Gillette Stadium

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Gillette Stadium
The Razor[1]
150px
Gillette Stadium02.jpg
Former names CMGI Field (2002)
Location 1 Patriot Place[2]
Foxborough, Massachusetts 02035, USA
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Public transit Foxboro (game days only)
Owner Kraft Sports Group
Operator Kraft Sports Group
Executive suites 87
Capacity Football:
66,829 (2015–present)[3]
68,756 (2002–2014)
Soccer:
20,000 (expandable)[4]
Field size 115 yd × 75 yd
Surface FieldTurf (2006–present)
Grass (2002–2006)
Construction
Broke ground March 24, 2000
Opened May 11, 2002 (partial)
September 9, 2002 (grand)
Construction cost US$325 million
($428 million in 2024 dollars[5])
Architect Populous
Project manager Barton Malow[6]
Structural engineer Bliss and Nyitray, Inc.
Services engineer Vanderweil Engineers[7]
General contractor Becon Construction Company, Inc.[6]
Tenants
New England Patriots (NFL) (2002–present)
New England Revolution (MLS) (2002–present)
UMass Minutemen football (NCAA) (2012–present)
Boston Cannons (MLL) (2015–present)
MIAA High School Football Super Bowl
2015 Women's Winter Classic
2016 NHL Winter Classic

Gillette Stadium is a stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 24 miles (39 km) southwest of downtown Boston and 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the NFL's New England Patriots football franchise and MLS's New England Revolution soccer team. In 2012, it also became the home stadium for the football program of the University of Massachusetts (UMass), making it the largest football stadium in the Mid-American Conference.[8]

The facility opened in 2002, replacing the old Foxboro Stadium.[9] The seating capacity is 68,756, including 6,000 club seats and 87 luxury suites. The stadium is owned and operated by Kraft Sports Group, a subsidiary of The Kraft Group, the company through which businessman Robert Kraft owns the Patriots and Revolution.[10]

The stadium was originally known as CMGI Field before the naming rights were bought by Gillette after the "dot-com" bust.[11] Although Gillette has since been acquired by Procter & Gamble, the stadium retains the Gillette name because P&G has continued to use the Gillette brand name and because the Gillette company was founded in the Boston area. Gillette and the Patriots jointly announced in September 2010 that their partnership, which includes naming rights to the stadium, will extend through the 2031 season.[12] Additionally, uBid (until April 2003 a wholly owned subsidiary of CMGI) as of 2009 continues to sponsor one of the main entrance gates to the stadium.[13]

The Town of Foxborough approved plans for the stadium's construction on December 6, 1999, and work on the stadium began on March 24, 2000.[14] The first official event was a New England Revolution soccer game on May 11, 2002.[15] The Rolling Stones played at Gillette Stadium on September 5, 2002 on the band's Licks Tour. Grand opening ceremonies were held four days later on September 9 when the Patriots unveiled their Super Bowl XXXVI championship banner before a Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[16]

Gillette Stadium is accessible by rail via the Providence/Stoughton and Franklin lines at the Foxboro MBTA station, but only during Patriot games.

The Patriots have sold out every home game since moving to the stadium—preseason, regular season, and playoffs. This streak dates back to the 1994 season, while the team was still at Foxboro Stadium.

History

Foxboro Stadium

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Main article: Foxboro Stadium

From the 1971 NFL season until the 2001 NFL season, the Patriots played all of their home games at Foxboro Stadium. The stadium was privately funded on an extremely small budget and featured few amenities. Its aluminum benches would freeze over during games with cold weather and it had an unorganized dirt parking lot.[17] Foxboro Stadium did not prove to bring in the profit that was needed to keep an NFL team in New England, as it was one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL, with just over 60,000 seats.[18][19] The team had fallen into debt after team executive Chuck Sullivan funded the Jackson Victory Tour, in an attempt earn more profit for the team. Tickets sales failed, however, and the team's debt increased even further – to a final total of US$126 million.[20] After two unsuccessful owners bought the team and stadium, it was clear that a new stadium had to be built for the team to stay in New England. This is when other cities in the New England area, including Boston (which was previously home to the Patriots and already had a stadium they could, and for a time before Foxboro Stadium opened, did, play in), Hartford, and Providence became interested in building new stadiums to lure the Patriots away from Foxboro.[21]

Location discussions

The first major stadium proposal from another city came in September 1993. Lowell Weicker, the Governor of Connecticut, proposed to the Connecticut General Assembly that a new stadium should be built in Hartford to attract the Patriots to move there, stating that a stadium had "potentially great benefit" if it were built. The bill passed in the State Assembly on September 27, 1993.[22]

