The Meadowlands | |
.jpg) Meadowlands Arena while it was known as Izod Center | |
 Interactive map of Meadowlands Arena | |
| Former names | Brendan Byrne Arena (1981–1996) Continental Airlines Arena (1996–2007) Izod Center (2007–2015) |
|---|---|
| Address | 50New Jersey Route 120 |
| Location | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°48′42″N74°4′3″W / 40.81167°N 74.06750°W /40.81167; -74.06750 |
| Public transit | Meadowlands(select events) |
| Owner | New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority |
| Operator | New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority |
| Capacity | 20,049 (NBA basketball) 20,029 (NCAA basketball) 19,040 (hockey) 20,000 (concerts) 7,500 (theater concerts) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 2, 1979[1] |
| Opened | July 2, 1981[1] |
| Closed | April 3, 2015 |
| Construction cost | US$85 million ($294 million in 2014 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Grad Partnership Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners |
| Project manager | George A. Fuller Company |
| General contractor | Terminal Construction Corporation |
| Tenants | |
| New Jersey Nets (NBA) (1981–2010) New Jersey Rockets (MISL) (1981–1982) New York Cosmos (NASL Indoor/MISL) (1981–1985) New Jersey Devils (NHL) (1982–2007) Seton Hall Pirates (NCAA) (1985–2007)[1][2] New Jersey Saints (EPBLL) (1987–1988) New Jersey Rockin' Rollers (RHI) (1994–1997) New Jersey Red Dogs/Gladiators (AFL) (1997–2002) New Jersey Storm (NLL) (2001–2003) New Jersey XTreme (NIFL) (2005) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Meadowlands Arena[4] (formerlyBrendan Byrne Arena,Continental Airlines Arena andIzod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in theMeadowlands Sports Complex inEast Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, the state-owned facility has been used as a rehearsal stage by major concert-touring music stars and byNBCUniversal for television filming. The arena is located onNew Jersey Route 120 across the highway fromMetLife Stadium and theMeadowlands Racetrack, next to theAmerican Dream shopping and entertainment complex.
The arena, which opened in 1981, was originally built to accommodate theNew Jersey Nets basketball team. In 1982, the relocatedColorado Rockies hockey team became theNew Jersey Devils and joined the Nets at the venue. In 1985, theSeton Hall Pirates men's collegiate basketball team began playing its home games at the arena. In 2007, thePrudential Center opened in nearbyNewark as the new Devils home arena. Seton Hall, whose campus inSouth Orange is closer to Newark than East Rutherford, likewise moved its basketball games there. The Nets remained at the Meadowlands for three more seasons before moving to Newark, where they played two seasons before departing New Jersey forBarclays Center inBrooklyn. The men's basketball team fromFordham University played four home games during the 2010–11 season at the arena.[5]
Following the departure of all three of its major tenants, the arena continued to host occasional non-sporting events, such as touring shows and concerts, and other local events. The state-owned facility reported losses for 2013, and was projected to have $8.5 million in losses for 2015. On January 15, 2015, theNew Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) voted to shut down Izod Center, and have Prudential Center acquire hosting rights to events scheduled for the arena over the next two years in a $2 million deal.[6][7][8]
Since closing, the vacant arena has been used as a rehearsal venue for large-scale touring concert productions as well as asound stage for video and television productions.[6] Since 2018,NBC has leased the venue to film prime-time drama series, includingThe Enemy Within andLincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.[9][10] It is also home to the crime drama seriesThe Equalizer, starringQueen Latifah, and the TV programsTales of the Walking Dead andThe Walking Dead: Dead City.
Construction on a new arena acrossRoute 20 (now 120) fromGiants Stadium and theMeadowlands Racetrack began in 1977, with the arena's initial purpose being to serve as the primary home for the Nets who had moved fromNassau Coliseum inUniondale, New York to New Jersey. While the venue was being built, the Nets played their home games inPiscataway at theRutgers Athletic Center.[11]
The arena was designed byGrad Partnership and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners and was constructed at a cost of $85 million.[12] Originally named the Brendan Byrne Arena, after the sittinggovernor of New Jersey,Brendan Byrne, the building opened on July 2, 1981, with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musicianBruce Springsteen.[13] The Nets moved into their new home on October 30, 1981, and lost to their cross-river rivals, theNew York Knicks in their inaugural home game.[14] In 1982, the arena hosted theNBA All-Star Game. Then, it hosted the1996 NBA draft.
