The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a

sports complex A sports complex is a group of sports facilities. For example, there are track and field stadiums, football stadiums, baseball stadiums, swimming pools, and Indoor arenas. This area is a sports complex, for fitness. Olympic Park is also a kind ...

located in East Rutherford, in

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). The complex currently consists of

MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants a ...

, which is home to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

and

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

; the

Meadowlands Racetrack The Meadowlands Racetrack (currently referred to as Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment) is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness ...

, a famous

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Austral ...

circuit (which is home of the annual Hambletonian Stakes); and the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, which is the Giants' practice facility. The complex is also home to the American Dream retail and entertainment venue, which is home to the Metropolitan Riveters of the

Premier Hockey Federation The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), is a women's professional ice hockey league located in the United States and Canada. The league was established in 2015 with four league-owned teams and h ...

, and the now-closed

Meadowlands Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on ...

, which served as a home for the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

's men's basketball team, and the team the arena was built for, the now-

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

History

In the mid-1960s, civic leaders in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

began calling for a sports complex in the

New Jersey Meadowlands New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of ...

that would be able to lure an NFL team from New York City. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority Law was passed by the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

in 1971 and signed by then–

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

William T. Cahill William Thomas Cahill (June 25, 1912July 1, 1996) was an American politician, lawyer, and academic who served as the 46th governor of New Jersey from 1970 to 1974. A Republican, Cahill previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, repr ...

. The first chairman of the NJSEA was David A. "Sonny" Werblin, former president of the NFL's

. By year's end, Werblin had secured a deal for the

, who were then playing in

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

, to move to the Meadowlands. Ground was broken on

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted spo ...

and the Meadowlands Racetrack on November 19, 1972. To accommodate the new facility, access roads were improved. The

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not cons ...

, which had been suffering the burden of increased traffic volumes near its northern terminus in Ridgefield Park, built a new alignment, the "western spur", with an exit, interchange 16W, leading directly to the sports complex as well as to Route 3. Routes 3 and 20 (now 120) also received improvements. On September 1, 1976, the Meadowlands Racetrack became the first complex venue to open, featuring

. The track drew a capacity crowd of 42,133 for its initial date. Giants Stadium opened on October 10, 1976, as 76,042 fans watched the New York Giants lose to the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

, 24–14. By 1977, plans were in the works to expand the complex. A new arena was to be built on the opposite side of Route 20 from the stadium and racetrack, connected by vehicle ramps and a pedestrian bridge.

Brendan Byrne Brendan Thomas Byrne (April 1, 1924 – January 4, 2018) was an American politician, statesman, and prosecutor, serving as the 47th governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, By ...

Arena, named for the sitting governor, opened July 2, 1981, with the first of six sold-out shows by musician

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

. The arena was renamed for its corporate sponsor,

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

(now part of

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

), as Continental Airlines Arena, in early 1996, since the airline had a hub at nearby

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

. It was renamed again in 2007 for Izod as Izod Center. The first tenant in the arena was the New Jersey Nets in 1981. A year later, the

of the NHL and the

men's basketball team joined the Nets. The Nets played their first game at the arena on October 30, 1981, and lost to their cross-river rivals, the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

by a score of 103–99. The Devils played their first game on October 5, 1982, against the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

. The game ended in a 3–3 tie. The

moved to Giants Stadium on September 6, 1984, after playing at Shea Stadium for nearly 20 years. In their first game at the stadium on that day, the Jets lost 23–17 to the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

in front of 70,564 fans. In 2007, construction began on a mega-mall, named Meadowlands Xanadu. Work came to a halt in 2009, and

Triple Five Triple Five Group is a conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Edmonton, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, which specializes in shopping mall, shopping centres, entertainment complexes, hotels, and banks, along with 3 indoor amusement par ...

, owners of the

Mall of America Mall of America (MOA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway ...

, took over the project in 2011. The construction was not complete until 2019. The New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall Pirates left the complex when the Prudential Center was finished in 2007, followed by the New Jersey Nets, who moved there in 2010 to go to Prudential Center, then Brooklyn two years later, leaving the Izod Center devoid of a main tenant but free to host more concerts and events.

closed in at the end of the

2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The 50th anniversary of the original eight charter members of the American Football League was celebrated during this season. The preseason started ...

and demolition started immediately. In September 2010,

, then known as New Meadowlands Stadium, opened for its first game. It was privately built and funded by the Jets and Giants. A commuter train line and a training center for the Giants also opened at the same time. MetLife bought the naming rights for the stadium and the entire complex in August 2011.

closed in April 2015 to the public after suffering the loss of its major tenants and economic losses from other events. Since then, the arena has been used for concert rehearsals and private video productions. The former arena box offices are used as a station for the NJSEA EMS and the former Winner's Club lounge restaurant is the quarters for the

New Jersey State Police The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors. History As with other state police organizatio ...

