To accommodate the new facility, access roads were improved. The New Jersey Turnpike, which had been suffering the burden of increased traffic volumes near its northern terminus in Ridgefield Park, built a new alignment, the "western spur", with an exit, interchange 16W, leading directly to the sports complex as well as to Route 3. Routes 3 and 20 (now 120) also received improvements.
On September 1, 1976, the Meadowlands Racetrack became the first complex venue to open, featuring harness racing.[2] The track drew a capacity crowd of 42,133 for its initial date. Giants Stadium opened on October 10, 1976, as 76,042 fans watched the New York Giants lose to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–14.[3]
By 1977, plans were in the works to expand the complex. A new arena was to be built on the opposite side of Route 20 from the stadium and racetrack, connected by vehicle ramps and a pedestrian bridge. Brendan Byrne Arena, named for the sitting governor, opened July 2, 1981, with the first of six sold-out shows by musician Bruce Springsteen.[4] The arena was renamed for its corporate sponsor, Continental Airlines (now part of United Airlines), as Continental Airlines Arena, in early 1996, since the airline had a hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport. It was renamed again in 2007 for Izod as Izod Center. The first tenant in the arena was the New Jersey Nets in 1981. A year later, the New Jersey Devils of the NHL and the Seton Hall University men's basketball team joined the Nets.
The Nets played their first game at the arena on October 30, 1981, and lost to their cross-river rivals, the New York Knicks by a score of 103–99. The Devils played their first game on October 5, 1982, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game ended in a 3–3 tie.
The New York Jets moved to Giants Stadium on September 6, 1984, after playing at Shea Stadium for nearly 20 years. In their first game at the stadium on that day, the Jets lost 23–17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of 70,564 fans.
In 2007, construction began on a mega-mall, named Meadowlands Xanadu. Work came to a halt in 2009, and Triple Five, owners of the Mall of America, took over the project in 2011. The construction was not complete until 2019.
The New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall Pirates left the complex when the Prudential Center was finished in 2007, followed by the New Jersey Nets, who moved there in 2010 to go to Prudential Center, then Brooklyn two years later, leaving the Izod Center devoid of a main tenant but free to host more concerts and events. Giants Stadium closed in at the end of the 2009 NFL season and demolition started immediately. In September 2010, MetLife Stadium, then known as New Meadowlands Stadium, opened for its first game. It was privately built and funded by the Jets and Giants. A commuter train line and a training center for the Giants also opened at the same time. MetLife bought the naming rights for the stadium and the entire complex in August 2011.
Meadowlands Arena closed in April 2015 to the public after suffering the loss of its major tenants and economic losses from other events. Since then, the arena has been used for concert rehearsals and private video productions. The former arena box offices are used as a station for the NJSEA EMS and the former Winner's Club lounge restaurant is the quarters for the New Jersey State Police.
MetLife Stadium will host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the final; it will be the second time FIFA World Cup matches are played at the Meadowlands. Giants Stadium hosted matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[5][6]
From Secaucus
In addition to the three venues, the complex also hosts events in the MetLife Stadium parking lot. State Fair Meadowlands (formerly called the Meadowlands Fair, and not affiliated with the New Jersey State Fair held annually in Sussex County) began in 1986 and has been operated by State Fair of Belleville since 2003. The parking lot is also the home of a twice-weekly flea market, which is canceled when the parking spaces are needed for stadium events.
The NJSEA hires in-house security and emergency medical services staff to serve the venues at the Sports Complex, including MetLife Stadium. Law enforcement is primarily provided by the New Jersey State Police Sports Complex Unit.
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and IZOD Center) was a multi-purpose indoor arena. Opened in 1981, it was home to the New Jersey NetsNBA team until 2010, the Seton Hall University men's basketball team until 2007 and to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League until 2007. The Devils and the Seton Hall men's basketball team moved to the Prudential Center in Newark. The renamed Brooklyn Nets currently play in the Barclays Center. It closed early in April 2015.
Opened in the mid–1970s, the Meadowlands Racetrack held its first harness race on September 1, 1976 while thoroughbred racing commenced on September 6, 1977.[7][8] The Racetrack is the site of the Hambletonian, the most prestigious event in standardbred racing. The track is equipped to race at night, when most of its races are.
In the middle of the track is a lake, intended to resemble the state of New Jersey. The Meadowlands Racetrack is also one of the leading simulcast facilities in the world in terms of total handle.
