Cleveland Browns Stadium
Encyclopedia
Cleveland Browns Stadium is a stadium
in Cleveland, Ohio
, USA, and is the home of the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
. It is located at North Coast Harbor
, near the Great Lakes Science Center
and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. The stadium sits on 31 acres (12.5 ha) of land between Lake Erie
and Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
(Ohio State Route 2). It has a capacity of over 73,200. The stadium hosts other events, such as college and high school football games, soccer games, and concerts.
, which was the team's home for 49 years. Ironically, Browns owner Art Modell
moved the franchise
to Baltimore (and ultimately became the Baltimore Ravens
) because he said the city would not refurbish Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which caused the city to build the new stadium. As part of the deal with the National Football League to reactivate the Browns, the city of Cleveland tore down Cleveland Stadium after the 1996 season to make room for the new facility. Debris from the former stadium was submerged in Lake Erie and now serves as an artificial reef
.
Ground was broken on May 15, 1997, the stadium opened in July 1999
. The first Browns game at the stadium was played on September 12, 1999, a 43-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
-based Huber, Hunt & Nichols was the construction manager. The stadium is a concrete and glass structure, using precast concrete
and cast in-place for the upper concourse. Natural stone accents were used at the base of the stadium. The construction of the concrete superstructure took more than 6000 truckloads of concrete, or the equivalent of 60000 cubic yards (45,873.3 m²), with a weight of approximately 235000000 lbs.
The playing surface is a Kentucky Bluegrass irrigated field, with a sand-soil root zone and an underground heating system that involves nine boilers and 40 miles of underground piping. The heating system prevents the field from freezing and extends the growing season of the turf. Although it was designed for football, the playing surface was built large enough to accommodate international soccer matches.
The eastern seating section is the home of the Dawg Pound
, a section of 10,644 bleacher
seats whose occupants are commonly regarded as some of the most passionate in football. It is similar to the original Dawg Pound in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, although the new iteration contains two levels of bleachers instead of one.
to the stadium itself, which is unorthodox for major American stadiums built in recent years. However, it sold the naming rights to each of the facility's four entrance gates. Originally, the gates were named for National City Bank
, Steris Corp., CoreComm Inc., and the Cleveland Clinic
Sports Health. Since the acquisition
of National City by PNC Financial Services
, Cleveland Browns Stadium does not today have naming rights to any of the gates. The gates names are now intermediate directions where the stadium's gates are located.
visitors lot, the West 3rd Street parking lot, and the Great Lakes Science Center parking garage. Additionally, the West 3rd Street station
of Cleveland's Waterfront light rail line serves the stadium.
college football
game was held there in both 2004 and 2005. In September 2006, it hosted the Bowling Green Falcons
-Wisconsin Badgers
game. In 2007 it began hosting the Patriot Bowl
, a season-opening game between Army
and Akron
. Boston College
defeated Kent State
in the second Patriot Bowl on August 30, 2008. In 2009, it hosted the Ohio State
-Toledo
game.
It has hosted numerous high school football games. The stadium has hosted playoff games of the Ohio High School Athletic Association
(OHSAA) tournament. In June 2010, the Browns announced that four area powerhouses would play in doubleheader named the High School Football Charity Game. The games were played on August 28, 2010. The stadium also hosted a game between the United States and Venezuela in the run-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. It also hosted a women's soccer friendly game between the United States
and Germany
. It was chosen as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies in the 2014 Gay Games
.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, USA, and is the home of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
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...
. It is located at North Coast Harbor
North Coast Harbor
North Coast Harbor is a district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie. It includes the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Steamship William G...
, near the Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center
The Great Lakes Science Center is a museum and educational facility in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States.The center's exhibits focus on helping visitors to understand science, technology, and their interdependence with the environment. Many of the exhibits document the features of the natural...
and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. The stadium sits on 31 acres (12.5 ha) of land between Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bridge. The Shoreway carries State Route 2 along its length, and also carries U.S. 6, U.S. 20 and I-90...
(Ohio State Route 2). It has a capacity of over 73,200. The stadium hosts other events, such as college and high school football games, soccer games, and concerts.
History
Cleveland Browns Stadium sits on the former site of Cleveland Municipal StadiumCleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
, which was the team's home for 49 years. Ironically, Browns owner Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
moved the franchise
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
to Baltimore (and ultimately became the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
) because he said the city would not refurbish Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which caused the city to build the new stadium. As part of the deal with the National Football League to reactivate the Browns, the city of Cleveland tore down Cleveland Stadium after the 1996 season to make room for the new facility. Debris from the former stadium was submerged in Lake Erie and now serves as an artificial reef
Artificial reef
An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, control erosion, block ship passage, or improve surfing....
.
Ground was broken on May 15, 1997, the stadium opened in July 1999
1999 Cleveland Browns season
The 1999 Cleveland Browns season marked the team's return to the National Football League after a three-year absence. The 1999 season also marked the return of football to the city of Cleveland for the first time since the 1995 season.-Season information:...
. The first Browns game at the stadium was played on September 12, 1999, a 43-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Facility
The stadium was designed by the Sport Division of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK), which is now known as Populous. DallasDallas, 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...