In Massachusetts, there was a proposal to build a "Megaplex" in Boston, which would be the site of the stadium, as well as a new Fenway Park (the home park of the Boston Red Sox) and a much needed convention center. The proposed sites for this hybrid convention center-stadium were along Summer Street in South Boston or at the so-called Crosstown site along Melnea Cass Boulevard in Roxbury, adjacent to Boston's South End. The administration of Massachusetts Governor William Weld pushed for construction of a full "Megaplex" at the crosstown site, with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino favoring construction of a new, stand-alone convention center in South Boston. Ultimately, the residents of neither of these neighborhoods wanted a stadium, and as a result, Menino backed out, fearing that it would affect his chance at re-election.[23] The Fenway Park plan was cancelled after many "Save Fenway Park!" groups popped up to save the historic ballpark.

Kraft then began a plan to build a new stadium in South Boston. In that plan, Kraft was to pay for the stadium himself, hoping to win the support of Weld and Menino. He began to sketch designs, but the project was leaked to the press in December 1996. The residents of South Boston objected to a stadium being built in that location, causing Menino and Weld to become angry at Kraft. Kraft abandoned all plans for a Boston Stadium after the affair.[24] In January 1997, Kraft began talks with Providence mayor Vincent Cianci to relocate the team to Providence and build a new stadium there. The proposed 68,000-seat domed stadium would have cost $250 million, and would have been paid through income taxes, public bonds, surcharges on tickets, and private funds. Residents of the neighborhood of the proposed project were extremely opposed to the project because the surrounding area would have needed massive infrastructure improvements. The proposal fell through after a few weeks.[25]

During a news conference in September 1998, the team revealed plans to build a new stadium in Foxboro, keeping the team in Massachusetts. It was to be funded by the state as well as Kraft himself. This plan brought more competition from Connecticut, as a $1 billion plan to renovate an area of Hartford, including building a stadium.[26] Kraft then signed an agreement to move the team to Hartford on November 18, 1998. The proposed stadium included 68,000 seats, 60 luxury boxes, and had a projected cost of $375 million.[27] As before in Boston and Providence, construction of the stadium was challenged by the residents. Problems with the site were discovered, and an agreement could not be reached regarding the details of the stadium. The entire plan eventually fell through, enraging then Connecticut governor John G. Rowland, who lobbied hard for the stadium and spent weeks deliberating with Robert Kraft.[28] Rowland announced at a press conference that he was officially "a New York Jets fan, now and probably forever".[29] In 1999, the team officially announced that it would remain in Foxboro, which led to Gillette Stadium's construction.[30] After the Hartford proposal fell through, Robert Kraft paid for 100% of the construction costs, a rare instance of an NFL owner privately financing the construction of a stadium.

Design

On April 18, 2000, the team revealed plans for the new stadium in Foxboro.[31] It was announced as a 68,000-seat stadium at a cost of $325 million, with the entire cost privately funded. Boston is thus the only city in professional sports in which all facilities are privately owned and operated. The Patriots own Gillette Stadium, the Red Sox own Fenway Park, and TD Garden is owned by Delaware North (the owner of the Bruins) (the Celtics rent the TD Garden from Delaware North).

Concurrently announced was a new road to access the stadium from U.S. Route 1, and an additional 3,000 parking spaces to accommodate the increased number of fans.[31]

The stadium was designed by Populous (then HOK Sport). Kraft wanted it modeled on M&T Bank Stadium which had opened in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. Kraft insisted on it having a "front door" with a Disneyland-like entrance. Populous went through 200 designs before coming up with one that Kraft liked.[32] The entrance includes a lighthouse (which was originally designed to shoot a light 2 miles (3.2 km) high) and a bridge modeled on Boston's Longfellow Bridge.[33] The lighthouse and bridge are now featured on the stadium's logo.

For the first eight years of its existence the stadium used a video display, with a smaller LED scoreboard just beneath it, at each end of the field. The south side also had a large LED scoreboard in addition to the smaller one. In 2010, the stadium installed two new high definition Daktronics video displays to replace the entire previous setup at both ends.[34] At the time of their construction, the larger screen, at 41.5 feet tall and 164 feet wide (12.6 m x 50.0 m), was the second-largest video monitor in any NFL stadium; only AT&T Stadium had a larger one.[35]

Gillette Stadium ranks first among all NFL venues in stadium food safety with a 0% critical violations.[36] The Gillette Stadium food service, instead of being outsourced like most NFL teams, is run in-house and is led by the Patriots executive director of foods and beverage David Wheeler.[37]

Events

NFL

Gillette Stadium mezzanine area

The venue has hosted the NFL's nationally–televised primetime season–opening games in 2004, 2005 and 2015 (when the Patriots unveiled their championship banners from Super Bowl XXXVIII, XXXIX and XLIX). The stadium also played host to the 2003 AFC Championship Game, in which the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24–14. Eight days earlier the Patriots hosted the coldest game (4 °F, −12 °F wind chill) in New England Patriots history in the AFC Divisional Playoff game when the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans, 17–14.[38] Gillette Stadium also hosted the 2007 AFC Championship Game, with the Patriots defeating the San Diego Chargers, 21–12.

