143-628: Former capacity : NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston , Texas , United States . Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $ 352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retractable roof . The stadium is the home of the National Football League 's Houston Texans , the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ,
286-539: A tensegrity structure . But, in the context of sports stadiums, the term "dome" has become standard for all covered stadiums, particularly because the first such enclosed stadium, the Houston Astrodome , was built with an actual dome-shaped roof. Some stadiums have partial roofs, and a few have even been designed to have moveable fields as part of the infrastructure. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
429-481: A 3–13–1 season. On January 31, 2023, the Texans hired former player and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach, making him the sixth head coach in franchise history. In the 2023 NFL draft the Texans selected Ohio State quarterback C. J. Stroud and traded up to the third pick to select Defensive End Will Anderson Jr. . Under Ryans and Stroud, the team saw improved fortunes as they made
572-568: A Roman track of such length. Most dictionaries provide for both stadiums and stadia as valid English plurals. The oldest known stadium is the Stadium at Olympia in Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held from 776 BC. Initially the Games consisted of a single event, a sprint along the length of the stadium. Greek and Roman stadiums have been found in numerous ancient cities, perhaps
715-628: A Week 8 win against the Miami Dolphins that included five touchdown passes from Deshaun Watson. This streak was the longest ever for a team that started the season 0–3; the previous record was a seven-game win-streak set by the New York Giants in 1918 after starting out 0–3. On November 23, 2018, the owner of the Houston Texans, Bob McNair , died from skin cancer. On November 26, 2018, McNair's wife, Janice McNair , became
858-727: A capacity crowd of 70,103. The previous USA v Mexico match in Reliant Stadium drew a sellout crowd of 69,582 fans on May 8, 2003 and is the largest home crowd for the United States men's national team this decade, until they played Mexico for a capacity crowd of 79,156 fans in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final . Reliant Stadium hosted the 2010 MLS All-Star Game as 70,728 fans watched Manchester United defeat
1001-480: A cost of £150 and 12 turnstiles were installed at a cost of £7 each. The stadium was officially opened on 24 August 1892 by Lord Kinnaird and Frederick Wall of the Football Association. No football was played; instead the 12,000 crowd watched a short track and field event followed by music and a fireworks display. Upon its completion the stadium was the first joint purpose-built football stadium in
1144-559: A domed stadium as part of the bid to lure the NFL back to Houston. On October 6, 1999, the NFL awarded the 32nd team to Houston at a cost of $ 700 million. The Houston Texans joined the NFL in the 2002 season , playing at the newly opened Reliant Stadium under head coach Dom Capers . With their opening game victory over the Dallas Cowboys on September 8, 2002 , the Texans became the first expansion team to win its opening game since
1287-405: A few municipally owned stadiums, which are often known by a name that is significant to their area (for example, Boston 's Fenway Park ). In recent years, some government-owned stadiums have also been subject to naming-rights agreements, with some or all of the revenue often going to the team(s) that play there. One consequence of corporate naming has been an increase in stadium name changes, when
1430-472: A few years, and none survive today. Goodison Park was the first purpose-built association football stadium in the world. Walton -based building firm Kelly brothers were instructed to erect two uncovered stands that could each accommodate 4,000 spectators. A third covered stand accommodating 3,000 spectators was also requested. Everton officials were impressed with the builder's workmanship and agreed two further contracts: exterior hoardings were constructed at
1573-403: A football pitch with a running track , although certain compromises must be made. The major drawback is that the stands are necessarily set back a good distance from the pitch, especially at the ends of the pitch. In the case of some smaller stadiums, there are not stands at the ends. When there are stands all the way around, the stadium takes on an oval shape. When one end is open, the stadium has
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#17327760578281716-461: A given historical context it may actually signify a length up to 15% larger or smaller. The equivalent Roman measure, the stadium , had a similar length – about 185 m (607 ft) – but instead of being defined in feet was defined using the Roman standard passus to be a distance of 125 passūs (double-paces). The English use of stadium comes from the tiered infrastructure surrounding
1859-473: A grass surface. In recent years, the stadium installed artificial turf to be used during high school and college games while keeping the grass for Texans games. After the Texans' home opener, complaints about the field conditions finally led to the installation of the artificial surface for Texans games. The surface brand is UBU Speed, which is part of Act Global . In 2017, NRG Stadium selected Hellas Construction to install its Matrix Turf with Helix Technology at
2002-471: A horseshoe shape. All three configurations (open, oval and horseshoe) are common, especially in the case of American college football stadiums. Rectangular stadiums are more common in Europe, especially for football where many stadiums have four often distinct and very different stands on the four sides of the stadium. These are often all of different sizes and designs and have been erected at different periods in
2145-535: A present amount of loyal fans and even various celebrities such as Ryan Trahan , George Foreman , Paul Wall , Rico Rodriguez , and Raini Rodriguez who have been strong supporters of the team. During the 2010s, the team adopted the moniker " Bulls on Parade " in honor of the Rage Against the Machine song, regularly used prior to the team's introduction before entering the field. In the process of naming
2288-447: A professional sports management class. The stadium hosted WrestleMania 25 on April 5, 2009. The Howdy Modi event was held on September 22, 2019 by Texas India Forum. Stadium A stadium ( pl. : stadiums or stadia ) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view
2431-546: A series of unexpected injuries (including a second consecutive season-ending injury to J. J. Watt ) and controversy involving the team's suspected violation of the league's concussion protocol, after backup quarterback Tom Savage suffered a seizure following a Week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers , the Texans went 1–9 the rest of the season and eventually finish 4–12 and last in the AFC South in 2017, missing
2574-490: A service area level to house rodeo livestock . The bulls, broncs, steers and roping calves are housed in the north end of the stadium under the lower bowl. Loading and unloading dock space to support the rodeo is located on the north end of the stadium. During rodeo performances, rolling doors will separate the dock into two receiving areas to isolate the food and concession deliveries from the rodeo equipment and livestock deliveries. A 42-foot (13 m) concert performance stage
2717-459: A single sport while others can accommodate different events, particularly ones with retractable seating . Stadiums built specifically for association football are common in Europe; Gaelic games stadiums, such as Croke Park , are common in Ireland, while stadiums built specifically for baseball or American football are common in the United States. The most common multiple use design combines
