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Dr. Daryl Gross, who is Syracuse University's athletics director and Mark Lamping, the Meadlowlands Stadium Corporation CEO, announced in August that the New Meadlowlands Stadium, in addition to serving as home for the Jets, will start hosting some Syracuse University games in 2012, 14 and 15. And the color modifications are part of preparing for that new era.
Lamping has pointed out to the press that they designed New Meadowlands Stadium to accommodate a wide range of sporting events, games and concerts. One of those major occupants will be Syracuse, a school rich, not only in athletic tradition, but rich in the color orange as well; it's one of their school colors.
Syracuse's Gross says the school plans to embrace the privilege of playing in the Big Apple metropolitan area. And he pledged the school will do their best to be worthy of the honor of playing in the same facility where the New York Jets play.
But a dash of orange is minor compared to other more notable changes coming to the Meadowlands (which hosts, not just the Jets, but also the Giants). For instance, the stadium will seat 82,500 fans, far more than the old Giants' Stadium. This will include 10,000 club seats and 217 luxury suites. As such, it will be the NFL's second-largest stadium (Only the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field is larger).
The Jets as well as the giants will occupy the Meadowlands starting in 2011. The facility will be marked by an outer skin of aluminum louvers as well as interior lighting which switches colors depending on which of the two teams – the Jets or Giants – is playing. These changing colors, green for the Jets, blue for the Giants and red for concerts, are out of respect for each team's wish to individualize the stadium for their own fan base.
Both the louvers as well as the associated hanging system were designed by Overgaard Ltd. In Hong Kong.
On the outside of the seating area will be several “tailgating zones” plus numerous options for buying merchandise and food in the plaza that will surround the stadium.
The New York Times reports that giant red pylons will be located at the east and north entrances to display videos of the team which is playing. One significant stadium feature, to be built in the form of a triangle with rounded corners, is a huge “Great Wall” that will be somewhat visible through the main entrance's louvers. This will will be 40 feet high and 400 feet long, and will show panels of images which rotate between murals of the Giants and Jets on game days, with other pictures for concerts.
Inside the stadium will be four 130 foot by 40 foot scoreboards hanging from the corners of the upper deck.
The sight lines are said to be somewhat like those at the old Giants Stadiums, which seated just over 80,000. However, in a few cases, seats will be a bit further away since the new stadium will have more than twice the square footage.
The stadium, like Giants Stadium, will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It will boast dour restaurants, more than 200 luxury suites, two club lounges, considerably-wider concourses, and one or more halls of fame.
Front row 50-yard line seats will be 4 feet from the side-line, giving it the shortest distance of all National Football League stadiums. Currently, Soldier field holds that distinction, with 90 feet.
Unlike several other new NFL stadiums, including Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts play, and Cowboys Stadium, home of the Dallas franchise, as well as Ford Field (where the Detroit Lions play) and Reliant Stadium (where the Houston, Texans play), the Meadowlands stadium will not have a retractable roof. It ultimately came down to the expense involved. Because of this, it's doubtful that a Super Bowl would be played here, because of the cold New Jersey winter temperatures.
But that's ok. Cold and hard is how New York Jets fans like it. Yet many are getting nostalgic and planning to take in a few more home games at Giants' Stadium before the end of yet another sports era.
What about you? Would you like to see the Jets play in their old home one or two more times before the move? Then you'll need tickets.
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