Another motivation for building an arena in the Meadowlands was to potentially lure aNational Hockey League team to New Jersey. Governor Byrne was a member of an ownership group that was looking to do so, and in 1978 businessmanArthur Imperatore purchased theColorado Rockies and announced that he would be relocating the team to New Jersey. Unfortunately for Imperatore, the Rockies would be sold twice more before that finally became a reality.[15] The newly renamed,John McMullen-ownedNew Jersey Devils played their first game at the arena on October 5, 1982, against thePittsburgh Penguins, with the game ending in a 3–3 tie.Don Lever scored the first goal in the arena, which was the Devils' very first goal.[14] In 1984, the arena hosted theNHL All-Star Game.[14] The following year, theSeton Hall Pirates men's basketball team began playing at the arena.[14]
On January 4, 1996, theNew Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) announced anaming rights deal withContinental Airlines under which the airline, with a hub at nearbyNewark Liberty International Airport, would pay the NJSEA $29 million over 12 years. As Continental Airlines Arena, it hosted the1996 Final Four—the lastFinal Four to date that has been held in an arena specifically built for basketball.[14]
In September 2006, the Nets and the NJSEA announced an extension of their lease to keep the team in the Meadowlands until 2013, with a provision to leave as early as 2009 ifthe Brooklyn arena was completed. It was reported at the time that the Nets' owner,Bruce Ratner was seeking to sell the Nets, thus thwarting any possible move to Brooklyn.[16]
On May 5, 2007, the Devils played their last game at the arena, losing 3–2 to theOttawa Senators, eliminating them from theEastern Conference semifinals 4–1.Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building. The Devils subsequently relocated to the newly constructedPrudential Center in nearbyNewark at the beginning of the2007–08 NHL season.[17]
Following the Devils' final season at the arena in 2007, Continental Airlines opted out of the naming rights agreement and the NJSEA signed an agreement withIzod for five years. The company paid $1.4 million per year for the first two years of the agreement; when the Nets left, it dropped to $750,000 per year for the balance of the five-year deal.[18] The columns of the Izod Center's exterior were also repainted red as the arena assumed a new color scheme.[19]
In 2009, Newark mayorCory Booker and Devils ownerJeffrey Vanderbeek called for the closing of the Izod Center, because it was a competing venue to the Prudential Center for events, and a "drain on taxpayers."[20] In October 2009, a deal was brokered for the Nets to play at the Prudential Center for two seasons, beginning in the2010–11 NBA season. The deal also included a partnership with the Prudential Center hosting sporting events (Devils, Nets, Seton Hall), and the Izod Center handling concerts and family shows. The two arenas proposed a joint venture, Jersey Presents LLC, to wrestle leverage from promoters who had been playing the two against each other.[21] "You can’t have two venues that close together fighting each other and have that be productive for the state," said Jerry Zaro, economic czar to former New Jersey GovernorJon Corzine, who brokered the deal.[22] The Nets' agreement to play the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons in Newark was finalized on February 18, 2010.[23] On April 12, 2010, the Nets played their final game at the Izod Center, a 105–95 loss to theCharlotte Bobcats.Terrence Williams made the final basket in the arena.[24][25][26][27]
With the loss of its major tenants, the Izod Center served primarily as a venue for traveling events, such as concerts,ice shows, and other occasional local events such as graduation ceremonies. New Jersey's government considered possible options for the arena, including selling or leasing it to another operator, or closing it entirely.Triple Five Group had attempted to negotiate taking over the arena so it could be incorporated into the nearbyAmerican Dream Meadowlands complex, but the deal fell through. The arena reported losses for 2013, also facing competition from Barclays Center in landing major concerts, and it was estimated that the arena would lose $8.5 million over the course of 2015. Even with its use duringSuper Bowl XLVIII, Izod Center reported a $45,800 loss from the event.[28][29][30]