2860-687: A venue for Everton F.C. ). In the U.S., many professional baseball teams built large stadiums mainly out of wood , with the first such venue being the South End Grounds in Boston , opened in 1871 for the team then known as the Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves ). Many of these parks caught fire, and those that did not proved inadequate for a growing game. All of the 19th-century wooden parks were replaced, some after
3003-404: Is a regular concert venue and has featured performers such as The Rolling Stones , Metallica , Beyoncé , U2 , Guns N' Roses , One Direction , Taylor Swift , and Coldplay over the years. When Taylor Swift returned in 2023 for The Eras Tour , she became the first act in stadium history to sell out three shows on a single tour. Rice University uses executive offices in the stadium to teach
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#17327760578283146-680: Is a true dome structure made of a lamellar multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet (210 m). It is the largest fixed domed structure in the world. Even though enclosed, dome stadiums are called stadiums because they are large enough for, and designed for, what are generally considered to be outdoor sports such as athletics, American football , association football , rugby , and baseball . Those designed for what are usually indoor sports like basketball, ice hockey and volleyball are generally called arenas . Exceptions include: Different sports require different playing surfaces of various size and shape. Some stadiums are designed primarily for
3289-737: Is as much for the rodeo as it is for the National Football League," according to Leroy Shafer who is assistant general manager of the rodeo's marketing department. The rodeo is held three weeks in March, each year. During this time NRG Stadium also hosts an event on the Xtreme Bulls tour, the bull riding-only tour that is part of the PRCA , who also hosts the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The stadium includes
3432-524: Is located at the south end of the stadium during rodeo events and is moved into the center of the facility by a hydraulic drive system for rodeo concert performances. On February 25, 2012, the PBR brought its premier bull riding tour, the Built Ford Tough Series , to Reliant Stadium for the first time ever. It was the first time that a PBR event was a part of RodeoHouston. In addition, it
3575-528: Is often cited as the first modern seater stadium, at least in the UK. Designed by the engineer J.J. Webster and completed in 10 months by George Wimpey , on the site of the Franco-British Exhibition , this stadium with a seating capacity of 68,000 was opened by King Edward VII on 27 April 1908. Upon completion, the stadium had a running track 24 ft wide (7.3 m) and three laps to
3718-733: Is the Nippon Professional Baseball league of Japan, in which many of the teams are themselves named after their parent corporations. Also, many newer European football stadiums, such as the University of Bolton and Emirates Stadiums in England and Signal Iduna Park and Allianz Arena in Germany have been corporately named. This new trend in corporate naming (or renaming) is distinguishable from names of some older venues, such as Crosley Field , Wrigley Field , and
3861-485: The 2026 FIFA World Cup . NRG Stadium is part of a collection of venues (including the Astrodome ), which are collectively called NRG Park . The entire complex is named for NRG Energy under a 32-year, $ 300 million naming rights deal in 2000. The Houston NFL Holdings group came to Populous (then HOK Sport) to begin the schematic design for the first-ever NFL retractable roof football stadium in 1997. The intention
4004-794: The Allianz Arena in Munich was called the FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich during the tournament. Likewise, the same stadium will be known as the "München Arena" during the European Competitions. Similar rules affect the Imtech Arena and Veltins-Arena . This rule applies even if the stadium sponsor is an official FIFA sponsor—the Johannesburg stadium then commercially known as "Coca-Cola Park", bearing
4147-577: The Cleveland Browns and a 2024 fifth round pick for three 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick and a 4th round pick on March 20, 2022, due to sexual misconduct lawsuits toward Watson. The Texans opened their 2022 season in a tie game against the Indianapolis Colts , the franchise's first tie in their 20-year existence. On January 9, 2023, the Texans announced that they were going in a different direction by firing Lovie Smith after
4290-611: The Houston Oilers , to Nashville , Tennessee , where they were renamed the Tennessee Titans in 1999 . In 1996 , the Cleveland Browns had controversially relocated to become the Baltimore Ravens . As part of the settlement between the NFL, the city of Cleveland , and the team owned by Art Modell , the league promised to return football to Cleveland within the next three years. In order to even out
4433-673: The Jacksonville Jaguars 30–17. Since then that record crowd has been broken in the next 2 Texans home games of that season. Their December 7, 2008 home game against the Tennessee Titans saw a then-record crowd of 70,831 and the December 28, 2008 home finale against the Chicago Bears drew then a current franchise-crowd record of 70,838. That record was broken on November 23, 2009, when a record crowd of 71,153
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4576-634: The Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round 30–0, ending their championship hopes for the year. On March 9, 2016, the Texans signed former Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler to a 4-year, $ 72 million deal. Despite Osweiler's lucrative deal, he struggled significantly during the 2016 season . After throwing two interceptions in Week 15 against the Jaguars, coach Bill O'Brien benched
4719-636: The Lansdowne Rugby Football Club – colours red, black and yellow." Some 300 cartloads of soil from a trench beneath the railway were used to raise the ground, allowing Dunlop to use his engineering expertise to create a pitch envied around Ireland. Other early stadiums from this period in the UK include the Stamford Bridge stadium (opened in 1877 for the London Athletic Club ) and Anfield stadium (1884 as
4862-507: The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears in 1961 . The Texans went 4–12 and finished last in the AFC South in their debut season. The team improved to a 5–11 mark in the 2003 season. The team continued to make progress with a 7–9 record in the 2004 season. In the 2005 season, the Texans fell to a 2–14 record for the worst mark in the league. Following the end of the season, the team fired Capers as head coach. They earned
5005-449: The Minnesota Vikings , an intoxicated fan fell to his death from an escalator. On March 19, 2014, the stadium was renamed NRG Stadium, after NRG Energy , the parent company of Reliant Energy . During the 2015 season, a permanent artificial surface was installed at NRG Stadium. The Texans had used a natural surface since the stadium opened, using a system of trays of sod similar to one used at Giants Stadium in its experiment with using
5148-676: The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament several times, including the 2008 , 2010 & 2015 South Regional semifinals and finals, and the Final Four in 2011 , 2016 , and 2023 . For the past eighteen years, NRG Stadium has played host to Monster Jam . Also, it has hosted a round of the AMA Supercross Championship since 2003, replacing the Astrodome which had been host since 1974. The stadium
5291-645: The NFL playoffs on the back of a 10–6 record. They went on to defeat the Buffalo Bills by a score of 22–19 in overtime in the AFC wild-card round. However, the Texans' 2019 season came to an end the following week, as they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 51–31 in the AFC divisional round. The Texans had a 24–0 lead in the game before the Chiefs came back. On March 22, 2020,
