Alamodome
Encyclopedia
The Alamodome is a domed
65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football
/basketball stadium (football primarily) and convention center in San Antonio
, Texas
, U.S.
The facility opened on May 15, 1993, at a cost of $186 million.
Along with placating the San Antonio Spurs ownership's demands for a larger basketball venue, the multi-purpose facility was intended to increase the city's convention traffic and attract a professional football franchise. The Spurs played basketball in the Alamodome for a decade, then became disenchanted with the facility and convinced Bexar County
to construct a new arena for them now called the AT&T Center
at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc.
. Configuring the arena for basketball or hockey takes 12–18 hours to set up retractable seating and installing the playing surface. In this configuration, typically only the two lower levels at one or both ends are used. The arena configuration seats 20,662 spectators and can be expanded to 39,500 when the upper level is opened. When the Spurs played home games here three upper decks were used in selected games and in the playoffs, increasing the capacity to 35,000, while the other was covered by a large curtain containing the Spurs division title banners, retired number banners and 1999 championship banner.
The Alamodome opened with 38 luxury suites
and 6,000 club level seats
. The original design specifications called for 66 luxury suites. Since the San Antonio Spurs
were the only occupant at the time, only 38 luxury suites in the north end of the facility were built. The footprints for the 28 unbuilt luxury suites were open floor space just behind the club level seats that surround the south end of the facility. In 2006, the Alamodome underwent an expansion to accommodate 14 new luxury suites. The Sports Club and the Top of the Dome restaurant also received renovations in 2004.
The Alamodome has two permanent Olympic-size ice rinks that can be used for NHL
games, figure skating and speed skating. The facility also contains 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²) of meeting rooms and 160000 square feet (14,864.5 m²) of continuous exhibit space.
from 1993 to 2002 and the CFL
San Antonio Texans
in 1995. The facility also hosts special events such as the annual Alamo Bowl
football game, NCAA
basketball and volleyball tournament games, and the men's and women's basketball Final Four
(men's 1998
, 2004
, 2008
; women's 2002, 2010). Other NCAA events including the 1997, 1999 and 2007 Big 12 Championship Games were played in the facility. The 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival held some of the first ever paid events in the Alamodome in July and August 1993, including the opening and closing ceremonies and ice skating events. The 1996 NBA All-Star Game
was played in the Alamodome,
Big time album selling group Boyz II Men also performed for their 1994–1995 tour "All Around the World Tour".
and the facility hosted WWF Royal Rumble
in 1997. The now-defunct San Antonio Dragons
of the International Hockey League played some games in 1997 and 1998 at the Alamodome when its home, Freeman Coliseum
, was unavailable during the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
(a similar scheduling conflict the Spurs now face at the new AT&T Center). The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) has held two Built Ford Tough Series
events in the Alamodome (2007, 2008). Two 2005 InterLiga
soccer matches took place in the Alamodome on January 6, 2005. The facility also was one of three "home" stadiums for the displaced NFL New Orleans Saints
during the 2005 NFL season
and was also the Dallas Cowboys
' training camp site in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
team played a home game against Washington State
here in 2009.
State high school football playoff games are regularly held in the Alamodome, including championship games.
After the openening ceremonies, the first major event held at the facility was Paul McCartney
's The New World Tour
concert, which took place on May 29, 1993.
The Alamodome has played host to music festivals, including Ozzfest
.
From July 5-16, 2006, the Alamodome hosted the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering
. Approximately 40,000 youth and adult leaders attended the event, between the two weeks it was spread.
Every summer Drum Corps International
hosts its DCI San Antonio – Southwestern Championships at the Alamodome.
The Alamodome also hosts the Bands of America
Super-Regional Championships every year in November, as well as the University Interscholastic League
State Marching Band Contest.
moved to the Alamodome from HemisFair Arena
after the 1992–93 NBA season. The Spurs played nine seasons in the Alamodome, including during their first NBA championship season, which was played against the New York Knicks
in 1999.