In addition to the three venues, the complex also hosts events in the MetLife Stadium parking lot. State Fair Meadowlands (formerly called the Meadowlands Fair, and not affiliated with the

New Jersey State Fair The New Jersey State Fair is a non-profit agricultural fair held every June 18 - July 11 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, New Jersey. The fair has been held in conjunction with the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show since 1999 and dra ...

held annually in Sussex County) began in 1986 and has been operated by State Fair of Belleville since 2003. The parking lot is also the home of a twice-weekly

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal ...

, which is canceled when the parking spaces are needed for stadium events. The NJSEA hires in-house security and emergency medical services staff to serve the venues at the Sports Complex, including MetLife Stadium. Law enforcement is primarily provided by the

Sports Complex Unit.

Venues

MetLife Stadium

is the home stadium for the

and

of the NFL and is one of two stadiums home to two NFL franchises ( SoFi Stadium in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

is the other). It is also the home of the

New York Guardians The Orlando Guardians are a professional American football team based in Orlando, Florida. The team was founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and is an owned-and-operated member of the XFL. The Guardians played their home games at MetLif ...

of the XFL, the stadium opened in 2010, following the closing and demolition of the Giants' and the Jets' previous home,

. MetLife Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

Meadowlands Arena (former)

(formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and IZOD Center) was a multi-purpose indoor arena. Opened in 1981, it was home to the New Jersey Nets NBA team until 2010, the

men's basketball team until 2007 and to the

of the National Hockey League until 2007. The Devils and the Seton Hall men's basketball team moved to the Prudential Center in Newark. The renamed Brooklyn Nets currently play in the

Barclays Center Barclays Center is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty o ...

. It closed early in April 2015.

Meadowlands Racetrack

The

is a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

track that hosts both thoroughbred racing and

. It is known popularly in the region as "The Big M". Opened in the mid–1970s, the Meadowlands Racetrack held its first harness race on September 1, 1976 while thoroughbred racing commenced on September 6, 1977. The Racetrack is the site of the Hambletonian, the most prestigious event in standardbred racing. The track is equipped to race at night, when most of its races are. In the middle of the track is a lake, intended to resemble the state of New Jersey. The Meadowlands Racetrack is also one of the leading simulcast facilities in the world in terms of total handle.

Quest Diagnostics Training Center

The Quest Diagnostics Training Center is the main headquarters and practice facility of the

. It was known as the Timex Performance Center, renamed in July 2013 when the Giants and Quest Diagnostics announced a new partnership after the four-year partnership between the Giants and Timex ended. The facility, on the westernmost portion of the Meadowlands Sports Complex grounds, opened in 2010 and replaced the old Giants' practice fields and headquarters, adjacent to Giants Stadium.

American Dream

American Dream is a large mall and entertainment complex. Formerly known as Xanadu, the project resides within the Meadowlands Sports Complex adjacent to the Izod Center that will have over 450 stores. The first of four opening stages occurred on October 25, 2019, with the other stages opening on a staggered schedule on October 1, 2020. Only 45 percent of American Dream's space is devoted to retail locations. The stores will include six

anchor retail tenants In retail, an "anchor tenant", sometimes called an "anchor store", "draw tenant", or "key tenant", is a considerably larger tenant in a shopping mall, often a department store or retail chain. They are typically located at the ends of malls. Wit ...

with more than each, 12 major retailers with each, and 339 smaller shops of up to . It will include more than 100 eateries, as well as a , 18-vendor food court with a kosher food hall. The other 55 percent of the space contains entertainment facilities. The amusement facilities include or will include an indoor NHL-sized ice rink, an indoor theme park called Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor water park called

DreamWorks Water Park DreamWorks Water Park is an indoor water park within the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The park opened on October 1, 2020. The water park inclu ...

, and a concert/performing arts venue with 2,400 to 3,000 seats.Brennan, John (February 21, 2013)
"Work on American Dream complex set to resume in March, official says"
NorthJersey.com. Other attractions include the

Big SNOW American Dream Big Snow American Dream is an indoor skiing and snowboarding park within the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, that opened on December 5, 2019. Big Snow America ...

indoor ski slope, two miniature 18-hole golf courses, a CMX Cine’Bistro dine-in luxury movie theater, a family entertainment center, a bowling alley, a

Legoland Discovery Center Legoland Discovery Centre is an indoor family attraction chain operated by British leisure group Merlin Entertainments. Featuring models and attractions inspired by the Lego building toys, the Discovery Centres are smaller versions of the Legolan ...