5434-549: The National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NRG Stadium . The Texans were founded in 1999, and were owned by Bob McNair until his death in 2018; following McNair's death, the majority ownership of the team went to his wife, Janice . In 2024, ownership again transferred to the McNairs' son, Cal . The team replaced
5577-562: The National Football League or the American Football League . (To a certain extent, this continues in lower football leagues as well, with the venue now known as Charles Schwab Field Omaha being used as the home stadium of the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks .) Along with today's single use stadiums is the trend for retro-style ballparks closer to downtown areas. Oriole Park at Camden Yards
5720-751: The New England Patriots against a team from the NFC South . NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004 where the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers , 32–29 in front of 71,525 in attendance. NRG Stadium hosted the Texans' first playoff game in franchise history on January 7, 2012, with Houston defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 31–10 in an AFC wild card game, drawing 71,725,
5863-640: The Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup (of association football), during which cities often pledge to build new stadiums in order to satisfy the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or FIFA . In recent decades, to help take the burden of the massive expense of building and maintaining a stadium, many American and European sports teams have sold the rights to the name of the facility. This trend, which began in
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6006-526: The Texas Bowl , many of the United States men's national soccer team 's matches, Mexico national football team friendlies where El Tri serves as the host, and other events. The stadium served as the host facility for Super Bowls XXXVIII (2004) and LI (2017), the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship , and WrestleMania 25 (2009). The stadium will host multiple matches during
6149-676: The World Football League franchise in Houston, which moved to Louisiana to become the Shreveport Steamer ; the Dallas Texans of the NFL which played in only the 1952 season; and by the precursor of the present-day Kansas City Chiefs , when they were the second incarnation of the Dallas Texans in the American Football League (AFL) . Owner Bob McNair received permission from Chiefs' owner Lamar Hunt to use
6292-452: The concourses , which are open to the field of play. NRG Stadium has over 7,000 club seats, 186 luxury suites , and multiple lounges and bars. The stadium can be configured to utilize a 125,000-square-foot (11,600 m) space for meetings, specialty functions, exhibits, and concerts. One of the most notable aspects of the design is the stadium's retractable, fabric roof. The roof mechanization consists of two large panels that split apart at
6435-654: The 1960s stadiums began to be used as live venues for popular music, giving rise to the term " stadium rock ", particularly for forms of hard rock and progressive rock . The origins of stadium rock are sometimes dated to when the Beatles played Shea Stadium in New York in 1965. Also important was the use of large stadiums for American tours by bands in the later 1960s, such as the Rolling Stones , Grand Funk Railroad and Led Zeppelin . The tendency developed in
6578-604: The 1970s, but accelerated greatly in the 1990s, has led to sponsors' names being affixed to both established stadiums and new ones. In some cases, the corporate name replaces (with varying degrees of success) the name by which the venue has been known for many years. But many of the more recently built stadiums, like the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg , Germany, have never been known by a non-corporate name. The sponsorship phenomenon has since spread worldwide. There remain
6721-532: The 1990s. In several cases, an American football stadium has been constructed adjacent to a baseball park , to allow for the sharing of mutual parking lots and other amenities. With the rise of MLS, the construction of soccer-specific stadiums has also increased since the late 1990s to better fit the needs of that sport. In many cases, earlier baseball stadiums were constructed to fit into a particular land area or city block. This resulted in asymmetrical dimensions for many baseball fields. Yankee Stadium , for example,
6864-476: The 2006 season, the Texans wore all-white for their home opener, and the team began to wear an all-blue combination for home games vs. the Indianapolis Colts . In 2003, the Texans introduced an alternative red jersey with blue trim; they wear this jersey at one home game each year, usually against a division rival. In 2007, the Texans introduced red pants for the first time, pairing them with the red jerseys for an all-red look. They would wear this look until 2010, but
7007-645: The 2012 and 2013 seasons as well. The stadium also hosts the " Battle of the Piney Woods " since 2010. It is one of the oldest football rivalries in Texas, featuring Division I FCS Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University . The series was originally scheduled to run until 2013, before being extended to 2017, and finally in April 2015, the stadium was made the permanent home of
7150-404: The 50 yard line, lying over and above each end zone when fully retracted. 10 parallel, tri-chord trusses ride on two parallel rails, each supported by a large, 675 feet (206 m)-long super-truss. Roof operation is controlled in the stadium press box via computer, containing live images of the travel path of each roof panel; plus, furnishing live feedback from all roof components throughout
7293-466: The Bengals again in the wild-card round, but they lost in the Divisional Round to the New England Patriots . In the 2013 NFL draft , the Texans acquired Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins 27th overall. In 2013, the Texans started 2–0 but went into a tailspin and lost every game afterwards. Kubiak was fired as head coach after being swept by the rival Jacksonville Jaguars , who themselves started 0–8. Wade Phillips filled in as head coach, but
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#17327760578287436-449: The Houston Stadium Consultants (HSC). The architects of Populous (then HOK Sport) and the HSC worked together with engineers from Walter P Moore and Uni-Systems to design the stadium utilizing the principles of kinetic architecture . The facility offers a sense of transparency, with its fabric roof and expansive areas of glazing . At night, the building appears to glow from within. The extensive use of glass provides an open-air feel to
7579-423: The Indianapolis Colts due to their young Houston-native quarterback Andrew Luck having been drafted by the Colts in 2012 and the franchise's first ever sweep of the Colts against Luck in 2016. In 2018 the two teams met in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs , with the Colts winning 21–7. Having begun play in 1995 and 2002, respectively, the Jaguars and Texans are among two of the most-recently established franchises in
7722-405: The MLS All-Stars 5–2. On January 25, 2012, Venezuela played a friendly match with Mexico, with Mexico winning 3–1. On May 31, 2013, Mexico played another friendly, with Nigeria , which ended in a 2–2 draw. In June 2016, NRG Stadium hosted two matches in the group stage and one semifinal in the Copa América Centenario . Costa Rica beat Colombia 3–2. Mexico and Venezuela drew 1–1. Argentina beat
7865-414: The NFL with a value of $ 4.7 billion in August 2022. After the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series , the Houston Texans became the only big four professional sports franchise currently based in Texas without a championship. In 1997, Houston entrepreneur Bob McNair had a failed bid to bring a National Hockey League (NHL) expansion team to the city, and Bud Adams relocated the city's NFL team,