During the regular season, most of the upper level was curtained off. However, on certain weekends and when popular opponents came to town, the Spurs expanded the Alamodome's capacity to 35,000 by opening three portions of the upper level. More sections of the upper level were opened for the playoffs, expanding capacity to 39,500. Attendance was 39,514 for Game 1 of the 1999 NBA Finals
and 39,554 for Game 2.
Though the late 1990s saw the Spurs soar to unprecedented popularity, the decision was made to move the team out of the spacious stadium and build a new arena. Even though the Spurs were the primary tenants, the Alamodome was designed for football, and Spurs management and fans had grown increasingly dissatisfied with its poor sight lines and cavernous feel. Moving the team out of the Alamodome also opened up more contiguous dates allowing the facility to schedule more conventions, which over time have proven to be more profitable for the facility and for the city economy as well. The Spurs moved to the SBC Center (now the AT&T Center
) after the 2001–2002 season.
, which usually matches the fourth-choice (not necessarily fourth-place) teams from the Big Ten Conference
and the Big 12 Conference
. The 2006 Alamo Bowl
between the Texas Longhorns
and the Iowa Hawkeyes
was attended by 65,875, which set a facility-record crowd for a sporting event, only to have that record broken by an Alamo Bowl event the next year between Texas A&M
and Penn State, which drew 66,166 attendees.
for the 1995 CFL season
. The stadium was attractive to the Canadian Football League
(which made an ill-fated attempt to expand to the U.S. between 1993 and 1995) since it could accommodate the CFL's larger playing field. In the first CFL playoff game ever played between two U.S.-based franchises, the Texans defeated the Birmingham Barracudas
52–9 at the Alamodome on November 5, The team then lost to the Baltimore Stallions
21–11 in Baltimore on November 11. The Texans folded after the 1995 season due to low attendance, financial problems, and the disbanding of the other U.S. teams.
, between the Texas A&M Aggies
and the Army Black Knights
. Army has elected to play its "home" game at the Alamodome in order to increase the program's exposure around the nation, as it competes as an independent. A sell-out crowd of 64,583 watched the Aggies defeat the Black Knights 28–24. The second game was played at Kyle Field
in College Station
in 2008.
was played in the Alamodome on January 21, 2006. The game is an annual post-season college football all-star game. For most of its history, the game has been played in the San Francisco Bay Area
, at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium
and at Stanford Stadium
. In recent years it has been played at AT&T Park
. In 2006, the game was played in the Alamodome, moving out of the San Francisco area for the first time in decades. The Shrine Game was moved once again for its 2007 event, to Robertson Stadium
in Houston, Texas
.
preseason games. Two each were played in 1993 and 1994, one in 1995, and one in 2001.
In 2005, the NFL announced that the Alamodome would host three of the New Orleans Saints
regular season "home" games due to the damage caused to the Louisiana Superdome
by Hurricane Katrina
. The Saints played the Buffalo Bills
(week 4), the Atlanta Falcons
(week 6), and the Detroit Lions
(week 16) at the Alamodome. Although there have been many NFL preseason and exhibition games held in San Antonio over the years, these games were the first NFL regular season games played in the city. The Saints also played one 2005 season "home" game in Giants Stadium
(against the New York Giants
) in East Rutherford, New Jersey
, and four others in LSU
's Tiger Stadium
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. Overall, the Saints averaged 62,665 fans in the 65,000-seat Alamodome for the three games held there, a solid showing despite the short notice to sell tickets due to the hurricane. The Saints and the NFL announced that the team would return to Louisiana for the 2006 season even though at the time the NFL was uncertain where they would play their home games. Additionally, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
indicated that if the NFL expands again, San Antonio would be on the short list of candidate cities. Even though public opinion is that he would never let go of his team's presence in the San Antonio market, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has acknowledged his support for the city's efforts to become home to an NFL franchise.
The Dallas Cowboys held their 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2009 preseason training camps at the Alamodome, and will continue to do so through 2011.
, which kicks off the high school football season in Texas. Now in its twelfth year, the event has expanded to five games, featuring prominent high school programs from across the state. Former participants include former Chicago Bears
and University of Texas
running back Cedric Benson
, University of Iowa
quarterback Drew Tate
, University of Houston
quarterback Kevin Kolb
, and University of Missouri
quarterback Chase Daniel.
