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Northwest Stadium

Coordinates: 38°54′28″N 76°51′52″W / 38.90778°N 76.86444°W / 38.90778; -76.86444
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For the stadium in South Africa, see North West Stadium.
Northwest Stadium
The stadium as FedExField in 2023
Northwest Stadium is located in Maryland
Northwest Stadium
Northwest Stadium
Location in Maryland
Northwest Stadium is located in the United States
Northwest Stadium
Northwest Stadium
Location in the United States
Former namesJack Kent Cooke Stadium (1997–1999)
Redskins Stadium (1999)
FedExField (1999–2024)
Commanders Field (2024)
Address1600 Ring Road[1]
LocationLandover, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates38°54′28″N 76°51′52″W / 38.90778°N 76.86444°W / 38.90778; -76.86444
Public transit Washington Metro
at Morgan Boulevard
OwnerWashington Commanders (Josh Harris)
OperatorHarris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (Non-NFL events)
Executive suites257
Capacity62,000

Former capacity:

List
    • 58,000 (2021)[2]
    • 67,617 (2015–2021)[3][4]
    • 79,000 (2012–2015)[5]
    • 83,000 (2011)[5]
    • 91,704 (2009–2010)[6]
    • 91,665 (2004–2008)[6]
    • 86,484 (2001–2003)[6]
    • 85,407 (2000)[6]
    • 80,116 (1997–1999)[6]
SurfaceBermuda grass
Construction
Broke groundMarch 13, 1996 (1996-03-13)[7]
OpenedSeptember 14, 1997 (1997-09-14)
Expanded1998, 2000, 2005
Construction costUS$251 million
($476 million in 2023 dollars[8])
ArchitectHOK Sport
Structural engineerBliss & Nyitray, Inc
Services engineerM-E Engineers, Inc.[9]
General contractorClark Construction[10]
Main contractorsDriggs Construction Co.[11]
Tenants
Washington Commanders (NFL) 1997–present
Website
commanders.com/stadium

Northwest Stadium is an American football stadium in Landover, Maryland, located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 until 2010, it had the NFL's largest seating capacity at 91,000; it currently seats 62,000.[12] The stadium is owned and operated by the Commanders, with non-NFL events managed by team owner Josh Harris's company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). The stadium opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. It was known as FedExField from 1999 until 2024, when FedEx relinquished its sponsorship. The stadium was temporarily known as Commanders Field until Northwest Federal Credit Union bought naming rights a few months later.

History

[edit]
The former logo of FedExField
A Washington Redskins game in 2014

In the 1990s, Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke sought to replace RFK Stadium as the team's stadium. Cooke considered a site next to Laurel Park Racecourse along Whiskey Bottom and Brock Bridge roads, but lack of parking and public support prompted him[13] to choose to build instead on Wilson Dairy Farm in Landover, Maryland. A special exit, Exit 16 (initially Arena Drive, later renamed Medical Center Drive), was built from Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway. Cooke named the site Raljon after his sons Ralph and John, registering it with the United States Postal Service for the stadium's ZIP Code. Cooke died months before the opening of the new stadium, which his sons named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. It opened on September 14, 1997, hosting a game against the Arizona Cardinals.[14]

Daniel Snyder bought the team and stadium from Cooke's estate in May 1999, briefly renaming it Redskins Stadium before selling naming rights to FedEx for 27 years at an average of $7.6 million per year. The stadium was renamed FedExField on November 21, 1999.[15] The Raljon dateline requirements and placename were phased out by Snyder by the start of the 1999 season.[16] From 2002 to 2010, the Redskins led the NFL in home attendance[17] but demand declined thereafter. In the early 2010s, 14,000 seats were removed from the upper deck.[5][18] By 2015, another 4,000 seats had been removed.[19]

In July 2023, Snyder sold the team and stadium to a group headed by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion.[20] The following year, Harris's company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) took over operating non-NFL events at the stadium.[21]

On February 28, 2024, FedEx announced that it had opted out of its naming rights contract before its expiration in 2026.[22] The stadium was temporarily renamed Commanders Field until a deal with Northwest Federal Credit Union was announced on August 27, 2024, to rename it Northwest Stadium.[23] On October 27, 2024, the stadium was the site of the Hail Maryland, a 52-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired from Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to wide receiver Noah Brown to defeat the Chicago Bears 18–15.[24]

Design

[edit]
Exterior view, 2005

The stadium has five levels: the Lower Level, the Club Level, the Upper Level, and the Lower and Upper Suite Levels. The Lower Level is named after Bobby Mitchell, a running back and executive with the team from 1962 to 2002.[25][26] The Club Level is named after Joe Gibbs, the team's head coach from 1981 to 1992 and from 2004 to 2007. The Upper Level is named after former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. The stadium has 257 suites as of 2023.

