Lucas Oil Stadium
Encyclopedia
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown
Indianapolis, Indiana
. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome
as the home field of the NFL
's Indianapolis Colts
. The stadium was built to accommodate for the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center
. The stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVI
in 2012.
HKS, Inc.
is the architectural firm responsible for the stadium’s design, with Walter P Moore working as the Structural Engineer of Record. The stadium features a retractable roof and window wall, thus allowing the Colts to play both indoors and outdoors. The surface is FieldTurf
. The elements of kinetic architecture
will provide for quick conversion of the facility to accommodate a variety of events.
On February 28, 2006, Indiana native Forrest Lucas announced that his company, Lucas Oil
, had purchased the naming rights
for $121 million over 20 years.
The retro look to the new stadium is a result of Indianapolis's liking towards the historic fieldhouse appearance of sports venues from decades ago. Conseco Fieldhouse
, Hinkle Fieldhouse
, and the Pepsi Coliseum
are other examples of large sports venues (both new and old) around the city with the same type of design.
. The stadium's basketball configuration can exceed the 70,000 minimum seating capacity
required to host the NCAA Final Four
. Unlike most basketball contests played in dome facilities, the court at Lucas Oil Stadium will be placed in the center of the facility instead of one of the end zone
s.
Lucas Oil Stadium offers 137 luxury suites, including 8 field suites, as well as 12 super suites. In addition, the Quarterback Suite offers 200 seats for a unique shared suite experience.
The stadium contains two massive Daktronics
high definition scoreboards, each one 97 feet (29.6 m) wide and 53 feet (16.2 m) tall, which are situated in the northwest and southeast corners of the stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium has a retractable roof designed by Uni-Systems
that, like the Veltins-Arena
, divides lengthwise into two retractable panels, with each half sliding down the sloping roof of the stadium into the open position. The stadium roof is gabled, with the peak running down the center of the field, paralleling the sidelines. A cable drum drive system drives the retractable roof panels up and down the sloped track. Rather than dragging the 1½" diameter galvanized cables across the fixed roof, this system’s patented design lays the roof cable down, and then picks it back up. In nine minutes, the roof panels will simultaneously move to the open position at the touch of a button. To guard the stadium’s interior from weather conditions the roof is designed with a large cap that will run the length of a sealed overlap between the parting roof panels. Just beneath the sealed overlap is a large trough, finalizing the retractable roof’s layers of protection. It is the only retractable roof in the country with two moving panels that will meet in a peak above the center of the stadium. The roof boasts the largest opening—a 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) hole to the sky—of all current and planned NFL stadiums with retractable roofs.
The Lucas Oil Stadium retractable roof system is operated by 32 cables, each 1½” in diameter, with galvanized right and left hand lay. They were manufactured specifically for this project by Wire Rope Corporation of America and furnished by The Tway Company Inc. located in Indianapolis
. The lengths vary from 232’6” to 245’ and include a Johnson Wedge Socket installed on one end that terminates the cables at the roof peak 288’ above the stadium
floor.
or lightning is within the vicinity of the stadium, the temperature is below 40°F
, or wind gusts are greater than 40 miles per hour (17.9 m/s), in which case the roof is automatically closed. Once the roof is closed, it may not be reopened.
"Lucas Oil Stadium's retractable roof was open for the first regular season game, but closed on the second because of the possibility of thunderstorms," said Pete Ward, Colts senior executive vice president. The new stadium is not waterproof, he said. The field has no drainage and speakers, scoreboards and other electronic equipment are exposed, so the Capital Improvement Board closely monitors pregame weather. Because there was a 30 percent possibility of "pop-up" storms and the roof requires 12 minutes to close, the decision was made at 2:30 to close the door.
The north retractable window offers a spectacular view of downtown Indianapolis during games, concerts and other events due to the stadium's angled position on the city block.
would move its corporate offices to Indianapolis and that the DCI World Championships would be the inaugural event for the stadium, to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium every year at least through 2018. However, on April 4, 2008, it was announced that the stadium would not be complete in time, so the event was moved to Memorial Stadium
on the campus of Indiana University for 2008, and was held for the first time at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009.