. Past games have included players like Reggie Bush
, Vince Young
, Adrian Peterson, Brady Quinn
, and Tim Tebow
. The inaugural game was played on December 30, 2000, at Highlander Stadium at Highland Park High School
in Dallas, Texas
. The bowl game was then moved to San Antonio, where the 2002 match was played in front of an Alamo Stadium
crowd. The 2003 game was moved to the Alamodome, where it has been played since.
program began using the stadium in 2011. The Alamodome will become the largest football stadium in the Western Athletic Conference
in 2012.
franchise to the city. After the election of Phil Hardberger
as the new mayor, those efforts were abandoned, though the approved renovations to the facility will continue as planned. The city administration and local business leaders have re-focused their efforts to bringing an NFL
franchise to San Antonio.
On April 19, 2007, the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved an additional $8.3 million to fund renovations and enhancements to the facility.
In the summer of 2008 the audio system was upgraded.
In 2009 new led video panels were added to the 5th level.
Although when the Alamodome was built it was an ideal state-of-the-art NFL stadium, by today's standards the facility would have to undergo renovations and add a considerable number of luxury suites
in order to make it a profitable venue for an NFL team. Preliminary estimates put the cost of improvements at $100–150 million.
In September 2010, the Alamodome opened the new venue The Illusions Theater in the north half of the stadium. This setup uses curtains lit by led fixtures to create a smaller feeling space for concerts, comedy acts, and other smaller acts. Floor seating can be configured to hold up to 1,000 seats with the plaza, club, and upper deck seating levels added as needed to give up to 15,000 seats.
. In addition, the Dallas Cowboys preseason training camps will be held each summer in the Alamodome from 2007 to 2011.
The Alamodome will be the home stadium for the University of Texas at San Antonio
football team
which received approval to begin a football team in 2008. The team will play its first season as an NCAA Division I-FCS independent in 2011 before moving to the Western Athletic Conference
in 2012.
Starting in 2012, the Alamodome will host an Arena Football League
team.
In Summer 2015, The Alamodome will be the host and site of the General Conference Sessions of Seventh-day Adventists.
Other notable attendance marks include:
Domed
Domed can have several meanings:*Dome - in architecture*Domed consonant - a consonant type classifed by domed tongue shape...
65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
/basketball stadium (football primarily) and convention center in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
The facility opened on May 15, 1993, at a cost of $186 million.
Along with placating the San Antonio Spurs ownership's demands for a larger basketball venue, the multi-purpose facility was intended to increase the city's convention traffic and attract a professional football franchise. The Spurs played basketball in the Alamodome for a decade, then became disenchanted with the facility and convinced Bexar County
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
to construct a new arena for them now called the AT&T Center
AT&T Center
AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc.
Features
The facility is a rectilinear 5-level stadium which can seat up to 65,000 spectators for a typical football game and is expandable to hold 72,000 spectators, allowing the possibility of hosting a Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. Configuring the arena for basketball or hockey takes 12–18 hours to set up retractable seating and installing the playing surface. In this configuration, typically only the two lower levels at one or both ends are used. The arena configuration seats 20,662 spectators and can be expanded to 39,500 when the upper level is opened. When the Spurs played home games here three upper decks were used in selected games and in the playoffs, increasing the capacity to 35,000, while the other was covered by a large curtain containing the Spurs division title banners, retired number banners and 1999 championship banner.
The Alamodome opened with 38 luxury suites
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
and 6,000 club level seats
Club seating
Club Level Seating is a special section of seating in modern sports stadiums.The Club Level is usually located towards the middle of the stage of seating sections, above the lower deck but below the upper deck. They are usually right next to the Luxury Boxes, either right above, right below, or...
. The original design specifications called for 66 luxury suites. Since the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
were the only occupant at the time, only 38 luxury suites in the north end of the facility were built. The footprints for the 28 unbuilt luxury suites were open floor space just behind the club level seats that surround the south end of the facility. In 2006, the Alamodome underwent an expansion to accommodate 14 new luxury suites. The Sports Club and the Top of the Dome restaurant also received renovations in 2004.