8008-426: The NFL's 32nd franchise was officially christened the Houston Texans before thousands at a downtown rally in Houston. McNair explained that the name and logo were chosen to "embody the pride, strength, independence and achievement that make the people of Houston and our area special." The name "Texans" had been used by several now-defunct football teams, including the Canadian Football League franchise in San Antonio;
8151-461: The NFL. The Jaguars relocated from the AFC Central to the newly created AFC South where the Texans were placed into and have competed as division rivals since. The Jaguars are the only division rival the Texans have a winning record against as the Texans lead the series 29–15. The Texans also have an intrastate/interconference rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys , with whom they contest the so-called Governor's Cup every year (a tradition started between
8294-458: The Texans began sporting all-white socks on select home and road games. In 2022, the Texans began using a red alternate helmet with the red uniform. In 2023, the red alternate helmet was worn with the Color Rush uniform in a 21–16 victory against the Arizona Cardinals . In 2002, the team wore a patch commemorating their inaugural season. Also, they celebrated 10 years as a franchise by wearing an anniversary patch throughout 2012. From 2018 to 2019,
8437-409: The Texans hosted the Miami Dolphins in their first preseason game. The first regular season game was played on September 8 of that year, where the expansion Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19–10 in front of 69,604. The first Monday Night Football game in Texans history was held on December 1, 2008 at Reliant Stadium. Playing in front of a then-franchise-record crowd of 70,809, the Texans defeated
8580-404: The Texans name for his new team. It is also a subtle homage to the naming style of the NHL team the Montreal Canadiens who also named their team after their respective demonym . Along with the team name, McNair unveiled the team logo, an abstract depiction of a bull's head, split in such a way to resemble the flag of Texas and the state of Texas, including a lone star to stand for the eye,
8723-416: The Texans released all-pro defensive end J.J. Watt. It was confirmed that Watt personally requested owner Cal McNair for his release. On January 13, 2022, the Texans fired David Culley after posting a 4–13 record as the team's head coach and promoted defensive coordinator Lovie Smith as the team's fifth head coach on February 7, 2022. The team traded away their starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to
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#17327760578288866-427: The Texans traded away all-pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft to the Arizona Cardinals . In return, Houston received running back David Johnson , a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick. The move was confusing and controversial among fans and sportswriters alike, as many claimed that the Texans should have received more valuable assets for Hopkins, who
9009-405: The Texans won three of their first four games, defeating the Redskins in the season opener while ending the losing streak, the Raiders , and the Bills , losing to the New York Giants . They lost three of their next four games, losing to the Dallas Cowboys , the Indianapolis Colts , and the Pittsburgh Steelers , respectively. The Texans went on to finish 9–7 in the 2014 season and barely missed
9152-443: The Texans wore a memorial patch to honor Bob McNair after his death. In April 2024, the Texans unveiled redesigned uniforms. The primary dark blue helmets remained, but the home blue uniforms were updated to include the Texans primary crest on the sleeve and new collar stripes, while the road white uniform featured blue and red horn stripes on the sleeves, along with blue numbers with red trim. The white uniform's design also served as
9295-456: The Texans' chief rival as members of the AFC South ever since the early 2000s. As of the 2023 season, the Titans lead the all-time series 23–21. Ever since the early 2000s, the Texans also have an AFC South Division rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts , whom the Texans had not defeated until the 2006 season . The first time that the Texans would sweep the Colts was in the 2016 NFL season . More recently, Houston has increased bitterness with
9438-399: The Texans' poor form did not change, and they finished 2–14, tying, with 2005, their worst record in franchise history. The 14-game losing streak is the worst in franchise history. The Texans entered the 2014 season with a 14-game losing streak. Former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien became the Texans' new head coach, and the third in franchise history, during the offseason. In 2014,
9581-421: The Texas Bowl's inception and also hosted both the 2002 and 2005 Big 12 Championship Games . The 2005 game featured Houston native Vince Young at quarterback for the University of Texas at Austin and led the Longhorns to a 70–3 rout of the University of Colorado in front of 71,107. In addition, the East–West Shrine Game was held there in 2007. A Bayou Classic game between Grambling State and Southern
9724-427: The U.S. The Baker Bowl , a baseball park in Philadelphia that opened in its original form in 1887 but was completely rebuilt in 1895, broke new ground in stadium construction in two major ways. The stadium's second incarnation featured the world's first cantilevered second deck (tier) in a sports venue, and was the first baseball park to use steel and brick for the majority of its construction. Another influential venue
9867-405: The US is bleachers , which is mostly used for seating areas with bench seats as opposed to individual seats, and which often are uncovered; the name refers to the bleaching effect direct, unshaded sunlight has on the benches and patrons in those sections. Many stadiums make luxury suites or boxes available to patrons at high prices. These suites can accommodate ten to thirty people, depending on
10010-669: The United States 4–0; Lionel Messi scored a free kick, making him Argentina's all-time leading scorer. NRG Stadium will host multiple matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup . It is one of eleven US venues which have been selected. It is also one of two venues in Texas which have been selected to host matches, the other being AT&T Stadium in Arlington . During the event, the stadium will be temporarily renamed to "Houston Stadium" in accordance with FIFA's policy on corporate sponsored names. The stadium will host seven matches: five group stage matches, one Round of 32 match, and one Round of 16 match on Independence Day . The stadium has hosted
10153-501: The Year , and Anderson Jr. would be named NFL defensive Rookie of the Year Award . Ryans also finished in a tie in total votes for NFL Coach of the Year with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski though he lost the award to in a tiebreaker due to having one less first place vote. The Texans are the youngest expansion team in the NFL, having only been competing in the NFL for 23 seasons since 2002 and have had limited regular season and postseason success. For that reason, they have not had
10296-740: The basis for the red alternate uniform, which is paired with a red helmet containing the blue horn stripes. A second alternate uniform is a navy blue base with "H-Town blue" accents; numbers are red with "H-Town blue" trim. This set is paired with a navy blue alternate helmet containing the "H-Star" decal in "H-Town blue" with red trim. The inclusion of a second alternate helmet is due to the NFL allowing teams with new uniforms to unveil these helmets in advance this season. Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve 53 active, 12 reserve, 16 practice squad (+1 exempt) The Texans have had