The first games ever to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium occurred on August 22, 2008 and were part of the PeyBack Classic, featuring Indiana High School Football games played between Noblesville High School
and Fishers High School
in Game 1, followed by New Palestine High School
and Whiteland Community High School
in Game 2. On November 26, 2008, Cardinal Ritter High School
became the first high school to win a state championship on the field, beating Sheridan High School
34-27 for the class A state title.
Lucas Oil Stadium and the city of Indianapolis made a bid to host Super Bowl XLVI
in 2012. On May 20, 2008, the bid was successful, defeating Houston, Texas
and Glendale, Arizona
for that right. The stadium is also host to the annual NFL Scouting Combine in February.
The 2008 NFL season
featured the first NBC Sunday Night Football
game of the season in the stadium, as the Colts faced the Chicago Bears
in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI
. The Colts lost the game 29-13. Indianapolis won their first 2 NFL playoff games held at Lucas Oil Stadium, beating the Baltimore Ravens
20-3 in a 2009 AFC divisional playoff and the New York Jets
30-17 in the 2009 AFC Championship Game to reach Super Bowl XLIV
.
In addition to professional football games, the stadium hosted the semifinal and final rounds of the Men's Final Four
in 2010, with the Women's Final Four scheduled to be hosted there in 2016. Historically, Indianapolis has been a popular choice for the Final Four. The NCAA has their headquarters there, and the event comes on a five-year rotation. The Big Ten Conference
will also play the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game
at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2011.
Other events include the Bands of America
Grand National Championships and the Indiana Marching Band State Finals
, both major events for the city in Marching Band
competitions. The Drum Corps International World Championships are scheduled to be held at the site every year through the 2018 season, and the Circle City Classic that is an annual American football game featuring two historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs) that is held in October.
On September 13, 2008, country music singer Kenny Chesney
held the first public concert at the stadium.
has raised taxes for food and beverage sales, auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes, and admission taxes for its share of the costs. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in food and beverage taxes in the eight surrounding doughnut counties (with the exception of Morgan County
) and the sale of Colts license plates.
The County Commissioners of each county voted whether to levy the 1% food and beverage tax proposed by Marion County. Sweetening the deal for the those counties was the fact that half of the revenue from the tax would stay in the respective county. Morgan County
was the only county to turn down the offer, yet in a later vote, it levied its own 1% tax - thus keeping all of its additional generated revenue.
The CIB is anticipating a $20 million operating deficit for Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009. Anticipated expenses are $27.7 million—far outstripping the $7.7 million CIB expects to collect from its share of revenue from stadium events. There is concern over the long-standing implications due to low rent payments by the Colts and the high percentage of revenue the Colts keep.
Downtown Indianapolis
The term Downtown Indianapolis refers to the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. The boundaries of downtown Indianapolis have varied over time as the city has grown. The city's original platted area, the Mile Square, is sometimes used to denote the downtown area...
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
as the home field of the 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...
's Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. The stadium was built to accommodate for the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center
Indiana Convention Center
The Indiana Convention Center is a convention center located in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It contains over of open exhibit space and almost of group meeting space. It was finished in late 1983 along with the Hoosier Dome , which it was connected to prior the Dome's deconstruction in 2008....
. The stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI will be the 46th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 42nd annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be...
in 2012.
HKS, Inc.
HKS, Inc.
HKS, Inc. is an international architecture firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas . It was founded in 1939 by Harwood K. Smith, a native of Chicago and graduate of Texas A&M University....
is the architectural firm responsible for the stadium’s design, with Walter P Moore working as the Structural Engineer of Record. The stadium features a retractable roof and window wall, thus allowing the Colts to play both indoors and outdoors. The surface is FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
. The elements of kinetic architecture
Kinetic Architecture
Kinetic architecture is a concept where buildings are designed so that significant portions can move while retaining structural integrity.A building's capability for motion can be used just to enhance it aesthetic qualities - but can also allow it to respond to environmental conditions and to...
will provide for quick conversion of the facility to accommodate a variety of events.