The Alamodome has two permanent Olympic-size ice rinks that can be used for NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
games, figure skating and speed skating. The facility also contains 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²) of meeting rooms and 160000 square feet (14,864.5 m²) of continuous exhibit space.
Events and tenants
The Alamodome is currently the host of the UIL State Marching Competition every year.The Alamodome was also home to the NBA San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
from 1993 to 2002 and the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
San Antonio Texans
San Antonio Texans
The San Antonio Texans were a Canadian Football League team that played in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, in the 1995 CFL season. They had relocated from Sacramento, California, where the team had been called the Sacramento Gold Miners...
in 1995. The facility also hosts special events such as the annual Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
football game, NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
basketball and volleyball tournament games, and the men's and women's basketball Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
(men's 1998
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
, 2004
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
, 2008
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
; women's 2002, 2010). Other NCAA events including the 1997, 1999 and 2007 Big 12 Championship Games were played in the facility. The 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival held some of the first ever paid events in the Alamodome in July and August 1993, including the opening and closing ceremonies and ice skating events. The 1996 NBA All-Star Game
1996 NBA All-Star Game
The 1996 NBA All-Star Game was the 46th edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls was selected MVP of the game.-Eastern All-Stars:-Western All-Stars:...
was played in the Alamodome,
Big time album selling group Boyz II Men also performed for their 1994–1995 tour "All Around the World Tour".
and the facility hosted WWF Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1997)
Royal Rumble was the tenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1997 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas....
in 1997. The now-defunct San Antonio Dragons
San Antonio Dragons
The San Antonio Dragons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League for two seasons in 1996–97 and 1997–98. The Dragons were based in San Antonio, Texas and played at the Freeman Coliseum and occasionally the Alamodome....
of the International Hockey League played some games in 1997 and 1998 at the Alamodome when its home, Freeman Coliseum
Freeman Coliseum
The Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum is a sports and concert venue in San Antonio, Texas, USA, built in 1949.It has been host to thousands of events including the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, concerts, trade shows, motor sports, circus, professional sports including professional bull riding,...
, was unavailable during the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, USA is one of the largest livestock shows and rodeos in the country. Started in 1950, the annual event takes place over three weeks in February...
(a similar scheduling conflict the Spurs now face at the new AT&T Center). The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) has held two Built Ford Tough Series
Built Ford Tough Series
The Built Ford Tough Series is the "major league" tour of the PBR competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 45 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points and money won...
events in the Alamodome (2007, 2008). Two 2005 InterLiga
InterLiga
The InterLiga was a football competition from 2004 to 2010 between Mexican clubs to determine qualifying spots for that country in South America's premier club competition, the Copa Libertadores....
soccer matches took place in the Alamodome on January 6, 2005. The facility also was one of three "home" stadiums for the displaced NFL New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
during the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
and was also the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
' training camp site in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
team played a home game against Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
here in 2009.
State high school football playoff games are regularly held in the Alamodome, including championship games.
After the openening ceremonies, the first major event held at the facility was Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's The New World Tour
The New World Tour
In 1993, Paul McCartney and his band embarked upon The New World Tour, spanning almost the entire year and almost the entire globe. The tour was intended to promote McCartney's album Off the Ground...
concert, which took place on May 29, 1993.
The Alamodome has played host to music festivals, including Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
.
From July 5-16, 2006, the Alamodome hosted the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering
ELCA Youth Gathering
The ELCA Youth Gathering is a national convention held every 3 years in a different American city attended by high-school-age youth of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The years before 2009 the gathering would last two weeks, with certain churches coming one week, the others going the...
. Approximately 40,000 youth and adult leaders attended the event, between the two weeks it was spread.
Every summer Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
hosts its DCI San Antonio – Southwestern Championships at the Alamodome.
The Alamodome also hosts the Bands of America
Bands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Super-Regional Championships every year in November, as well as the University Interscholastic League
University Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....