10439-525: The cities prior to the Oilers relocating) either in the preseason or the regular season for bragging rights in the state of Texas. In 2017, the destruction and flooding caused during Hurricane Harvey a few days before their Week 4 pre-season match up time scheduled caused the game to be relocated to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, out of concern for the safety of the fans and the condition of
10582-632: The city's previous NFL franchise, the Houston Oilers , who played from 1960 to 1996 before moving to Nashville and eventually becoming the Tennessee Titans . The Texans began play as an expansion team in 2002 , making them the youngest franchise currently competing in the NFL. While the Texans mainly struggled in the 2000s, their fortunes would take a turn for the better in the 2010s when they won their first division championship in 2011 , clinching their first playoff berth. The Texans have gone on to win six more AFC South division championships in 2012 , 2015 , 2016 , 2018 , 2019 , and 2023 . They are
10725-458: The construction of new facilities. In Europe and Latin America, where there are multiple association football clubs in any given city, and several leagues in each country, no such monopoly power exists, and stadiums are built primarily with private money. Outside professional sports, governments are also involved through the intense competition for the right to host major sporting events, primarily
10868-778: The event on January 8, 2024 (ending the 2023 college football season), which featured the Michigan Wolverines (winners of the Rose Bowl ) and the Washington Huskies (winners of the Sugar Bowl ). NRG Stadium is regularly utilized by varsity football teams as a neutral site during the University Interscholastic League football playoffs. NRG Stadium also hosts international soccer matches. The games are generally held in
11011-399: The event. Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event at the ancient Greek Olympic festival was the race that comprised one length of the stadion at Olympia , where the word "stadium" originated. Most of the stadiums with a capacity of at least 10,000 are used for association football . Other popular stadium sports include gridiron football , baseball , cricket ,
11154-556: The fact that both teams were preparing that whole week to play that game as scheduled. The stadium reopened on October 5, 2008, when the Texans hosted the Indianapolis Colts and hosted three additional home games in October. The stadium was repaired by Houston-based rope access inspection and construction firm Reel Group Americas on February 13, 2009. The stadium was designed by the architectural firms of Hermes Reed Architects and Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam who were teamed to create
11297-408: The first and second Busch Stadiums , in that the parks were named by and for the club's owner, which also happened to be the name of the company owned by those clubowners. (The current Busch Stadium received its name via a modern naming rights agreement.) During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, some stadiums were temporarily renamed because FIFA prohibits sponsorship of stadiums. For example,
11440-543: The first round of the 2011–12 playoffs , before a 20–13 defeat by the Ravens in the Divisional Round. The Texans surged as the team to beat in the AFC South in 2012 , starting 5–0 and holding an 11–1 record by week 14. However, they lost three of their last four games to finish 12–4; beating the rival Indianapolis Colts in that four-game stretch allowing them to clinch their 2nd AFC South title. The Texans beat
11583-620: The five points of which representing pride, courage, strength, tradition and independence. McNair described the colors as "Deep Steel Blue ", "Battle Red" and "Liberty White". A year later the Texans unveiled their uniforms during another downtown rally. The Texans' helmet is dark blue with the Texans bull logo. The helmet was initially white when the team name and logo were unveiled, but was later changed to dark blue. The uniform design consists of red trim and either dark blue or white jerseys. The team typically wears white pants with its blue jerseys and blue pants with its white jerseys. Starting with
11726-523: The franchises to 32, the NFL contemplated adding another expansion franchise. As Houston was one of the favorites for the extra franchise, along with Toronto and Los Angeles (the latter of whom had lost the Rams and the Raiders in 1995), McNair then decided to join the football project and founded Houston NFL Holdings with partner Steve Patterson . With Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , they would push for
11869-513: The game-day experience for spectators all over the stadium. Fans in the Bull Pen are encouraged to stand throughout the game, sing, cheer, and otherwise support the team in an enthusiastic manner. In 2011, Reliant updated their logo and therefore had to update their signage all over the stadium. In December 2012, it was announced that, in order to help bring the Super Bowl back to Houston,
12012-467: The greatest and most decorated rookie season by a quarterback in NFL history, eventually rising up to become the Texans' franchise quarterback . However, his success would come up very short, following a Week 8 41–38 loss to the Seattle Seahawks , Watson tore his ACL in practice and was ruled out the remainder of the season, which caused the Texans to have one of their worst seasons. Plagued by
12155-510: The history or the reputation on which to build classic rivalries like the ones that often exist between older franchises. Despite this, the team has developed some rivalries. Its natural rivals are its fellow AFC South teams, which are the Tennessee Titans , Jacksonville Jaguars , and Indianapolis Colts . The Tennessee Titans , who were formerly the Houston Oilers before their relocation in 1996, are viewed by many Houston fans as
12298-505: The home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, now home to the largest digital display boards in any stadium in the world. The Houston Texans have played their home games at NRG Stadium (or Reliant Stadium) since their inception in 2002. The annual calendar consists of 8 regular season and 1-2 pre-season games, plus any playoff games the Texans host. The first game played was on August 24, 2002, in front of 69,432 in attendance as
12441-476: The largest among them, are megaprojects that can only be afforded by the largest corporations, wealthiest individuals, or government. Sports fans have a deep emotional attachment to their teams. In North America, with its closed-league " franchise " system, there are fewer teams than cities which would like them. This creates tremendous bargaining power for the owners of teams, whereby owners can threaten to relocate teams to other cities unless governments subsidize
12584-522: The largest crowd ever to see a Texans game at Reliant Stadium. NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl LI in 2017, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history; it was also the first ever overtime game in Super Bowl history. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (or RodeoHouston) is a co-tenant of NRG Stadium. "The building
12727-496: The lead of Aerosmith and including Mötley Crüe , Quiet Riot , W.A.S.P. and Ratt . Since the 1980s, rock, pop and folk stars, including the Grateful Dead , Madonna , Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift , have undertaken large-scale stadium based concert tours . Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston . The Texans compete in
12870-418: The mid-1970s as the increased power of amplification and sound systems allowed the use of larger and larger venues. Smoke, fireworks and sophisticated lighting shows became staples of arena rock performances. Key acts from this era included Journey , REO Speedwagon , Boston , Foreigner , Styx , Kiss , Peter Frampton and Queen . In the 1980s arena rock became dominated by glam metal bands, following