On February 28, 2006, Indiana native Forrest Lucas announced that his company, Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil Products is a manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It was founded by trucker Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989....
, had purchased the naming rights
Naming 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...
for $121 million over 20 years.
The retro look to the new stadium is a result of Indianapolis's liking towards the historic fieldhouse appearance of sports venues from decades ago. Conseco Fieldhouse
Conseco Fieldhouse
Conseco Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena, it is home to the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association...
, Hinkle Fieldhouse
Hinkle Fieldhouse
Hinkle Fieldhouse is a basketball arena located on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. When it was built in 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States, and it retained that distinction until 1950. It is the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in...
, and the Pepsi Coliseum
Pepsi Coliseum
Pepsi Coliseum is an 8,200-seat multi-purpose arena, in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was formerly known as the Indiana State Fair Coliseum. The current arena was built in 1939, replacing a previous coliseum that was built in 1907...
are other examples of large sports venues (both new and old) around the city with the same type of design.
Features
Seating capacity for football games is 63,000; an increase of more than 5,000 over the RCA Dome. For football, the stadium can be expanded to a capacity of 70,000 for large events, such as the 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...
. The stadium's basketball configuration can exceed the 70,000 minimum seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
required to host the NCAA Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. Unlike most basketball contests played in dome facilities, the court at Lucas Oil Stadium will be placed in the center of the facility instead of one of the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
s.
Lucas Oil Stadium offers 137 luxury suites, including 8 field suites, as well as 12 super suites. In addition, the Quarterback Suite offers 200 seats for a unique shared suite experience.
The stadium contains two massive Daktronics
Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
high definition scoreboards, each one 97 feet (29.6 m) wide and 53 feet (16.2 m) tall, which are situated in the northwest and southeast corners of the stadium
Mechanized retractable roof
Uni-Systems
Uni-Systems, LLC is a design, construction, and consultation engineering firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota specializing in kinetic architecture, or movable, mechanized structures designed to adapt to individual structures’ needs...
that, like the Veltins-Arena
Veltins-Arena
Veltins-Arena is a football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It opened in 2001, as the new home ground for German Bundesliga club Schalke 04....
, divides lengthwise into two retractable panels, with each half sliding down the sloping roof of the stadium into the open position. The stadium roof is gabled, with the peak running down the center of the field, paralleling the sidelines. A cable drum drive system drives the retractable roof panels up and down the sloped track. Rather than dragging the 1½" diameter galvanized cables across the fixed roof, this system’s patented design lays the roof cable down, and then picks it back up. In nine minutes, the roof panels will simultaneously move to the open position at the touch of a button. To guard the stadium’s interior from weather conditions the roof is designed with a large cap that will run the length of a sealed overlap between the parting roof panels. Just beneath the sealed overlap is a large trough, finalizing the retractable roof’s layers of protection. It is the only retractable roof in the country with two moving panels that will meet in a peak above the center of the stadium. The roof boasts the largest opening—a 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) hole to the sky—of all current and planned NFL stadiums with retractable roofs.
The Lucas Oil Stadium retractable roof system is operated by 32 cables, each 1½” in diameter, with galvanized right and left hand lay. They were manufactured specifically for this project by Wire Rope Corporation of America and furnished by The Tway Company Inc. located in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The lengths vary from 232’6” to 245’ and include a Johnson Wedge Socket installed on one end that terminates the cables at the roof peak 288’ above the stadium
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...
floor.
NFL rules for roof opening
The home team determines if roof is to be opened or closed 90 minutes before kickoff. The roof remains open unless precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
or lightning is within the vicinity of the stadium, the temperature is below 40°F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
, or wind gusts are greater than 40 miles per hour (17.9 m/s), in which case the roof is automatically closed. Once the roof is closed, it may not be reopened.