On January 15, 2015, as urged by state governorChris Christie, the NJSEA voted to close Izod Center. Under a two-year, $2 million agreement with Devils Arena Entertainment LLC, most future events scheduled for Izod Center were moved to Prudential Center. While the arena was originally expected to be shut down by the end of January, its final event was aRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus event on March 22, 2015. Under the terms of the agreement, the operators of Prudential Center were held responsible for staffing and logistics for shows held after January 31 but was entitled to receive the profits from such events.[31]
On July 14, 2016,The Record reported that Devils Arena Entertainment had yet to pay the first $500,000 installment of its $2 million agreement with the NJSEA.[32] On August 11, 2016, the NJSEA announced that it would allow musicians to book the arena for use as a rehearsal facility. Prudential Center president Hugh Weber noted thatColdplay had similarly done so prior to theirtour stop at nearbyMetLife Stadium, and that while Prudential Center has frequently seen similar bookings, there is a large backlog due to the venue's high traffic. The NJSEA and the Prudential Center will share the revenue generated by the rehearsals.[4]
On May 1, 2025, the arena was the site of the NJ Film Expo due to the increase of film and television production in the state of New Jersey.[33]
| Years | Capacity |
|---|---|
| 1981–1987 | 20,149[34] |
| 1987–1988 | 20,040[35] |
| 1988–2003 | 20,050[36] |
| 2003–2004 | 19,970[37] |
| 2004–2005 | 20,175[38] |
| 2005–2006 | 20,100[39] |
| 2006–2007 | 20,035[40] |
| 2007–2009 | 19,990[41] |
| 2009–2015 | 18,974[42] |
| Years | Capacity |
|---|---|
| 1981–1985 | 19,025[43] |
| 1985–2007 | 19,040[44] |
The arena has primarily served as a sports venue in its history. The arena was the home of the NBA'sNew Jersey Nets basketball franchise from 1981 to 2010. It was the home arena for the NHL'sNew Jersey Devils hockey franchise from 1982 to 2007 and the NCAA'sSeton Hall Pirates men's basketball team from 1982 to 2007 as well as continuing to play host to various regular season men's college basketball. The last game being played on December 18, 2014, between theDuke Blue Devils andUConn Huskies.[citation needed] Izod Center used two separate floors for NBA and NCAA basketball—a standard hardwood floor for Nets and the arena's oldparquet floor for regular season college basketball (since 2007, the NCAA has used a uniform floor for regional sites).
College basketball first arrived at the arena with the opening rounds of the 1984NCAA basketball tournament. Seton Hall moved itsBig East Conference men's basketball games to the arena for the 1985–86 season. The arena hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four in 1996, the last traditional arena to do so to date. On eleven occasions (1986–1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2007) the arena hosted the semifinals and finals of the tournament's East Regional. OnlyKansas City'sMunicipal Auditorium, which hosted 13 regional finals from 1940 to 1952, has hosted more.[45] It also hosted the 1982–1989Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 1986Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournaments.
On January 22, 1987, after New Jersey was hit with 20 inches (51 cm) of snow, only 334 fans attended the Devils' 7–5 victory over theCalgary Flames, a record for the lowest attendance for a game in modern NHL history.[46]
Other teams that have called the arena home include theNew Jersey Rockets of theMajor Indoor Soccer League, theNew Jersey Rockin' Rollers ofRoller Hockey International, theNew Jersey XTreme of theNational Indoor Football League, and theNew Jersey Red Dogs / Gladiators of theArena Football League. Two differentNational Lacrosse League teams have played at the arena—theNew Jersey Saints from 1987 to 1988, and theNew Jersey Storm from 2002 to 2003. TheNew York Cosmos also used the arena to host indoor matches, and the last NASL indoor game was played at the arena on April 11, 1984 – the Cosmos lost to theSan Diego Sockers, 7–3, in front of 4,717 fans, giving the Sockers a sweep of the best-of-five series.