13013-456: The mile (536 m); outside there was a 35-foot-wide (11 m), 660-yard (600 m) cycle track. The infield included a swimming and diving pool. The London Highbury Stadium , built in 1913, was the first stadium in the UK to feature a two-tiered seating arrangement when it was redesigned in the Art Deco style in 1936. During these decades, parallel stadium developments were taking place in
13156-481: The modern stadium. The first stadiums to be built in the modern era were basic facilities, designed for the single purpose of fitting as many spectators in as possible. With tremendous growth in the popularity of organised sport in the late Victorian era , especially association football in the United Kingdom and baseball in the United States, the first such structures were built. One such early stadium
13299-613: The most famous being the Stadium of Domitian , in Rome. The excavated and refurbished ancient Panathenaic Stadium hosted attempted revivals of the Olympic Games in 1870 and 1875 before hosting the first modern Olympics in 1896 , the 1906 Intercalated Games , and some events of the 2004 Summer Olympics . The excavation and refurbishment of the stadium was part of the legacy of the Greek national benefactor Evangelos Zappas , and it
13442-481: The name of one of FIFA's major sponsors , was known by its historic name of Ellis Park Stadium during the 2010 FIFA World Cup . Corporate names are also temporarily replaced during the Olympics. Modern stadiums bring several negative environmental issues with their construction. They require thousands of tons of materials to build, they greatly increase traffic in the area around the stadium, as well as maintaining
13585-401: The namesake corporation changes its name, or if it is the naming agreement simply expires. Phoenix's Chase Field , for example, was previously known as Bank One Ballpark, but was renamed to reflect the takeover of the latter corporation. San Francisco's historic Candlestick Park was renamed as 3Com Park for several years, but the name was dropped when the sponsorship agreement expired, and it
13728-518: The new franchise leadership conducted an extensive review and research process; the final list of names was determined after several months of research conducted jointly by Houston NFL 2002 and NFL Properties. This included an online survey asking fans and the community to weigh in which received more than 65,000 responses in one week. On March 2, 2000, it was announced that the team name search had been narrowed down to five choices: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, and Wildcatters. On September 6, 2000,
13871-523: The night of September 12–13, 2008 the stadium sustained damage from Hurricane Ike forcing the Houston Texans home opener scheduled for September 14 to be postponed. Part of the roof cladding came off, and there was wind and water damage to other sections of the stadium. There were also large pieces of debris inside the stadium from the hurricane and the stadium authority declared that the stadium did not suffer significant structural damage except for
14014-528: The offseason acquisition in favor of backup quarterback Tom Savage . Savage led a comeback effort against the Jaguars, and was named the starter for the remainder of the season. The Texans clinched their fourth AFC South division title in six years in Savage's first career start against the Bengals in Week 16. They defeated the wildcard Oakland Raiders 27–14 in the opening round of the playoffs with Osweiler as
14157-475: The old stadiums they replace. In North America, where baseball and American football are the two most popular outdoor spectator sports, a number of football/baseball multi-use stadiums were built, especially during the 1960s, and some of them were successful. Since the requirements for baseball and football are significantly different, the trend has been toward the construction of single-purpose stadiums, beginning with Kansas City in 1972–1973 and accelerating in
14300-405: The only franchise to have never won a road playoff game along with the only one to have never appeared in a conference championship game; they are also one of four franchises to have never appeared in a Super Bowl , alongside the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , and division rival Jacksonville Jaguars . According to an article by Forbes , the Houston Texans are the eleventh richest team in
14443-426: The operation. The roof panels can be opened or closed in as little as 7 minutes, moving at a speed of up to 35 feet (11 m)-per-minute. One bleacher section behind the north end zone , called the "Bull Pen", is the designated fan section for the hometeam. The fans in the Bull Pen interact directly with the action on the field, helping to create and implement fan traditions, songs, chants, and other elements of
14586-472: The player's families & communities, the game was canceled. As of the 2024 season, the Cowboys lead the all-time series 4–3. The Texans are the newest team in the league, but they have been embraced by a fair amount of celebrities since joining the NFL in 2002. The team has also adopted a number of former Houston Oilers fans in search of a new home team. Despite the lacking playoff success, there have been
14729-512: The playoffs for the first time since 2014 and giving Bill O'Brien his first losing season as Texans head coach. In 2018 , the Texans started the season 0–3, losing by a combined 15 points to the New England Patriots , Tennessee Titans , and New York Giants , before winning a 37–34 overtime shootout on the road in Indianapolis. This win sparked a nine-game winning streak for the Texans, their first since starting 5–0 in 2012, which included
14872-617: The playoffs while winning the AFC South for the first time since the 2019 season with a 10–7 record, becoming the first NFL team to win their division under a rookie head coach and quarterback. The team defeated the Cleveland Browns 45–14 in the Wild Card Round. The Texans saw their season end in the Divisional Round with a 34–10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Stroud would later be named NFL offensive Rookie of
15015-426: The playoffs. In the 2015 season , they were featured on HBO, on the show "Hard Knocks". That year, the Texans started with a 2–5 record. Quarterback Ryan Mallett was released amidst controversy regarding his benching in favor of Brian Hoyer during a loss against the Indianapolis Colts . After a poor start, the Texans finished with a 9–7 record and won their third AFC South title. However, they were shut out by
15158-440: The principal owner and Senior Chair of the Houston Texans, while their son, D. Cal McNair , became the chairman and Chief Operating Officer. The Texans finished the season 11–5, and won another AFC South division championship under Bill O'Brien. They lost 21–7 in the first round of the playoffs to their AFC South division rival Indianapolis Colts . In 2019 , the Texans won the AFC South division championship and qualified for
15301-828: The public. An "all-seater" stadium has seats for all spectators. Other stadiums are designed so that all or some spectators stand to view the event. The term "all-seater" is not common in the U.S., as very few American stadiums have sizeable standing-only sections. Poor stadium design has contributed to disasters, such as the Hillsborough disaster and the Heysel Stadium disaster . Since these, all Premier League , UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches require all spectators to be seated. Seating areas may be known as terraces , tiers , or decks . Originally set out for standing room only, they are now usually equipped with seating. Another term used in
15444-468: The roof, and the Texans would be able to play all of their 8 home games at Reliant Stadium with the roof open. The Texans' home opener against the Baltimore Ravens was initially postponed one day from Sunday, September 14, 2008, to Monday, September 15, but when the extent of the damage from Hurricane Ike became known, the NFL rescheduled the Texans-Ravens game to week 10 (November 9, 2008), which