Other events

[edit]

College football

[edit]

Northwest Stadium hosts the annual Prince George's Classic college football game, which is a game usually between two historically black universities. It has hosted several other college football games, including a 1998 game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Navy Midshipmen, a 2004 game between the USC Trojans and Virginia Tech Hokies, and the Army–Navy Game in 2011 and 2024.[27]

Soccer

[edit]
The stadium hosting a 2023 Premier League Summer Series game

Northwest Stadium has been used for several international soccer matches. It hosted five matches at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, including the United States defeating Germany 3–2 in the quarterfinals. On March 28, 2015, Argentina defeated El Salvador at the stadium before a crowd of 53,978.[28] The stadium has also hosted a number of club soccer exhibition matches. During the 2005 World Series of Soccer, D.C. United hosted Chelsea F.C. there; the 31,473 spectators represented D.C. United's third-highest ever home attendance. On August 9, 2009, D.C. United hosted another international friendly against Real Madrid at FedExField. On July 30, 2011, Manchester United ended its 2011 summer tour with a 2–1 win over F.C. Barcelona at FedExField in front of 81,807 fans. FedExField was used on July 29, 2014, in the International Champions Cup as Manchester United played Inter Milan.[29] On July 26, 2017, Manchester United played F.C. Barcelona again at the FedExField as part of International Champions Cup. This time the Catalan club secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Manchester United in front of 80,162 fans, with Neymar's last goal for F.C. Barcelona being the difference.[30] On August 4, 2018, FedExField hosted a 2018 International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and Juventus. Real Madrid won 3–1. On July 23, 2019, FedExField also hosted a match between Real Madrid and Arsenal. The match ended 2–2, and Real Madrid won the penalty shootout. Northwest Stadium was being considered as a 2026 FIFA World Cup venue before being rejected.[31][32]

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup matches

[edit]
Date Competition Team Res Team Crowd
June 23, 1999 Group C  Norway 7–1  Canada 16,448
June 23, 1999 Group D  Australia 1–3  Sweden 16,448
June 27, 1999 Group A  Nigeria 2–0  Denmark 22,109
June 27, 1999 Group B  Germany 3–3  Brazil 22,109
July 1, 1999 Quarterfinals  United States 3–2  Germany 54,642
July 1, 1999 Quarterfinals  Brazil 4–3 (a.e.t/g.g)  Nigeria 54,642

Rugby union

[edit]

On October 23, 2021, the stadium hosted a rugby union match between New Zealand and the USA Eagles that drew 39,720 people.[33] The Eagles lost, 104–14.[34]

Concerts

[edit]

The stadium has hosted several major concerts, including the HFStival and George Strait Country Music Festival in 2000, the Rolling Stones with the Strokes in 2002 and with Ghost Hounds in 2019, Metallica with Deftones, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit in 2003, Bruce Springsteen in 2003, Kenny Chesney in 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2013. U2 with Muse, and Paul McCartney with Thievery Corporation in 2009.

In 2017, U2 returned to the stadium with The Lumineers. Guns N' Roses and Alice in Chains played at the stadium in 2016, Coldplay played in 2017 and 2022, Taylor Swift performed two nights in 2018 as part of her Reputation Stadium Tour with Camila Cabello and Charli XCX. Beyoncé and Jay Z performed two nights as part of the On the Run II Tour with Chloe x Halle and DJ Khaled. Childish Gambino and Lil Wayne performed in 2019 as part of the Broccoli City Festival. The Weeknd performed at the stadium in 2022 as part of the After Hours til Dawn Stadium Tour. In 2023, Ed Sheeran performed at the stadium as part of his Mathematics Tour while Beyoncé performed two events as part of her Renaissance World Tour.

Criticisms

[edit]

The stadium is regarded as one of the worst in the NFL.[35][36][37] In January 2007, The Washington Post reported that former team owner Daniel Snyder met with Washington, D.C., officials and former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe about building a new stadium.[38][39] In 2005, eight years after the stadium opened, 1,488 premium "dream seats" in three rows were added in front of what was the first row when the stadium was built.[40] The stadium is about a mile away from the Morgan Boulevard station, the nearest Washington Metro station to the stadium. Furthermore, federal regulations prohibit publicly paid shuttle service from public transit agencies when a private service is available.[41]

