University of Phoenix Stadium Ready For SBXLII, Record Viewing Audience Possible

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

I’ve always thought University of Phoenix Stadium was an odd name for a professional football team’s home. But after the Cleveland Cavaliers named their place Quicken Loans Arena (aka The Q), I guess anything’s possible if you have enough money. University of Phoenix Stadium features the first fully retractable natural grass playing field in North America and I hear they’re going to pull it out to “get some sun” this afternoon after Media Day is over. I was standing on it and it is, dare I say, perfect.

The roof was closed when we arrived, but we got to see them open it because of the beautiful weather today. Actually I think they just wanted to show it off. And why not? But the translucent “Bird-Air” fabric roof gives this place an open, airy feel even when it’s closed. It has two large retractable panels that will uncover the entire playing field while providing maximum shading for fans. The roof can be closed and the facility air conditioned in the hot months, while the roof can be opened to take advantage of the Valley’s world-famous climate in cooler months, like today when it’s 60 degrees (still nine degrees below the average temp here in January.)

Here are a few more factoids about the University of Phoenix Stadium:

• Approximately 63,400 permanent seats, expandable to 73,000 seats.
• The stadium seats, if set in a straight line, would stretch for approximately eighteen miles. That’s a lot of football fields!
• The overall cost of the stadium was approximately $455 million.
• The amount of concrete used on the stadium is equal to 900 miles of sidewalk, the distance between Phoenix and San Francisco.
• Two massive “thermometers” at the south end zone gauge crowd noise.
• Having the rollout field saves $50 million in costs since it is more economical to move the field than having the entire roof retract to allow the necessary sunshine to reach the grass.
• The stadium occupies more than 25 acres.

The last time the Super Bowl was in Arizona, it was a record audience of 94.08 million viewers. With the Patriots’ shot at historic perfection on the line, the NFL is hoping to top that mark this year.