, a Sea Life Aquarium, an indoor rock climbing facility, and a

Mirror Maze A house of mirrors or hall of mirrors is a traditional attraction at funfairs (carnivals) and amusement parks. The basic concept behind a house of mirrors is to be a maze-like puzzle. In addition to the maze, participants are also given mirror ...

attraction. On September 14, 2022, the Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation became tenants of The Rink at the American Dream for at least the next three years.

Meadowlands Station

New Jersey Transit operates the Meadowlands Station at the complex, the terminus of the

Meadowlands Rail Line The Meadowlands Rail Line, branded as the BetMGM Meadowlands Rail Line as part of a naming rights agreement, is a rail line in New Jersey, United States, operated by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT). Trains run between the Meadowlands Sports Com ...

. In preparation for the opening of the American Dream mall, the station opened for service on July 26, 2009. Studies are also underway about an extension of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail line to the MetLife Sports Complex. Despite the opening of American Dream in 2019, the rail line is currently not being used daily.

Auto racing

In 1983, a

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

auto race was planned for the New York City area. A temporary

street circuit A street circuit is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Airport runways and taxiways are also sometimes part of street circuits. Facilities such as ...

at the Meadowlands Sports Complex was one of the finalists for the location. A course at

Flushing Meadows Park Flushing may refer to: Places * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom * Flushing, Queens, New York City ** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens ** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens ** Flushi ...

, in the New York City

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, was chosen, but the event was canceled before the first running. In July 1984, the

CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed ...

IndyCar series held the first Meadowlands Grand Prix on a temporary circuit built in the

parking lot. The race was only moderately successful, and crowds were mediocre at best. In 1988, the course layout was moved to the streets surrounding Brendan Byrne Arena and redesigned to a , six-turn layout in an effort to improve competition. The race continued until 1991, and crowds continued to stay away. From 1988 to 1991 the race was part of the Marlboro Million, a cash prize to be awarded to any driver who won the Marlboro Grand Prix, the Marlboro 500, and the Marlboro Challenge All-Star event in the same year. The prize was never won. In 1992, race officials announced plans to move the race to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, using a street course at the World Trade Center. Within a few months, however, the race was canceled because of cost concerns. In the early 2000s, conceptual plans were drafted to build a

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

-style speedway at the Meadowlands Sports Complex as part of a revitalizing project. However, the plan was rejected and abandoned.

Tenants

MetLife Stadium

( NFL) *

( NFL)

The Rink at American Dream

* Metropolitan Riveters ( PHF)

Former Metlife Stadium tenants

( XFL) (2020)

Former Giants Stadium tenants

* New York Giants * New York Jets * New York Cosmos ( NASL) (1977–84) * New Jersey Generals ( USFL) (1983–85) * New York/New Jersey Knights ( WLAF) (1991–92) *

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

( MLS) (1995–2009) (moved to Red Bull Arena in Harrison) * New York/New Jersey Hitmen ( XFL) (2001)

Former Meadowlands Arena tenants

* New Jersey Nets ( NBA) (1981–2010) (moved to Prudential Center in Newark from 2010–2012 and then moved to the

in Brooklyn as the Brooklyn Nets.) * New Jersey Rockets (1981–1982) (

MISL The Misls (derived from an Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal') were the twelve sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy, which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and is cit ...

) * New York Cosmos (1981–1985) ( NASL Indoor/

) *

( NHL) (1982–2007) (moved to Prudential Center in Newark) *

Men's Basketball (

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

) (1981–2007) (moved to Prudential Center in Newark) * New Jersey Saints ( NLL) (1987–1988) (moved to

Nassau Coliseum Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 United States Census. Uniondale is home to Hofstra University's nort ...

as the New York Saints) * New Jersey Red Dogs/Gladiators (

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

) (1997–2002) (moved to Las Vegas) *

New Jersey Rockin' Rollers The New Jersey Rockin' Rollers were a professional roller hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States that played in Roller Hockey International. Club formation Roller hockey in the Garden State almost never happened, as the ...

( Roller Hockey International) (1995–1997) * New Jersey Storm ( NLL) (2002–2003) (moved to Anaheim) * New Jersey XTreme ( NIFL) (2005)

Notes

External links

Meadowlands Sports Complex

The Mills – Meadowlands Xanadu

Teterboro Online: Xanadu Project
* * {{Authority control Champ Car circuits East Rutherford, New Jersey IMSA GT Championship circuits New Jersey Meadowlands District Sports venues in Bergen County, New Jersey Tourist attractions in Bergen County, New Jersey Sports complexes in the United States Entertainment districts in the United States