Meadowlands Sports Complex facts for kids
Aerial view, 2018
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| Address | East Rutherford, New Jersey United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°48′51″N 74°04′26″W / 40.81417°N 74.07389°W |
| Facilities | MetLife Stadium Meadowlands Racetrack American Dream Meadowlands Meadowlands Arena |
| Public transit |   Meadowlands(select events) Meadowlands Rail Line
 Coach USA: 351 |
| Owner | New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority |
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a huge sports and entertainment area. It is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the United States. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) owns and runs this big complex. It gets its name from the New Jersey Meadowlands, where it was built.
Today, the complex has several cool places. These include MetLife Stadium, which is home to the New York Giants and New York Jets football teams. It also has the Meadowlands Racetrack, famous for horse racing. The Quest Diagnostics Training Center is also here. This is where the New York Giants practice.
The complex is also home to American Dream. This is a giant shopping and entertainment center. The Metropolitan Riveters hockey team used to play there. The complex also had the Meadowlands Arena, which is now closed. This arena was once home to the New Jersey Devils hockey team. It also hosted the Seton Hall University men's basketball team. The Brooklyn Nets basketball team, then called the New Jersey Nets, also played there.
Contents
History of the Meadowlands Sports Complex
Building a Sports Hub
In the mid-1960s, leaders in New Jersey wanted a big sports complex. They hoped to bring a professional football team from New York City. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) was created in 1971. This group would oversee the project.
David A. "Sonny" Werblin was the first head of the NJSEA. He used to be the president of the New York Jets football team. By the end of 1971, Werblin made a deal. The New York Giants football team would move to the Meadowlands. They were playing in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx at the time.
Construction began on Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack. This happened on November 19, 1972. To make it easier to get to the new complex, roads were improved. The New Jersey Turnpike built a new section. This section, called the "western spur," led directly to the sports complex.
Opening the Venues
The Meadowlands Racetrack was the first part of the complex to open. It started on September 1, 1976, with horse racing. A huge crowd of 42,133 people came to watch. Giants Stadium opened on October 10, 1976. Over 76,000 fans watched the New York Giants play the Dallas Cowboys.
By 1977, there were plans to make the complex even bigger. A new arena was planned. It would be connected to the stadium and racetrack by ramps and a bridge. This arena, named Brendan Byrne Arena, opened on July 2, 1981. Famous musician Bruce Springsteen played the first shows there.
The arena later changed its name. It became Continental Airlines Arena in 1996. This was because Continental Airlines had a hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport. In 2007, it was renamed again to Izod Center. The New Jersey Nets basketball team was the first team to play in the arena in 1981. A year later, the New Jersey Devils hockey team joined them. The Seton Hall University men's basketball team also started playing there.
The New York Jets football team moved to Giants Stadium on September 6, 1984. They had played at Shea Stadium for almost 20 years.
New Developments and Changes
In 2007, work started on a huge shopping mall called Meadowlands Xanadu. Construction stopped in 2009. Then, Triple Five, the company that owns the Mall of America, took over the project in 2011. The mall, now called American Dream, finally opened in 2019.
The New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall Pirates basketball team left the complex in 2007. They moved to the Prudential Center in Newark. The New Jersey Nets also moved there in 2010. Two years later, they moved to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets. This left the Izod Center without a main team.
Giants Stadium closed at the end of the 2009 NFL season. It was then torn down. In September 2010, MetLife Stadium opened. It was first called New Meadowlands Stadium. The Jets and Giants football teams built and paid for it. A train line and a new training center for the Giants also opened at the same time. MetLife bought the rights to name the stadium and the whole complex in August 2011.
The Meadowlands Arena (Izod Center) closed to the public in April 2015. This was because it lost its main teams and had financial problems. Now, the arena is used for concert rehearsals and making videos. The old ticket offices are used by the NJSEA EMS (Emergency Medical Services). The former restaurant is now used by the New Jersey State Police.
MetLife Stadium will host games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It will even host the final game. This will be the second time World Cup matches are played at the Meadowlands. Giants Stadium also hosted games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Other Events and Services
Besides the main venues, the complex also hosts events in the MetLife Stadium parking lot. The State Fair Meadowlands happens here every year. It started in 1986. There is also a flea market twice a week. However, it is canceled if the parking lots are needed for stadium events.