15587-508: The season. Crennel managed to win more than half of his first 7 games as Houston's head coach, giving Houston a record of 4–7. However, the Texans ended the season on a five-game losing streak. With a final record of 4–12, the Texans were unable to make the playoffs. On January 27, 2021, the Texans hired David Culley as the team's head coach . Culley most recently worked as the Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach , wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. On February 12, 2021,
15730-428: The second half of the season, finishing 6–10. In the 2011 NFL draft , the Texans acquired Wisconsin star defensive end J. J. Watt 11th overall. The following season , former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Texans, and the improved defense led to them finishing 10–6, winning their first AFC South title. The Texans then beat wild card Cincinnati Bengals 31–10 in
15873-579: The series. The two largest historically black universities in Texas , Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University , each have played selected regular season home games at NRG Stadium as well. The SWAC Championship Game was held at the stadium from 2013 until 2017. In 2017, NRG Stadium was announced as a future site for the College Football Playoff National Championship game; it hosted
16016-533: The south stand under cover, while the remaining three stands were left as terraces and uncovered. It was the first stadium to feature continuous seating along the contours of the stadium. These early venues, originally designed to host football matches, were adopted for use by the Olympic Games, the first one being held in 1896 in Athens , Greece. The White City Stadium , built for the 1908 Summer Olympics in London
16159-479: The spring and summer before the NFL season starts. The stadium hosted CONCACAF Gold Cup matches from 2005 to 2011. The Gold Cup matches in 2007 included first round matches, and a quarterfinal doubleheader match. The venue's attendance record was set during a preparation match between the Mexico national team and the U.S. men's soccer team . On February 6, 2008, United States v Mexico was held at Reliant Stadium to
16302-544: The stadium's end zone displays would be replaced with the largest digital displays in any professional sports venue. The video screens were revealed August 16, 2013 and are the second largest of their kind, at a total of 14,549 square feet (1,351.6 m) of screens. This tops the previous record of AT&T Stadium in Arlington . This has since been topped by the digital display boards located in TIAA Bank Field ,
16445-401: The stadium's history. The vastly differing character of European football stadiums has led to the growing hobby of ground hopping where spectators make a journey to visit the stadium for itself rather than for the event held there. In recent years the trend of building completely new oval stadiums in Europe has led to traditionalists criticising the designs as bland and lacking in the character of
16588-536: The stadium. The increased traffic around modern stadiums has led to create exposure zones says the Health Effect Institute, exposing 30–40% of people living around the stadium to potential health issues. Many stadiums are attempting to counteract these issues by implementing solar panels, and high efficiency lighting, to reduce their own carbon footprint. Although concerts, such as classical music, had been presented in them for decades, beginning in
16731-460: The stadium. The three year contract calls for a new turf field each year. After hosting Super Bowl LI , further upgrades were made to keep NRG Stadium competitive with other new NFL venues. The stadium's first major renovation in 15 years modernized the office and team facilities. On April 19, 2023, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo renamed NRG Stadium to NRG Stadium (Taylor's Version) to celebrate Taylor Swift's much anticipated Eras Tour . On
16874-491: The start of the "jewel box" era of park construction. The largest stadium crowd ever was 199,854 people watching the final match of the 1950 World Cup at Rio de Janeiro 's Maracanã on 16 July 1950. Domed stadiums are distinguished from conventional stadiums by their enclosing roofs. Many of these are not actually domes in the pure architectural sense, some being better described as vaults , some having truss -supported roofs and others having more exotic designs such as
17017-503: The starting quarterback due to Savage being out with a concussion. Osweiler started in the Divisional Playoffs game against the New England Patriots , throwing three interceptions in the second half. The Texans lost 34–16. In the 2017 NFL draft , the Texans traded up to the 12th overall selection to select Clemson star quarterback Deshaun Watson . Watson started six games his rookie year, going 3–3 and having arguably
17160-439: The theatre, with its seating arrangements foreshadowing those of modern stadiums. The Romans copied the theatre, then expanded it to accommodate larger crowds and more elaborate settings. The Romans also developed the double-sized round theatre called amphitheatre , seating crowds in the tens of thousands for gladiatorial combats and beast shows. The Greek stadium and theatre and the Roman circus and amphitheatre are all ancestral to
17303-438: The top pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. While the team struggled in its early seasons, results began to improve when native Houstonian Gary Kubiak became the head coach in 2006 . The Texans finished with a .500 season (8–8) in 2007 and 2008 , and nearly qualified for the 2009–10 playoffs with a 9–7 result in 2009 . The Texans started the 2010 season on a 4–2 record going into a Week 7 bye week, but promptly collapsed 2–8 in
17446-640: The top-overall pick in the NFL Draft three times. On November 19, 2017, Andre Johnson was the first-ever inductee into the Texans Ring of Honor. On October 6, 2019, Bob McNair was posthumously the second inductee into the Texans Ring of Honor. On October 1, 2023, J. J. Watt was the third inductee into the Texans Ring of Honor. Only two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame have spent any portion of their career with Texans, due in part to
17589-517: The various codes of rugby , field lacrosse , bandy , and bullfighting . Many large sports venues are also used for concerts. "Stadium" is the Latin form of the Greek word " stadion " ( στάδιον ), a measure of length equalling the length of 600 human feet. As feet are of variable length the exact length of a stadion depends on the exact length adopted for 1 foot at a given place and time. Although in modern terms 1 stadion = 600 ft (180 m), in
17732-504: The venue. Luxury suites at events such as the Super Bowl can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Due to the number of people congregating in stadiums and the frequency of events, many notable accidents have occurred in the past, some causing injury and death. For example, the Hillsborough disaster was a human crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield , England on 15 April 1989. The resulting 97 deaths and 765 injuries makes this
17875-468: The world. The architect Archibald Leitch brought his experience with the construction of industrial buildings to bear on the design of functional stadiums up and down the country. His work encompassed the first 40 years of the 20th century. One of his most notable designs was Old Trafford in Manchester. The ground was originally designed with a capacity of 100,000 spectators and featured seating in
18018-461: The worst disaster in British sporting history. Much effort has been spent to avoid the recurrence of such events, both in design and legislation. Especially where there is a perceived risk of terrorism or violence attention remains high to prevent human death and keep stadiums as places where families can enjoy a public event together. In Europe and South America, during the twentieth century, it