State Marching Band Contest.
NBA basketball
The San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
moved to the Alamodome from HemisFair Arena
HemisFair Arena
HemisFair Arena was an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, United States.It was home to the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, from 1973 to 1993 and the San Antonio Force, of the AFL, during the 1992 season, their only year of existence....
after the 1992–93 NBA season. The Spurs played nine seasons in the Alamodome, including during their first NBA championship season, which was played against the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 1999.
During the regular season, most of the upper level was curtained off. However, on certain weekends and when popular opponents came to town, the Spurs expanded the Alamodome's capacity to 35,000 by opening three portions of the upper level. More sections of the upper level were opened for the playoffs, expanding capacity to 39,500. Attendance was 39,514 for Game 1 of the 1999 NBA Finals
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...
and 39,554 for Game 2.
Though the late 1990s saw the Spurs soar to unprecedented popularity, the decision was made to move the team out of the spacious stadium and build a new arena. Even though the Spurs were the primary tenants, the Alamodome was designed for football, and Spurs management and fans had grown increasingly dissatisfied with its poor sight lines and cavernous feel. Moving the team out of the Alamodome also opened up more contiguous dates allowing the facility to schedule more conventions, which over time have proven to be more profitable for the facility and for the city economy as well. The Spurs moved to the SBC Center (now the AT&T Center
AT&T Center
AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
) after the 2001–2002 season.
Alamo Bowl
The Alamodome is the site of the annual Alamo BowlAlamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
, which usually matches the fourth-choice (not necessarily fourth-place) teams from the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. The 2006 Alamo Bowl
2006 Alamo Bowl
The 2006 Alamo Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, part of the 2006–2007 bowl season of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 2006 Alamo Bowl was played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on December 30....
between the Texas Longhorns
2006 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2006 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head football coach was Mack Brown, who received the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for "Coach of the Year". The Longhorns play their home games in...
and the Iowa Hawkeyes
2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz...
was attended by 65,875, which set a facility-record crowd for a sporting event, only to have that record broken by an Alamo Bowl event the next year between Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and Penn State, which drew 66,166 attendees.
Canadian Football League
The Alamodome was also home to the San Antonio TexansSan Antonio Texans
The San Antonio Texans were a Canadian Football League team that played in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, in the 1995 CFL season. They had relocated from Sacramento, California, where the team had been called the Sacramento Gold Miners...
for the 1995 CFL season
1995 CFL season
The 1995 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 42nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 38th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1995:...
. The stadium was attractive to the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(which made an ill-fated attempt to expand to the U.S. between 1993 and 1995) since it could accommodate the CFL's larger playing field. In the first CFL playoff game ever played between two U.S.-based franchises, the Texans defeated the Birmingham Barracudas
Birmingham Barracudas
The Birmingham Barracudas were a Canadian football team that played the 1995 season in the Canadian Football League. The Barracudas were part of a failed attempt to expand the CFL into the United States.-In the beginning:...
52–9 at the Alamodome on November 5, The team then lost to the Baltimore Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
21–11 in Baltimore on November 11. The Texans folded after the 1995 season due to low attendance, financial problems, and the disbanding of the other U.S. teams.
Corps Classic
September 16, 2006, marked the first game in a college football "home and home" series, known as the AT&T Corps ClassicAT&T Corps Classic
The AT&T Corps Classic is an American college football series between the Texas A&M Aggies football team of Texas A&M University and the Army Black Knights football of the United States Military Academy...
, between the Texas A&M Aggies
Texas Aggie Athletics
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
and the Army Black Knights
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
. Army has elected to play its "home" game at the Alamodome in order to increase the program's exposure around the nation, as it competes as an independent. A sell-out crowd of 64,583 watched the Aggies defeat the Black Knights 28–24. The second game was played at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
in 2008.
East-West Shrine Game
The 2006 East-West Shrine GameEast-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
was played in the Alamodome on January 21, 2006. The game is an annual post-season college football all-star game. For most of its history, the game has been played in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the...
and at Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the Stanford University campus, the home of Stanford Cardinal college football team. It originally opened in 1921 as a football and track stadium, an earthen horseshoe with wooden bleacher seating and flooring upon a steel frame...