Quest Diagnostics Training Center
The Quest Diagnostics Training Center is the main headquarters and practice facility of the New York Giants. It was known as the Timex Performance Center, renamed in July 2013 when the Giants and Quest Diagnostics announced[9] a new partnership after the four-year partnership between the Giants and Timex ended. The facility, on the westernmost portion of the Meadowlands Sports Complex grounds, opened in 2010 and replaced the old Giants' practice fields and headquarters, adjacent to Giants Stadium. The Giants annually host Training Camp at the facility in the summers, including practices open to the public with fan activities and legend player meet-and-greet opportunities. Parking for Training Camp is in Lot G.
American Dream is a large mall and entertainment complex. Formerly known as Xanadu, the project resides within the Meadowlands Sports Complex adjacent to the Izod Center that will have over 450 stores.[10] The first of four opening stages occurred on October 25, 2019,[11] with the other stages opening on a staggered schedule on October 1, 2020.[11][12]
Only 45 percent of American Dream's space is devoted to retail locations.[13] The stores will include six anchor retail tenants with more than 50,000 square feet (4,600m2) each, 12 major retailers with 20,000 to 50,000 square feet (1,900 to 4,600m2) each, and 339 smaller shops of up to 20,000 square feet (1,900m2).[14] It will include more than 100 eateries,[14] as well as a 38,000 square feet (3,500m2), 18-vendor food court with a kosher food hall.[15]
On September 14, 2022, the Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation became tenants of The Rink at the American Dream for at least the next three years.[25]
Access
Meadowlands station
New Jersey Transit operates the Meadowlands station at the complex, the terminus of the Meadowlands Rail Line.[26] In preparation for the opening of the American Dream mall, the station opened for service on July 26, 2009.[27] Studies are also underway about an extension of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail line to the MetLife Sports Complex. Despite the opening of American Dream in 2019, the rail line is currently not being used daily.[28]
Road access
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is primarily surrounded by four main highways: New Jersey Route 3 to the south, Route 17 to the west, Route 120 (also called Paterson Plank Road) to the north, and the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) to the east. The Turnpike interchanges with Route 3 near the south side of the complex, giving access from that point, and also has a direct southbound exit/northbound entrance at the north side. Route 120 starts at Route 3 near the southeast corner, runs straight through the complex, giving direct exits to certain parking lots east of MetLife Stadium, then turns west to connect back with Route 17, while also giving access from Washington Avenue (CR 503). Routes 3 and 17 also connect to numerous local roads as well. Route 3 also connects to the Garden State Parkway further west, and the Lincoln Tunnel further east, while the Turnpike/I-95 give access to and from the George Washington Bridge northwards, and Newark Airport southwards.[29]
In 1983, a Formula One auto race was planned for the New York City area. A temporary street circuit at the Meadowlands Sports Complex was one of the finalists for the location. A course at Flushing Meadows Park, in the New York City borough of Queens, was chosen, but the event was canceled before the first running.[30]
In July 1984, the CART IndyCar series held the first Meadowlands Grand Prix on a temporary circuit built in the Giants Stadium parking lot. The race was only moderately successful, and crowds were mediocre at best. In 1988, the course layout was moved to the streets surrounding Brendan Byrne Arena and redesigned to a 1.2-mile (1.9km), six-turn layout in an effort to improve competition. The race continued until 1991, and crowds continued to stay away.
From 1988 to 1991, the race was part of the Marlboro Million, a cash prize to be awarded to any driver who won the Marlboro Grand Prix, the Marlboro 500, and the Marlboro Challenge All-Star event in the same year.[31] The prize was never won. In 1992, race officials announced plans to move the race to Manhattan, using a street course at the World Trade Center.[32] Within a few months, however, the race was canceled because of cost concerns.
In the early 2000s, conceptual plans were drafted to build a NASCAR-style speedway at the Meadowlands Sports Complex as part of a revitalizing project. However, the plan was rejected and abandoned.