"Lucas Oil Stadium's retractable roof was open for the first regular season game, but closed on the second because of the possibility of thunderstorms," said Pete Ward, Colts senior executive vice president. The new stadium is not waterproof, he said. The field has no drainage and speakers, scoreboards and other electronic equipment are exposed, so the Capital Improvement Board closely monitors pregame weather. Because there was a 30 percent possibility of "pop-up" storms and the roof requires 12 minutes to close, the decision was made at 2:30 to close the door.
Moveable window wall
A large windowed gate at one end of the stadium allows additional light while closed and allows for a more open feel while open. It was the largest movable glass wall in the world until Cowboys Stadium was completed. The transportable window wall is 244 feet (74.4 m) by 88 feet (26.8 m), and composed of six 88 ft (26.8 m) × 38 ft (11.6 m) glass-clad panels. Each panel rides on a steel rail while the wall opens and closes, and is supported by two hardened steel wheels. The window separates at the center, with three panels amassed on each side when in the open position. The six wall panels move simultaneously during opening and closing in only six minutes. Window seals were installed, fully shielding spectators from any weather conditions. When in the closed position, the perimeter of each wall panel is sealed with rain-tight seals.The north retractable window offers a spectacular view of downtown Indianapolis during games, concerts and other events due to the stadium's angled position on the city block.
Gate sponsorship
The gates leading into Lucas Oil Stadium are sponsored by four different companies. The concourse area on the ground floor past their respective gates are heavily decorated by their sponsors.Events
It was announced on August 8, 2006 that Drum Corps InternationalDrum 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...
would move its corporate offices to Indianapolis and that the DCI World Championships would be the inaugural event for the stadium, to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium every year at least through 2018. However, on April 4, 2008, it was announced that the stadium would not be complete in time, so the event was moved to Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Bloomington
Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Indiana Hoosiers. The stadium opened in 1960 as part of a new athletics area at the university and currently has a capacity of 52,929...
on the campus of Indiana University for 2008, and was held for the first time at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009.
The first games ever to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium occurred on August 22, 2008 and were part of the PeyBack Classic, featuring Indiana High School Football games played between Noblesville High School
Noblesville High School
thumb|rightNoblesville High School is a public high school in Noblesville, Indiana, United States. Opened in 1996, the school is the third for the city. The first two are still in use today for the city with the last high school becoming Noblesville Middle School. The school has approximately...
and Fishers High School
Fishers High School
Fishers High School is the second high school in Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Fishers, Indiana. The student count for the 2011-2012 year is 2,206. Fishers High School has been approved by the International Baccalaureate Organization as an IB World School, and began offering the International...
in Game 1, followed by New Palestine High School
New Palestine High School
New Palestine High School is a rural secondary school located in New Palestine, Indiana. Managed by the Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County, it currently serves 1,035 students and employs 73 faculty members.-Athletics:...
and Whiteland Community High School
Whiteland Community High School
Whiteland Community High School in Whiteland, Indiana is within the Clark Pleasant School Corporation and is the only high school in continuous use in the town of Whiteland and the last educational facility students attend...
in Game 2. On November 26, 2008, Cardinal Ritter High School
Cardinal Ritter High School
Cardinal Ritter High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school on West 30th Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis. It was founded in 1964 and serves the west side of Indianapolis. It is named after Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter. The...
became the first high school to win a state championship on the field, beating Sheridan High School
Sheridan High School (Indiana)
Sheridan High School is a high school in northwestern Hamilton County, Indiana....
34-27 for the class A state title.
Lucas Oil Stadium and the city of Indianapolis made a bid to host Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI will be the 46th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 42nd annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be...
in 2012. On May 20, 2008, the bid was successful, defeating 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 ...
and Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
for that right. The stadium is also host to the annual NFL Scouting Combine in February.
The 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
featured the first NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
game of the season in the stadium, as the Colts faced the 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...
in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
. The Colts lost the game 29-13. Indianapolis won their first 2 NFL playoff games held at Lucas Oil Stadium, beating 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...