. In recent years it has been played at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
. In 2006, the game was played in the Alamodome, moving out of the San Francisco area for the first time in decades. The Shrine Game was moved once again for its 2007 event, to Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
National Football League
The Alamodome has played host to six NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
preseason games. Two each were played in 1993 and 1994, one in 1995, and one in 2001.
- August 7, 1993 – Houston OilersTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(28) vs. New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
(37) – Attendance: 40,308 - August 21, 1993 – Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
(20) vs. Houston Oilers (23) – Attendance: 63,285 - August 6, 1994 – Houston Oilers (31) vs. San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(3) – Attendance: 29,815 - August 20, 1994 – Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(18) vs. Houston Oilers (16) – Attendance: 40,504 - August 26, 1995 – Dallas Cowboys (10) vs. Houston Oilers (0) – Attendance: 52,512
- August 11, 2001 – Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(28) vs. New Orleans Saints (21) – Attendance: 46,752
In 2005, the NFL announced that the Alamodome would host three of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
regular season "home" games due to the damage caused to the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. The Saints played the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(week 4), the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(week 6), and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
(week 16) at the Alamodome. Although there have been many NFL preseason and exhibition games held in San Antonio over the years, these games were the first NFL regular season games played in the city. The Saints also played one 2005 season "home" game in Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
(against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
) in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, and four others in LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
's Tiger Stadium
Tiger Stadium (LSU)
Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is best known as the home stadium of the Louisiana State University football team.Tiger Stadium opened with a capacity of 12,000 in 1924...
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. Overall, the Saints averaged 62,665 fans in the 65,000-seat Alamodome for the three games held there, a solid showing despite the short notice to sell tickets due to the hurricane. The Saints and the NFL announced that the team would return to Louisiana for the 2006 season even though at the time the NFL was uncertain where they would play their home games. Additionally, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
indicated that if the NFL expands again, San Antonio would be on the short list of candidate cities. Even though public opinion is that he would never let go of his team's presence in the San Antonio market, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has acknowledged his support for the city's efforts to become home to an NFL franchise.
- October 2, 2005 – Buffalo Bills (7) vs. New Orleans Saints (19) – Attendance: 58,688
- October 16, 2005 – Atlanta Falcons (34) vs. New Orleans Saints (31) – Attendance: 65,562 (attendance set the facility record for a sporting event at the time; it has been subsequently surpassed by two Alamo Bowl events)
- December 24, 2005 – Detroit Lions (13) vs. New Orleans Saints (12) – Attendance: 63,747
The Dallas Cowboys held their 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2009 preseason training camps at the Alamodome, and will continue to do so through 2011.
Texas Football Classic
Since 1999, the Alamodome has been home to the Texas Football ClassicTexas Football Classic
The Texas Football Classic is a high school football event that takes place at the beginning of each football season at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It was started in 1999 by the staff of Dave Campbell's Texas Football, an annual football publication that highlights every high school,...
, which kicks off the high school football season in Texas. Now in its twelfth year, the event has expanded to five games, featuring prominent high school programs from across the state. Former participants include former Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and University of Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
running back Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
, University of Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
quarterback Drew Tate
Drew Tate
Drew Tate is a professional American and Canadian football quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Iowa....
, University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
quarterback Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
, and University of Missouri
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
quarterback Chase Daniel.
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is played each January. The bowl game features the nation's top 80 high school football players in an East vs. West match-up and is televised by NBCNBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
. Past games have included players like Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, Adrian Peterson, Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
, and Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
. The inaugural game was played on December 30, 2000, at Highlander Stadium at Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)
Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. The bowl game was then moved to San Antonio, where the 2002 match was played in front of an Alamo Stadium
Alamo Stadium
Alamo Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in San Antonio, Texas. Nicknamed "the rock pile" due to its primarily limestone construction it was completed in September 1940 as a Works Progress Administration project. The stadium is currently owned and operated by the San Antonio Independent...
crowd. The 2003 game was moved to the Alamodome, where it has been played since.