On January 10, 2010, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Patriots 33–14 here giving the Patriots their first home loss in the playoffs in Gillette Stadium. The Patriots suffered their second home playoff loss on January 16, 2011 in a 28–21 New York Jets victory. During the 2012 NFL playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos, 45–10, and again hosted the AFC Championship, where they won against the Baltimore Ravens, 23–20. The following year, they again hosted the AFC Championship game, where they lost 28–13 to the Baltimore Ravens. During the 2014 NFL playoffs, the Patriots avenged their previous defeat by the Baltimore Ravens by edging the Ravens 35-31. They then defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7 in the AFC Championship. In all, the Pats are 11–3 at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs.

College football

As part of the UMass football program's move to Division I FBS, the Minutemen played all of their home games at Gillette Stadium for at least the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The stadium is 95 miles away from the UMass campus in Amherst—the longest trip of any FBS member. The Minutemen's on-campus stadium, Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, was not suitable for FBS football in its previous configuration. Its small size (17,000 seats) would have made it prohibitively difficult to meet FBS average attendance requirements, and its press box and replay facilities were well below Mid-American Conference standards. Additionally, several nonconference teams would not even consider playing games in Amherst. McGuirk Stadium was renovated to FBS standards for the 2014 season, but the Minutemen's current deal with the Kraft Group calls for the Minutemen to play four of their home games in Foxborough from 2014 to 2016 in exchange for keeping part of the revenue from ticket sales.[39][40]

Notable soccer games

Memorable MLS playoff victories include wins over the Chicago Fire in the 2005 and 2006 Eastern Conference Final, sending the Revs to the MLS Cup. Additionally, the venue hosted 2002 MLS Cup and four games of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.

MLS Cup 2002

Date Time (EDT) Home Result Away Spectators
October 20, 2002 15.00 New England Revolution 0–1 Los Angeles Galaxy 61,316

2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
July 11, 2003  United States 2-0  El Salvador Group B 33,652
July 13, 2003  Martinique 0-2  United States 8,780
July 15, 2003  El Salvador 1-0  Martinique 10,361
July 19, 2003  United States 5-0  Cuba Quarterfinals 15,627
 Costa Rica 5-2  El Salvador

2003 FIFA Women's World Cup matches

Date Time (EDT) Team #1 Res. Team #2 Round Spectators
September 27, 2003 12.45  South Korea 1–7  Norway Group B 14,356
September 27, 2003 15.30  Canada 3–1  Japan Group C
October 1, 2003 19.30  United States 1–0  Norway Quarterfinals 25,103

2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
July 11, 2005  United States 0-0  Costa Rica Group B 15,211
 Canada 2-1  Cuba
July 16, 2005  Honduras 3-2  Costa Rica Quarterfinals 22.108
 United States 3-1  Jamaica

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
June 12, 2007  United States 4-0  El Salvador Group B 26,523
 Trinidad and Tobago 1-1  Guatemala
June 16, 2007  Canada 3-0  Guatemala Quarterfinals 22,412
 United States 2-1  Panama

2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
July 11, 2009  United States 2-2  Haiti Group B 24,137
 Honduras 4-0  Grenada

World Football Challenge

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
July 26, 2009 Italy FC Internazionale 2-0 Italy A.C. Milan 2009 World Football Challenge 42,531
July 13, 2011 United States New England Revolution 1-4 England Manchester United F.C. 2011 World Football Challenge 51,523

2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
July 7, 2015  Honduras 1-1  Panama Group A 46,720
 United States 1-0  Haiti

Other events

Gillette Stadium hosted the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships in 2008, 2009, and 2012.

Gillette Stadium also hosted the eighth edition of the NHL Winter Classic, between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, on January 1, 2016.[41]

The AMA Supercross Championship will race at Gillette Stadium beginning in 2016.[citation needed]

Playing surface

On November 14, 2006, two days after a rainstorm contributed to the deterioration of the grass surface in a Patriots game against the Jets, team management decided to replace the natural grass surface with a synthetic surface, FieldTurf. The Patriots' first game on the surface was a victory over the previously 9–1 Chicago Bears on November 26. At the conclusion of the 2007 season, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a career record of 31–3 on artificial turf. The team lost a preseason matchup in August 2007 to the Tennessee Titans on the new FieldTurf but otherwise won its first eleven regular-season and playoff games on the surface covering the period of November 2006 until September 2008, when the Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins.