The NJSEA has its own security and medical staff for the complex. The New Jersey State Police also helps with law enforcement.
Venues at the Meadowlands
MetLife Stadium
MetLife Stadium opened in 2010. It replaced Giants Stadium. It is the home stadium for both the New York Giants and New York Jets football teams. It is one of only two stadiums in the NFL that is home to two teams. MetLife Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. It will also host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Meadowlands Arena (Former)
The Meadowlands Arena was a large indoor sports and concert venue. It opened in 1981. It was known by other names like Brendan Byrne Arena and Izod Center. This arena was home to the New Jersey Nets basketball team until 2010. The Seton Hall University men's basketball team and the New Jersey Devils hockey team also played here. These teams later moved to the Prudential Center in Newark. The arena closed in April 2015.
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a famous place for horse racing. It hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing. People often call it "The Big M."
The Racetrack opened in the mid-1970s. Its first harness race was on September 1, 1976. Thoroughbred racing started on September 6, 1977. The Racetrack is home to the Hambletonian Stakes. This is a very important event in harness racing. Most races happen at night. There is a lake in the middle of the track. It is shaped like the state of New Jersey.
Quest Diagnostics Training Center
The Quest Diagnostics Training Center is the main building and practice area for the New York Giants football team. It used to be called the Timex Performance Center. The name changed in 2013 when the Giants partnered with Quest Diagnostics. This facility opened in 2010. It replaced the Giants' old practice fields. The Giants hold their annual Training Camp here in the summers. Fans can often watch practices and meet former players.
American Dream
American Dream is a huge mall and entertainment complex. It is next to the former Izod Center. It has over 450 stores. It opened in stages, starting in October 2019.
About half of American Dream's space is for stores. The other half is for fun entertainment. It has an indoor ice rink. There is also an indoor theme park called Nickelodeon Universe. You can also find an indoor water park called DreamWorks Water Park. There is a big indoor ski slope called Big SNOW American Dream. Other attractions include mini-golf, a movie theater, a bowling alley, a Legoland Discovery Center, and a Sea Life Aquarium.
How to Get to the Meadowlands
Meadowlands Station
New Jersey Transit runs the Meadowlands station at the complex. This is the end of the Meadowlands Rail Line. The station opened in 2009 to prepare for the American Dream mall. There are also ideas to extend the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail line here. The train line is not used every day right now.
Road Access
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is surrounded by four main highways. These are New Jersey Route 3, New Jersey Route 17, New Jersey Route 120, and the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95). These roads make it easy to get to the complex from many directions. They also connect to other major roads like the Garden State Parkway and the Lincoln Tunnel.
Auto Racing History
In the 1980s, there were some car races held at the Meadowlands. In 1984, the CART IndyCar series held the first Meadowlands Grand Prix. This race took place on a temporary track in the Giants Stadium parking lot. The race continued until 1991. Later, there were ideas to build a NASCAR-style race track at the complex. However, this plan was not approved.
Teams and Tenants
MetLife Stadium Teams
The Rink at American Dream Team
- Metropolitan Riveters (PHF)
Former Teams at MetLife Stadium
- New York Guardians (XFL) (2020)
Former Teams at Giants Stadium
- New York Giants (NFL)
- New York Jets (NFL)
- New York Cosmos (soccer) (1977–84)
- New Jersey Generals (football) (1983–85)
- New York/New Jersey Knights (football) (1991–92)
- New York Red Bulls (soccer) (1995–2009)
- New York/New Jersey Hitmen (football) (2001)
Former Teams at Meadowlands Arena
- New Jersey Nets (NBA) (1981–2010)
- New Jersey Rockets (soccer) (1981–1982)
- New York Cosmos (soccer) (1981–1985)
- New Jersey Devils (NHL) (1982–2007)
- Seton Hall University Men's Basketball (NCAA) (1981–2007)
- New Jersey Saints (lacrosse) (1987–1988)
- New Jersey Red Dogs/Gladiators (arena football) (1997–2002)
- New Jersey Rockin' Rollers (roller hockey) (1995–1997)
- New Jersey Storm (lacrosse) (2002–2003)
- New Jersey XTreme (indoor football) (2005)