NFLPA Game
In 2011, the Texas vs. the Nation game was moved to San Antonio and was renamed the NFLPA Game, after the new sponsor of the event. The concept of The NFLPA Game will remain "Texas vs. the Nation" with seniors having ties to the state of Texas taking on top seniors from across the Nation. In addition, The NFLPA Game will be nationally televised live on CBS College Sports starting in 2011.UTSA Roadrunners
The UTSA Roadrunners footballUTSA Roadrunners football
UTSA Roadrunners Football is an American football program that represents the University of Texas at San Antonio. The team is coached by former Miami Hurricanes head coach, Larry Coker. UTSA began practicing in August 2010, and began competing as an NCAA Division I FCS independent on September...
program began using the stadium in 2011. The Alamodome will become the largest football stadium in the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
in 2012.
Renovations
On April 15, 2005, the San Antonio City Council voted to spend close to $6.5 million to renovate the Alamodome in an effort to lure a Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
franchise to the city. After the election of Phil Hardberger
Phil Hardberger
Phil Hardberger is a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas. He took office in June 2005. He is a Democrat; however, as with all mayoral, city council, and school board positions in Texas, Hardberger was elected on a non-partisan ballot....
as the new mayor, those efforts were abandoned, though the approved renovations to the facility will continue as planned. The city administration and local business leaders have re-focused their efforts to bringing an NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
franchise to San Antonio.
On April 19, 2007, the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved an additional $8.3 million to fund renovations and enhancements to the facility.
In the summer of 2008 the audio system was upgraded.
In 2009 new led video panels were added to the 5th level.
Although when the Alamodome was built it was an ideal state-of-the-art NFL stadium, by today's standards the facility would have to undergo renovations and add a considerable number of luxury suites
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
in order to make it a profitable venue for an NFL team. Preliminary estimates put the cost of improvements at $100–150 million.
In September 2010, the Alamodome opened the new venue The Illusions Theater in the north half of the stadium. This setup uses curtains lit by led fixtures to create a smaller feeling space for concerts, comedy acts, and other smaller acts. Floor seating can be configured to hold up to 1,000 seats with the plaza, club, and upper deck seating levels added as needed to give up to 15,000 seats.
Future events and tenants
Aside from the annual Alamo Bowl and certain high school events, future events scheduled for the Alamodome include the 2010 NCAA Women's Final FourNCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
. In addition, the Dallas Cowboys preseason training camps will be held each summer in the Alamodome from 2007 to 2011.
The Alamodome will be the home stadium for the University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
football team
UTSA Roadrunners football
UTSA Roadrunners Football is an American football program that represents the University of Texas at San Antonio. The team is coached by former Miami Hurricanes head coach, Larry Coker. UTSA began practicing in August 2010, and began competing as an NCAA Division I FCS independent on September...
which received approval to begin a football team in 2008. The team will play its first season as an NCAA Division I-FCS independent in 2011 before moving to the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
in 2012.
Starting in 2012, the Alamodome will host an Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
team.
In Summer 2015, The Alamodome will be the host and site of the General Conference Sessions of Seventh-day Adventists.
