with the Dallas Cowboys leasing it for $2 million in rent per year plus an additional $500,000 drawn from naming-rights sale proceeds.

In April 2026, the Arlington City Council approved a landmark agreement to extend the Dallas Cowboys' lease at AT&T Stadium through 2055, ensuring the team remains at the facility for at least three more decades. As part of the deal, Arlington committed $273 million in improvements to the stadium, funded through sales and venue taxes, with the upgrades focused on modernizing suite areas, infrastructure, and the overall fan experience. The lease extension was widely seen as resolving years of speculation about whether the Cowboys might seek a new facility elsewhere in the metroplex.

Architecture and Design

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

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, with mechanization systems implemented by Uni-Systems. The roof can open and close in approximately 12 minutes.

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

As fans enter AT&T Stadium, they encounter panoramic views of the playing 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 approximately 18 minutes, connecting the stadium's interior with expansive outdoor plaza areas.

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

A notable episode in the stadium's early history involves its 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. Under NFL rules, the down was replayed. The positioning of the video boards above the field has since prompted ongoing discussion about their potential interference with punts on multiple occasions.

Parking and Visitor Information

AT&T Stadium is located at 1 AT&T Way in Arlington, Texas, and is accessible from Interstate 30. The stadium does not sit adjacent to a light rail stop, making personal vehicles or rideshare services the primary means of arrival for most attendees. The Cowboys and the city of Arlington operate several official surface parking lots and garages surrounding the stadium, with prices and lot assignments varying by event type and ticket level. Visitors are strongly advised to purchase parking passes in advance through the official Cowboys ticketing system, as walk-up parking availability is limited during major events such as NFL games, concerts, and the Super Bowl.

A common point of confusion for first-time visitors involves the Walmart store located near the stadium. During major events, Walmart management actively enforces a no-event-parking policy in its adjacent lot, and vehicles parked there without shopping intent are subject to towing at the owner's expense. Warning signs are posted throughout the Walmart parking area, and stadium staff and law enforcement assist in enforcing the restriction. Visitors should avoid this lot and use only officially designated event parking.

For those traveling from Dallas, Fort Worth, or other points in the metroplex, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail line offers an alternative to driving. The CentrePort/DFW Airport station is within proximity to the stadium corridor, though a shuttle or rideshare connection is typically required for the final leg of the journey on event days. Rideshare pickup and drop-off zones are designated on the stadium perimeter and are subject to traffic management protocols during peak attendance events.

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 12 Football Championship Game, 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. In 2023, the venue hosted two nights of concerts by Metallica that were simultaneously broadcast to cinemas worldwide.

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 among sports venues: 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 appealing 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 composed of leading members of the Dallas–Fort Worth art community, Gene Jones established the Dallas Cowboys Art Collection. Notable installations include Win! by Mel Bochner, featuring football-centric exclamations rendered in large-scale text, and outside the stadium, 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. Tour options include 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, 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 stad