On February 12, 2011, the arena hostedStrikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva.[47] In November 2011, the Izod Center was the host of the final round of theTicketCity Legends Classic. TheUFC on Fox 3 event took place at the arena on May 5, 2012.
Meadowlands Arena played host to the1995,2000,2001, and2003Stanley Cup Finals. The arena saw the Devils clinch two of their threeStanley Cup championships before a home crowd, winning Game 4 of the 1995 Finals over theDetroit Red Wings and Game 7 of the 2003 Finals over theMighty Ducks of Anaheim; the Devils' other Stanley Cup win took place in Game 6 of the 2000 Finals over theDallas Stars at Dallas'Reunion Arena. The Devils lost in the 2001 Finals in seven games to theColorado Avalanche. The arena also was host to theLos Angeles Lakers winning anNBA Championship by sweeping the Nets on June 12, 2002, and again the next year, when the Nets lost in six games to theSan Antonio Spurs.[48] Izod Center is the most recent of five venues to host the Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals at the same time; the other four areBoston Garden,Madison Square Garden in New York,The Spectrum in Philadelphia andChicago Stadium. Game 3 of the1983-84 NASL Indoor Finals was played there on April 11, 1984, between the Cosmos and theSan Diego Sockers. This also happened to be the lastindoor game played in theNorth American Soccer League, as the league folded in early 1985. It was one of the busiest arenas in North America in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, playing host to numerous championship and neutral games.
The arena also hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four (basketball) in1996, which was won by theUniversity of Kentucky, and includedSyracuse University, theUniversity of Massachusetts, andMississippi State University.
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The arena was a popular site for concerts, having been designed withacoustics in mind and requiring a smaller facility fee for artists than competing venues, such asMadison Square Garden.
Bruce Springsteen remains one of the most popular concert acts; his appearances have included a six-night run to open the arena in July1981, a 10-night sold-out run in1984, an 11-night run in1992 and a 15-night sold-out run in1999. This last feat was commemorated by a large banner hanging from the rafters, next to the banners representing the achievements of the resident sports teams. Springsteen would return to the arena for concerts in2002,2004,2005,2007,2009, and2012. Additionally, a number of tracks from Springsteen's 1986 live albumLive/1975-85 were recorded at the arena during concerts in 1981 and 1984. In 2015, Springsteen's August 5, 1984, concert was officially released as a live album followed by his August 20, 1984 concert in 2018, his July 25, 1992 concert in 2019, and his July 9, 1981 concert in 2020.[14] New Jersey nativesBon Jovi have played at the arena many times and sold out every show. The only other act to do that is Bruce Springsteen.
The Rolling Stones performed three consecutive shows, during their1981 North American Tour, on November 5–7, 1981, withTina Turner,George Thorogood & The Destroyers andThe J. Geils Band as their opening acts. The shows on November 5 and 6 were filmed and partially featured on their live-concert film, entitledLet's Spend the Night Together.[49]Queen performed in the arena on August 9, 1982, during theirHot Space Tour. This concert is infamous forBrian May 'accidentally' snapping a replica of hisRed Special after he hurled it to his wall ofVox AC30s and the roadies missed catching it. The replica was made byJohn Birch and was notably seen in the music videos ofWe Will Rock You andSpread Your Wings.[50]Iron Maiden performed the first show on theirThe Beast on the Road Tour on October 22, 1982, and on theirSomewhere Back in Time World Tour on March 14, 2008. Their performance of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was featured in the concert documentaryFlight 666.TheGrateful Dead played 16 times from 1983 through 1989, and recordedRoad Trips Volume 4 Number 2, on March 31–April 1, 1988 andNightfall of Diamonds, on October 16, 1989.Rush performed during their Power Windows Tour on March 31 and April 1, 1986. The shows were partially featured on their concert album, entitledA Show of Hands.