18161-585: Was Boston 's Harvard Stadium , built in 1903 by Harvard University for its American football team and track and field program. It was the world's first stadium to use concrete-and-steel construction. In 1909, concrete-and-steel construction came to baseball with the opening of Shibe Park in Philadelphia and, a few months later, Forbes Field in Pittsburgh . The latter was the world's first three-tiered sporting venue. The opening of these parks marked
18304-401: Was among the best receivers in the NFL. The Texans began the 2020 NFL season with a record of 0–4, and Bill O'Brien was consequentially fired following a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. Romeo Crennel , who was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011–12, was named the interim head coach for the remainder of
18447-613: Was another two years before the new name of Monster Cable Products ' Monster Park was applied. Local opposition to the corporate naming of that particular stadium led San Francisco's city council to permanently restore the Candlestick Park name once the Monster contract expired. More recently, in Ireland, there has been huge opposition to the renaming of Dublin 's historic Lansdowne Road as the Aviva Stadium . Lansdowne
18590-469: Was brought back in 2023. In October 2008 the Texans paired blue socks (instead of the traditional red) with their blue pants and white jerseys, eventually becoming the team's primary road uniform combination. In 2016, the Texans unveiled a new uniform combo against the Jacksonville Jaguars , pairing the red jersey with blue pants and red socks. In 2017, the Texans unveiled a Color Rush uniform, using an all-blue uniform but with minimal white elements. In 2021,
18733-585: Was built on a triangular city block in The Bronx , New York City. This resulted in a large left field dimension but a small right field dimension. Before more modern football stadiums were built in the United States, many baseball parks, including Fenway Park , the Polo Grounds , Wrigley Field , Comiskey Park , Tiger Stadium , Griffith Stadium , Milwaukee County Stadium , Shibe Park , Forbes Field , Yankee Stadium , and Sportsman's Park were used by
18876-686: Was common for violent bands of supporters to fight inside or close to association football stadiums. In the United Kingdom they are known as hooligans . Structural features that increase safety include separate entry and exit accesses for each spectator area, especially separating accesses for home and visitor supporters, dividing walls, glass parapets, vibration attenuation and sprinkler systems. Security features that have been adopted include armed surveillance, Identity document checks, video surveillance , metal detectors and security searches to enforce rules that forbid spectators to carry dangerous or potentially dangerous items. Modern stadiums, especially
19019-536: Was completed in 30 months. The stadium opened on August 24, 2002, with a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans which the Dolphins won 24–3. The stadium hosted its first regular season NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans on September 8, 2002. The first rodeo was held in the stadium in February 2003. During a Texans preseason game on August 30, 2012, against
19162-628: Was held here in November 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina damage at the rivalry's usual venue of the Superdome . Each of the city's two Division I FBS schools, the University of Houston and Rice University , has played regular season home games at NRG Stadium in the past. The Houston–Rice football rivalry game, the Bayou Bucket Classic , was held there in 2004, and in 2011, the game was announced to be played at Reliant Stadium for
19305-451: Was in attendance during the Texans' second ever Monday Night Football game against Houston's former NFL team, the Tennessee Titans . The Texans' home finale of the 2009 season against the New England Patriots on January 3, 2010 drew 71,029. NRG Stadium has hosted 2 Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXXVIII (which was marred by a controversial halftime show ) and Super Bowl LI (which was the first Super Bowl to go into overtime); both games pitted
19448-529: Was redeveloped as the Aviva, opening in May 2010. On the other hand, Los Angeles' Great Western Forum , one of the earliest examples of corporate renaming, retained its name for many years, even after the namesake bank no longer existed, the corporate name being dropped only after the building later changed ownership. This practice has typically been less common in countries outside the United States. A notable exception
19591-563: Was reportedly the first floodlit stadium. Floodlighting in association football dates as far back as 1878, when there were floodlit experimental matches at Bramall Lane, Sheffield during the dark winter afternoons. With no national grid , lights were powered by batteries and dynamoes , and were unreliable. Since the development of electrical grids, lighting has been an important element in stadium design, allowing games to be played after sundown, and in covered, or partly covered stadiums that allow less natural light, but provide more shelter for
19734-509: Was the Lansdowne Road Stadium , the brainchild of Henry Dunlop , who organised the first All Ireland Athletics Championships. Banned from locating sporting events at Trinity College, Dunlop built the stadium in 1872. "I laid down a cinder running path of a quarter-mile, laid down the present Lansdowne Tennis Club ground with my own theodolite, started a Lansdowne archery club, a Lansdowne cricket club, and last, but not least,
19877-468: Was the first ancient stadium to be used in modern times. Stadiums in ancient Greece and Rome were built for different purposes, and at first only the Greeks built structures called "stadium"; Romans built structures called " circus ". Greek stadia were for foot races, whereas the Roman circus was for horse races. Both had similar shapes and bowl-like areas around them for spectators. The Greeks also developed
20020-525: Was the first such ballpark for Major League Baseball to be built, using early-20th-century styling with 21st-century amenities. There is a solar-powered stadium in Taiwan that produces as much energy as it needs to function. Stadium designers often study acoustics to increase noise caused by fans' voices, aiming to create a lively atmosphere. Until the advent of floodlights , most games played on large areas had to rely on natural lighting. Bramall Lane
20163-600: Was their first event in Houston in 11 years, after having previously held an event at the Compaq Center annually between 1998 and 2001. College football's Texas Bowl and Texas Kickoff are annually hosted at the stadium. The first-ever edition of the Texas Bowl featured a game between Rutgers University and Kansas State University , with Rutgers winning 37–10. The stadium hosted the Houston Bowl before
20306-443: Was to create a football stadium to replace the Astrodome that would operate like an open-air facility but have the intimacy and comfort of an indoor arena. With the design for football and the square footage requirements of the rodeo, the building was designed in the 1.9-million-square-foot (180,000 m) range. Groundbreaking for the stadium was on March 9, 2000 and the building was officially topped off in October 2001. Construction
20449-475: Was to have been the bye week for the Ravens and the Texans' scheduled home game against the Cincinnati Bengals . That game was rescheduled to week 8 (October 26), which was to have been the bye week for both the Texans and Bengals. The Bengals' bye week was moved from October 26. The Texans and Ravens took their unexpected bye week in week 2, the weekend Hurricane Ike hit East Texas and the Gulf Coast , despite
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