Record crowds
Top 10 all-time Alamodome sports crowds (as of December 30, 2007):| Rank | Attendance | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66,166 | 2007 Alamo Bowl (Penn State 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.... vs. Texas A&M 2007 Texas A&M Aggies football team The 2007 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University in the 2007-2008 college football season. The team was coached by Dennis Franchione, who had coached at A&M since the 2003 season, but resigned at the conclusion of the annual game with the University of Texas... ) |
Dec. 29, 2007 |
| 2 | 65,875 | 2006 Alamo Bowl (Texas 2006 Texas Longhorn football team The 2006 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head football coach was Mack Brown, who received the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for "Coach of the Year". The Longhorns play their home games in... vs. Iowa 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz... ) |
Dec. 30, 2006 |
| 3 | 65,562 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... vs. New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... (2005 NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... regular season game) |
Oct. 16, 2005 |
| 4 | 65,380 | 1999 Alamo Bowl (Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the... vs. Texas A&M Texas A&M Aggies football The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18... ) |
Dec. 28, 1999 |
| 5 | 65,265 | 2004 Alamo Bowl (Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder... vs. Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... ) |
Dec. 29, 2004 |
| 6 | 65,232 | 2001 Alamo Bowl (Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes football The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... vs. Texas Tech Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports... ) |
Dec. 29, 2001 |
| 7 | 65,035 | 1999 Big 12 Championship (Texas vs. Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... ) |
Dec. 4, 1999 |
| 8 | 64,824 | 1997 Big 12 Championship (Texas A&M vs. Nebraska) | Dec. 6, 1997 |
| 9 | 64,597 | 1995 Alamo Bowl (Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... vs. Texas A&M) |
Dec. 28, 1995 |
| 10 | 64,583 | 2006 Corps Classic (Texas A&M vs. Army Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.... ) |
Sept. 16, 2006 |
Other notable attendance marks include:
- 60,525: 1997 WWF Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble (1997)Royal Rumble was the tenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1997 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas....
- 58,891: 1993 Julio César ChávezJulio César ChávezJulio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
-Pernell WhitakerPernell WhitakerPernell Whitaker , nicknamed "Sweet Pea", is a professional boxing trainer and retired American professional boxer...
boxing match - 56,743: 2011 Northeastern State vs. UTSAUTSA Roadrunners footballUTSA Roadrunners Football is an American football program that represents the University of Texas at San Antonio. The team is coached by former Miami Hurricanes head coach, Larry Coker. UTSA began practicing in August 2010, and began competing as an NCAA Division I FCS independent on September...
regular season football game (record for the highest-attended game for an NCAA Division I FCS start-up program) - 53,407: 2009 Notre Dame2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football teamThe 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2009 college football season. Charlie Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth...
vs. Washington State2009 Washington State Cougars football teamThe 2009 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University in the college football season of 2009. The team's head coach was Paul Wulff. It played its home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington, USA...
regular season football game. - 48,709: Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's 1993 New World Tour concert - 44,468: 2004 NCAA Men's Final Four Championship Game, Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow JacketsThe Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
vs. ConnecticutConnecticut HuskiesThe Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
(a facility record for basketball) - 44,000: 1999 Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
Reunion Tour 99, opening: PanteraPanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and IncubusIncubus (band)Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;... - 43,257: 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship Game, Kansas JayhawksKansas JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
vs Memphis TigersMemphis TigersThe Memphis Tigers represent the University of Memphis in Division I of the NCAA. They are members of C-USA and currently feature nine women's sports and nine men's sports... - 40,509: 1998 NCAA Men's Final Four Championship Game, UtahUtah UtesThe Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
vs. KentuckyKentucky WildcatsThe Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference... - 39,554: 1999 NBA Finals (Game 2), New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
vs. San Antonio Spurs - 37,000: 1997 Filming of SelenaSelena (film)Selena is a 1997 American biographical drama film about the life and career of the late Tejano music star Selena, a recording artist who was well known in the Mexican-American and Hispanic communities in the United States and Mexico before she was shot to death at the age of twenty-three.The movie...
, starring Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
. Centerpiece concert sequences which were recreations of slain singer Selena's 1995 Houston Astrodome Concert. - 36,451: 2006 CONCACAF FIFA World Cup Qualification Round 2, DominicaDominica national football teamThe Dominica national football team is the national team of Dominica and is controlled by the Dominica Football Association. A member of CONCACAF, it is among its weakest teams, getting beaten 10–0 and 8–0 by Mexico in 2006 World Cup qualifying....
vs. MexicoMexico national football teamThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre... - 36,037: 1996 NBA All-Star Game
- 29,619: 2002 NCAA Women's Final Four Championship Game, OklahomaOklahoma SoonersThe University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
vs. Connecticut (the largest turnout to an NCAA women's basketball game) - 22,043: Canadian Football: 1995 Calgary StampedersCalgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
vs. San Antonio Texans - 19,211: Hockey: 1997 Phoenix RoadrunnersPhoenix Roadrunners (IHL)The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name...
vs. San Antonio Dragons