In 2021, three water leaks occurred near two fans.[42] In 2022, as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was walking down the away team tunnel, a barrier separating seated fans from the away team tunnel gave way and caused several people to fall near him.[43] According to several witnesses, team staff did not show care for or call for medical attention for the fans who fell, but yelled "get the F off the field". The team released a statement responding to the criticisms, claiming the team did provide medical evaluations on site, but one fan denied that they did claiming that Hurts was the only one who asked if they were okay.[44] Hurts later wrote an open letter about the incident to the NFL, asking that action be taken to prevent an incident like this from recurring.[45]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Stadium Guide". Commanders.com. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Hruby, Patrick (May 17, 2023). "Josh Harris Expects the Commanders Will Make a Lot More Money Simply Because He's Not Dan Snyder". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  3. ^ "Washington fans didn't show up at FedEx Field. What will it take to lure them back?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  4. ^ "FedExField" (PDF). 2015 Washington Redskins Media Guide. Washington Redskins. August 28, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, Mike (April 2, 2012). "Redskins to Remove Another 4,000 Seats From FedEx Field". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e Steinberg, Dan; Jones, Mike (July 14, 2011). "Redskins Say They Were Unable to Sell Season Tickets for Seats Removed from FedEx Field". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  7. ^ Richman, Mike. "March 13, 1996: Construction Begins on JKC Stadium". Redskin Historian. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  8. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ^ Illuminating Engineering Society (1998). Lighting design & application: LD & A. Vol. 28. Illuminating Engineering Society. p. 39. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  10. ^ "FedEx Field". Clark Construction Co. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011.
  11. ^ "Where a Stadium Soon Will Grow". The Washington Times. March 23, 1996. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  12. ^ Paras, Matthew (September 22, 2022). "Commanders reduce FedEx Field capacity again". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Richards, Katherine (August 11, 1994). "Clergymen protest stadium: Traffic would hurt churches, they say". The Baltimore Sun. ProQuest 2289246850. Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke is seeking a special exception that would allow a $160 million National Football League stadium in an industrial zone east of Laurel in Anne Arundel County. The Redskins are also hoping for variances from county codes on matters such as parking and landscaping for the 78,600-seat stadium.
  14. ^ Vick, Karl; Heath, Thomas (September 15, 1997). "After Bumpy Beginning, a Can't-Be-Beat Ending". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Heath, Thomas (November 22, 1999). "Absolutely, Positively It's Now FedEx Field". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  16. ^ "Goodbye to Raljon, and good riddance". The Baltimore Sun. August 20, 1999. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "2008 NFL Attendance Data". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  18. ^ Biggs, Brad (July 15, 2011). "FedEx Field official: Redskins removed seats they couldn't sell". National Football Post. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020.
  19. ^ Steinberg, Dan; Allen, Scott (June 1, 2015). "For Third Time in Six Years, Redskins Remove Seats From FedEx Field". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  20. ^ Jhabvala, Nicki. "Josh Harris preaches patience, discusses plans for Commanders". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  21. ^ Muret, Don (February 5, 2024). "HBSE takes over booking FedEx Field events". VenuesNow.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  22. ^ Jhabvala, Nicki; Maske, Mark (February 28, 2024). "FedEx ends naming-rights deal for Commanders' stadium two years early". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  23. ^ "Washington Commanders and Northwest Federal Credit Union Announce Stadium Naming-Rights Deal". Washington Commanders. August 27, 2024. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  24. ^ "Commanders beat Bears on Jayden Daniels' last-second Hail Mary". ESPN. October 27, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  25. ^ "Washington Redskins To Retire The Late Bobby Mitchell's Jersey". Washington Football Team. June 20, 2020. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  26. ^ Fortier, Sam (June 24, 2020). "Redskins to remove George Preston Marshall's name from all team material". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  27. ^ Chavkin, Daniel. "Army vs. Navy game location 2024: Why historic rivalry is being played at Northwest Stadium". Sporting News. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  28. ^ "No Messi, but Argentina is still too much for El Salvador" Archived March 31, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  29. ^ Man United defeats Inter in Shootout Archived August 6, 2014, at archive.today ICC.com July 30, 2014, Retrieved July 30, 2014
  30. ^ Barcelona 1 - 0 Manchester United Archived July 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, July 26, 2017
  31. ^ "World Cup 2026: What are the host cities in USA, Mexico and Canada going to be?". June 14, 2018. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  32. ^ Keating, Steve (November 23, 2021). "FIFA wraps up inspection of potential 2026 World Cup venues". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  33. ^ "USA Eagles confirm match at FedEx Field". July 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  34. ^ Lourim, Jake (October 23, 2021). "All Blacks give U.S. rugby fans a thrill — and U.S. rugby a boost — in 1874 Cup". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  35. ^ "FedEx Field ranked as worst NFL stadium". WUSA (TV). August 27, 2022. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  36. ^ "Fan-driven stadium guide considers FedEx Field the worst in almost everything". Commanders Wire. USA Today. April 16, 2023. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  37. ^ Hand, Mark (August 24, 2022). "FedEx Field, Home Of The Priciest Beer, Ranked Worst Stadium In NFL". Patch. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via MSN Sports.
  38. ^ Nobles, Ryan (August 27, 2014). "McAuliffe and Snyder have met to discuss Redskins stadium". Decision Virginia. WWBT. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  39. ^ Fisher, Marc (January 11, 2008). "Next 2 D.C. Stadium Deals Might Smell a Bit Sweeter". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  40. ^ Heath, Thomas (August 20, 2005). "Redskins' Revenue Reaches $300 Million". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  41. ^ Weiss, Eric M. (August 6, 2008). "Metro Shuttle To FedEx Field Is Scuttled". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013.
  42. ^ Gastelum, Andrew (September 12, 2021). "Water Falls From Stands at FedEx Field, Washington Football Team Fans Claim 'Sewage'". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  43. ^ Hermann, Adam (January 2, 2022). "WATCH: Stands collapse near Hurts after Eagles-WFT game". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  44. ^ "Fans deny being offered on-site medical evaluation by Washington Football Team after railing collapse at FedEx Field". ESPN.com. January 3, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  45. ^ "Jalen Hurts wants answers from WFT, NFL over 'near-tragic' railing collapse at FedEx Field". yahoo.com. January 4, 2022. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
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