20-3 in a 2009 AFC divisional playoff and the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
30-17 in the 2009 AFC Championship Game to reach Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
.
In addition to professional football games, the stadium hosted the semifinal and final rounds of the Men's Final Four
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
in 2010, with the Women's Final Four scheduled to be hosted there in 2016. Historically, Indianapolis has been a popular choice for the Final Four. The NCAA has their headquarters there, and the event comes on a five-year rotation. 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...
will also play the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game
Big Ten Football Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game that will be held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The inaugural game will be held on December 3, 2011. The games during the next two seasons will be held on December 1, 2012 and...
at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2011.
Other events include 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...
Grand National Championships and the Indiana Marching Band State Finals
Indiana Marching Band State Finals
The Indiana Marching Band State Finals is a competition for marching bands governed by the Indiana State School Music Association . ISSMA has sanctioned the event annually since 1981; from 1973 until 1980 the top bands from the NISBOVA and ISMA circuits met in the All-State Marching Band Contest.-...
, both major events for the city in Marching Band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
competitions. The Drum Corps International World Championships are scheduled to be held at the site every year through the 2018 season, and the Circle City Classic that is an annual American football game featuring two historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs) that is held in October.
On September 13, 2008, country music singer Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
held the first public concert at the stadium.
Annual events
- Drum Corps InternationalDrum Corps InternationalDrum 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...
World Championships - Bands of AmericaBands of AmericaBands 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...
Grand National Championships - Home games for the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
- Circle City Classic
- IHSAA Indiana State football championships
- ISSMA band state finals
Notable past events
- NCAA Men's Basketball Regional FinalsNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
(April 2009) - NCAA Men's Basketball Final FourNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
(April 2010)
Notable future events
- Big Ten Football Championship GameBig Ten Football Championship GameThe Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game that will be held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The inaugural game will be held on December 3, 2011. The games during the next two seasons will be held on December 1, 2012 and...
(2011) - Super Bowl XLVISuper Bowl XLVISuper Bowl XLVI will be the 46th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 42nd annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be...
(February 5, 2012) - NCAA Men's Basketball Final FourNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
(April 2015) - NCAA Women's Basketball Final FourNCAA Women's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe 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...
(2016) - 2020 General Conference Sessions of Seventh-day Adventists (Summer 2020)
Cost
Groundbreaking for the stadium took place on September 20, 2005. It was originally referred to as Indiana Stadium until Lucas Oil purchased the naming rights. The total cost of Lucas Oil Stadium was $720 million. The stadium is being financed with funds raised by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis, with the Indianapolis Colts providing $100 million. Marion CountyMarion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
has raised taxes for food and beverage sales, auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes, and admission taxes for its share of the costs. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in food and beverage taxes in the eight surrounding doughnut counties (with the exception of Morgan County
Morgan County, Indiana
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 68,894. The county seat is Martinsville. Morgan is one of seven counties contiguous to Marion County, and is located between Indianapolis, in Marion County, and Bloomington, located in Monroe County...
) and the sale of Colts license plates.
The County Commissioners of each county voted whether to levy the 1% food and beverage tax proposed by Marion County. Sweetening the deal for the those counties was the fact that half of the revenue from the tax would stay in the respective county. Morgan County
Morgan County, Indiana
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 68,894. The county seat is Martinsville. Morgan is one of seven counties contiguous to Marion County, and is located between Indianapolis, in Marion County, and Bloomington, located in Monroe County...
was the only county to turn down the offer, yet in a later vote, it levied its own 1% tax - thus keeping all of its additional generated revenue.
Complications
In August 2006, a problem was discovered concerning operating costs of the new stadium. The city's Capital Improvement Board estimates that the new stadium could cost an additional $10 million more a year to operate than the RCA Dome.The CIB is anticipating a $20 million operating deficit for Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009. Anticipated expenses are $27.7 million—far outstripping the $7.7 million CIB expects to collect from its share of revenue from stadium events. There is concern over the long-standing implications due to low rent payments by the Colts and the high percentage of revenue the Colts keep.