In February 2010, the surface was pulled and upgraded to FieldTurf "Duraspine Pro", which was expected to meet FIFA standards that the previous turf did not, preventing the team from having to place sod on top of their turf to host international soccer matches.[42]

The surface was upgraded again in April 2014 to FieldTurf "Revolution" with "VersaTile" drainage system. The FieldTurf Revolution product is currently used at many venues across North America, including CenturyLink Field (home to the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and MLS's Seattle Sounders) and Providence Park, home of the MLS's Portland Timbers, where its installation was recently completed.[43]

When the field is configured for American football, the Patriots have their "Flying Elvis" logo painted on the field at dead center of the 50-yard line. Off to both sides along the 50-yard line, the Gillette Stadium logo is also painted on the field. This is a gray-and-yellow stylized representation of the bridge and tower at the north entrance of the stadium.

Patriot Place

2009 Energy Project Award Winning 525 kilowatt BIPV CoolPly system on the Patriot Place Complex Adjacent to the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The Solar Project was built, and is owned and operated by Constellation Energy.

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Main article: Patriot Place
Patriot Place Foxborough.jpg

In 2006, the Patriots and Kraft announced plans to build a "super regional lifestyle and entertainment center" in the area around Gillette Stadium named Patriot Place.[44][45] The cost of the project was $350 million, more than the cost to build Gillette Stadium itself; Kraft had purchased much of the surrounding land, about 700 acres (280 ha), when he bought Foxboro Stadium in the late 1980s.[46]

The first phase of the project opened in fall of 2007,[47] and featured the first Bass Pro Shops in New England, as well as Circuit City (now closed), Bed Bath & Beyond, Five Guys Burgers, Christmas Tree Shops, and Staples.[46] In December 2007, the Patriots and CBS announced plans to build a themed restaurant and nightclub, named "CBS Scene", at the site, which would also include studios for CBS-owned WBZ-TV.[48] The restaurant was part of the second phase of the project, which included an open mall, a health center, a Cinema de Lux movie theater, a four-star Renaissance hotel, and "The Hall at Patriot Place." Attached to Gillette Stadium, the Hall includes a two-level interactive museum honoring the Patriots accomplishments and Super Bowl championships, plus the Patriots Pro Shop.[49] The first restaurants and stores in phase two began opening in July 2008, and were followed by the openings of the Hall at Patriot Place and the CBS Scene in time for the beginning of the 2008 New England Patriots season. More locations, including the health center and hotel, opened in 2009, along with additional sites in phase one.

Panorama of Gillette Stadium, taken from the south end, in 2007. The video screen has since been replaced with a larger one.

References

  1. ↑ Park like a pro around Gillette Stadium
  2. ↑ http://www.worldofstadiums.com/north-america/united-states/massachusetts/gillette-stadium/
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 1634 to 1699: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1700-1799: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1800–present: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Vanderweil Engineers – Gillette Stadium
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Roberts, p.179
  18. ↑ Foulds, p.103
  19. ↑ Roberts, p.188
  20. ↑ Roberts, p.189
  21. ↑ Roberts, p.193
  22. ↑ Roberts, p.190-191
  23. ↑ Roberts, p.191-192
  24. ↑ Roberts, p.192
  25. ↑ Roberts, p.194-195
  26. ↑ Roberts, p.195-197
  27. ↑ Roberts, p.197
  28. ↑ Roberts, p.198-200
  29. ↑ Patriots cancel Hartford move
  30. ↑ Roberts, p.202
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Comfort Zone – Boston Globe – November 19, 2001
  33. ↑ Gillette Stadium Lighthouse – New England Lighthouse Treasures – Retrieved September 3, 2009
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Patriots Announce Addition of Really Huge HD Video Boards for 2010 in Gillette Stadium
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Gillette Stadium upgrading field surface
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

References

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Events and tenants
Preceded by
Foxboro Stadium
 Home of the
New England Patriots
2002 – present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Foxboro Stadium
 Home of the
New England Revolution
2002 – present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Host of the
MLS Cup
2002		 Succeeded by
The Home Depot Center
Preceded by Home of the
Drum Corps International
World Championship
2005		 Succeeded by
Camp Randall Stadium
Preceded by
M&T Bank Stadium
 Home of the
NCAA Lacrosse Final Four
2008–2009		 Succeeded by
M&T Bank Stadium
Preceded by Host of AFC Championship Game
2004
2008
2012–2013
2015		 Succeeded by
Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Preceded by Host of the
NHL Winter Classic
2016		 Succeeded by
Busch Stadium
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