-based Huber, Hunt & Nichols was the construction manager. The stadium is a concrete and glass structure, using precast concrete
Precast concrete
By producing precast concrete in a controlled environment , the precast concrete is afforded the opportunity to properly cure and be closely monitored by plant employees. Utilizing a Precast Concrete system offers many potential advantages over site casting of concrete...
and cast in-place for the upper concourse. Natural stone accents were used at the base of the stadium. The construction of the concrete superstructure took more than 6000 truckloads of concrete, or the equivalent of 60000 cubic yards (45,873.3 m²), with a weight of approximately 235000000 lbs.
The playing surface is a Kentucky Bluegrass irrigated field, with a sand-soil root zone and an underground heating system that involves nine boilers and 40 miles of underground piping. The heating system prevents the field from freezing and extends the growing season of the turf. Although it was designed for football, the playing surface was built large enough to accommodate international soccer matches.
The eastern seating section is the home of the Dawg Pound
Dawg Pound
The Dawg Pound is the name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium, the home field of the Cleveland Browns. It is known for its extremely zealous fan base.-Formation:...
, a section of 10,644 bleacher
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
seats whose occupants are commonly regarded as some of the most passionate in football. It is similar to the original Dawg Pound in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, although the new iteration contains two levels of bleachers instead of one.
Stadium naming
The city chose not to sell the naming rightsNaming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the stadium itself, which is unorthodox for major American stadiums built in recent years. However, it sold the naming rights to each of the facility's four entrance gates. Originally, the gates were named for National City Bank
National City Corp.
National City Corporation was a regional bank holding company based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, founded in 1845; it was once one of the ten largest banks in America in terms of deposits, mortgages and home equity lines of credit. Subsidiary National City Mortgage is credited for doing the first...
, Steris Corp., CoreComm Inc., and the Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic
The Cleveland Clinic is a multispecialty academic medical center located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The Cleveland Clinic is currently regarded as one of the top 4 hospitals in the United States as rated by U.S. News & World Report...
Sports Health. Since the acquisition
National City acquisition by PNC
The National City acquisition by PNC was the deal by PNC Financial Services to acquire National City Corp. on October 24, 2008 following National City's untenable loan losses during the subprime mortgage crisis...
of National City by PNC Financial Services
PNC Financial Services
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based financial services corporation, with assets of approximately $264.3 billion...
, Cleveland Browns Stadium does not today have naming rights to any of the gates. The gates names are now intermediate directions where the stadium's gates are located.
Services
The stadium does not have public parking facilities. However, there are several adjacent parking facilities: the Port AuthorityPort of Cleveland
The Port of Cleveland is a bulk freight shipping port at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Lake Erie and adjacent to the United States of America city of Cleveland, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio....
visitors lot, the West 3rd Street parking lot, and the Great Lakes Science Center parking garage. Additionally, the West 3rd Street station
West 3rd (RTA Rapid Transit station)
West 3rd Street Station at Cleveland Browns Stadium is a station on the RTA Waterfront Line portion of the Blue and Green Lines in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The station is located on the east side of West 3rd Street and south of the westboard exit ramp of the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway...
of Cleveland's Waterfront light rail line serves the stadium.
Non-Browns events
The stadium hosts other events. The Ohio ClassicOhio Classic
The Ohio Classic was a college football game played annually between two teams from historically black universities.The Ohio Classic was held before the start of each college football season and used to rotate between Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland and Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game was held there in both 2004 and 2005. In September 2006, it hosted the Bowling Green Falcons
Bowling Green Falcons
The Bowling Green Falcons are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Falcons participate in NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the...
-Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
game. In 2007 it began hosting the Patriot Bowl
Patriot Bowl
The FirstMerit Patriot Bowl was an annual regular season college football game played on Labor Day weekend in Cleveland, Ohio at Browns Stadium. It was originally envisioned as an annual match-up between a Mid-American Conference and a Federal service academy team, but only the first game featured...
, a season-opening game between 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....
and Akron
Akron Zips football
The University of Akron Zips are a college football program representing the University of Akron that competes in NCAA Division I FBS Mid-American Conference football...
. Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
defeated Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes football
The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision...
in the second Patriot Bowl on August 30, 2008. In 2009, it hosted the 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...
-Toledo
Toledo Rockets football
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...
game.
It has hosted numerous high school football games. The stadium has hosted playoff games of the Ohio High School Athletic Association
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
(OHSAA) tournament. In June 2010, the Browns announced that four area powerhouses would play in doubleheader named the High School Football Charity Game. The games were played on August 28, 2010. The stadium also hosted a game between the United States and Venezuela in the run-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. It also hosted a women's soccer friendly game between the United States
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
and Germany
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
. It was chosen as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies in the 2014 Gay Games
2014 Gay Games
According to the FGG, fourteen cities expressed interest in hosting the 2014 Gay Games . During its annual meeting in Cape Town on 28 October 2008, the FGG announced that four cities made the deadline and were thus in the running to host the games: Boston, Cleveland, Miami, and Washington, DC...
.
See also
- List of current National Football League stadiums
- Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams
- List of American football stadiums by capacity
- List of U.S. stadiums by capacity
- List of North American stadiums by capacity