Pink Floyd performed three concerts on October 10, 11 and 12, 1987, as part of theirA Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour.Michael Jackson performed three sold-out shows during hisBad World Tour on October 3, 4 and 5, 1988, in front of 61,061 people.George Dalaras performed a sold-out concert at Meadowlands Arena on April 9, 1994.[51][52] It is the biggestGreek concert ever held outside of Greece.[53] It was a personal initiative of George Dalaras in order to support Cyprus and to promote theCyprus problem.[54][55] Among others,Al Di Meola had taken part in the concert. TheDave Matthews Band's performance on September 11, 1999, was recorded for a PBS special and subsequently released as a live album and DVD, entitledListener Supported.
Kiss performed on June 27, 2000, during theirKiss Farewell Tour, which was filmed and is available on theirKissology Volume Three: 1992–2000 box set.Cher performed two shows during her, then,Farewell Tour on July 2, 2002, and April 13, 2005. On her DVDCher: Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, there is a video of her rehearsing at the Izod Center.Phish performed a concert on February 24, 2003, which featured legendaryblues guitaristB.B. King for most of the first set.Simon & Garfunkel performed two consecutive shows during their Old Friends Reunion Tour, on December 7–8, 2003, withThe Everly Brothers as their opening act. They performed "Leaves That Are Green" in place of "Song for the Asking", which had been on their setlist for other concerts on this tour, following an announcement that they had not played it live since 1967.
The arena played host to the final show of the politically motivatedVote for Change Tour on October 13, 2004, featuring performances byPatti Scialfa,Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen &E Street Band, with special guestJohn Fogerty and unannounced guestEddie Vedder.[56]Slipknot performed at the arena on March 6, 2005. The preshow of the concert was featured in a segment on the March 9, 2005, episode ofLate Night With Conan O'Brien, where the Slipnutz, a comedy musical trio who were featured on Conan, opened for the band. However, the Slipnutz were heavily booed by the crowd.
TheRed Hot Chili Peppers performed two consecutive shows during theirStadium Arcadium World Tour, on October 17 and 18, 2006, withThe Mars Volta as their opening act. Footage from the shows and the arena were used in the music video for "Snow (Hey Oh)". TheSpice Girls performed duringThe Return of the Spice Girls Tour on February 13, 2008.Prince &The New Power Generation kicked off theirWelcome 2 American Tour, with two consecutive shows on December 15 and 17, 2010. They also performed two impromptu semi-private shows in the "Hospitality Room", where 50 fans attended the show on December 16[57] and 30 attended the show on December 18.[58] The "Love for Levon" concert took place on October 3, 2012, as a tribute to late drummer/singerLevon Helm ofThe Band. The show featured a wide variety of musicians who had worked with Helm, as well as musicians who were influenced by him. Proceeds from the show went towards keeping Helm'sWoodstock barn in his family's control, as well as continuing his Midnight Ramble concert series in the barn. The show's musical directors wereDon Was and Levon Helm collaboratorLarry Campbell.[59][60] The concert was released on CD/DVD on March 19, 2013.[61]
Fordham University's men's basketball team used the Izod Center as an alternate home court for four games in the 2010–11 season.[62] The average attendance for these games was only 1,799, which was approximately half of the capacity of Fordham's normal home,Rose Hill Gymnasium.[63]
American Idol held auditions at the Izod Center on September 22, 2011.[64] It also held auditions prior to this in 2006 for itssixth season.
Some scenes of the filmJust Wright were filmed at the arena.[citation needed]
The center previously hosted aContinental Airlines ticketing office.[65]
The Winner's Club was a luxury bar and restaurant inside the arena that hosted parties and group events. The Winner's Club is now used by theNew Jersey State Police.
The Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey was established in 1988 to honor athletes, teams, events, and contributors associated with the state ofNew Jersey. While there was no physical site or structure for the hall, the members were honored with plaques displayed throughout the arena.
In 2021, plans were revealed to replace the Meadowlands Arena with a new convention center.[66][67]
The arena was frequently cited near the bottom of public polls. It was commonly referred to as "cold and dull" in appearance, as well as being "cavernous".[68] In a 2005 poll,USA Today rated it the worst arena in the NBA, with the distance of the inexpensive seats from the court, and the level of crowding in the concourse after the game cited as reasons.[69]
That was not always the case at the Meadowlands, where Seton Hall played from 1985 through last season.
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