Route 3 is a major expressway in the northeastern part of New Jersey. The route runs 10.84 miles (17.45 km) from U.S. Route 46 (US 46) in Clifton, Passaic County, to US 1/9 in North Bergen, Hudson County. The route intersects many major roads, including US 46, which takes travelers to Interstate 80 (I-80) west for commuting out of the city-area, the Garden State Parkway and Route 21 in Clifton, Route 17 and the Western Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in East Rutherford, the Eastern Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus, and Route 495 in North Bergen, for traffic going to the Lincoln Tunnel into New York City. Route 3 serves as the main artery to the Lincoln Tunnel from I-80, in conjunction with a portion of US 46 and Route 495. Portions of the route are not up to freeway standards; with driveways serving businesses and bus stops. Despite this, many construction projects have been underway over the years to alleviate this issue. Route 3 also provided access to Hoffmann La Roche's former American headquarters in Nutley, the Meadowlands Sports Complex and American Dream Meadowlands in East Rutherford. The road inspired a story in The New Yorker in 2004 by Ian Frazier due to its views of the Manhattan skyline. Route 3 was originally the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and ended at the state line in the Hudson River, though it was scaled back following the construction of I-495; which is now Route 495 due to also not meeting interstate highway standards.
Route 120 is a state highway located in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It extends 2.65 mi (4.26 km) from an interchange with Route 3 in East Rutherford to another interchange with Route 17 in Carlstadt, where it continues to the west as County Route 120. Route 120 serves the Meadowlands Sports Complex - which consists of MetLife Stadium, Meadowlands Racetrack, and the Meadowlands Arena - and the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex. It heads north from Route 3 as a six-lane freeway through the sports complex to an interchange with the southern terminus of County Route 503. From here, Route 120 heads northwest along the northern edge of the sports complex as four-lane divided Paterson Plank Road, passing through industrial and commercial areas.
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles (11 km) west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022, an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 2010 census count of 8,913, which in turn reflected an increase of 197 (+2.3%) from the 8,716 counted in the 2000 census.
Giants Stadium was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and concerts. It was the home field of the New York metropolitan area's two National Football League teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets, as well as the NASL's New York Cosmos.
David Abraham "Sonny" Werblin was a prominent entertainment industry executive and sports impresario who was an owner of the New York Jets and chairman of Madison Square Garden, and who built and managed the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Meadowlands Arena is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East 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 by NBCUniversal for television filming. The arena is located on New Jersey Route 120 across the highway from MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack, next to the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) is an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex, but which now contains the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, a regulatory, planning, and zoning agency, in addition to its original duties. Originally consisting of Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack in 1976, Meadowlands Arena was added to the complex in 1981 and New Meadowlands Stadium replaced Giants Stadium in 2010.
Prudential Center is a multipurpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team. By 2023, the arena was among the top five concert venues worldwide by earnings.
Sports in the New York metropolitan area have a long and distinguished history.
American Dream Meadowlands is a large retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. As of 2024, it is the second-largest shopping mall in the United States with more than 450 stores.
MetLife Stadium is an open-air multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL), and is also scheduled to host the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At an approximate cost of $1.6 billion, it was the most expensive stadium built in the United States at the time of its completion.
The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey. It is anchored by Newark, the state's most populous city. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
Meadowlands or The Meadowlands may refer to:
Triple Five Group is a Canadian conglomerate based in Edmonton, Alberta, which specializes in shopping centres, entertainment complexes, hotels, and banks, along with running three indoor amusement parks. The company owns and operates the three largest malls in North America: the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, the Mall of America in Minnesota, and American Dream Meadowlands in New Jersey, all three of which contain a wide variety of entertainment attractions alongside traditional retail.
Meadowlands station is a New Jersey Transit train station that is the western terminus for the Meadowlands Rail Line located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Meadowlands Rail Line, branded as the BetMGM Meadowlands Rail Line as part of a naming rights agreement, is a rail line in New Jersey, United States, operated by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT). Trains run between the Meadowlands Sports Complex and Secaucus Junction, some with continuing service to Hoboken Terminal. There is limited service on the line, with trains only operating in conjunction with major events.
Sports in Newark, New Jersey, the second largest city in New York metropolitan area, are part of the regional professional sports and media markets. The city has hosted many teams and events, though much of its history is without an MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL team in the city proper. Two venues in the northeastern New Jersey metro region, Prudential Center and Riverfront Stadium (closed), are in Downtown Newark. Red Bull Arena is just across the Passaic River in Harrison. The Meadowlands Sports Complex is less than 10 miles away from Downtown and reached with the Meadowlands Rail Line via Newark Penn Station or Broad Street Station.
The Mass Transit Super Bowl was a public transportation plan and marketing strategy conceived for Super Bowl XLVIII and Super Bowl Week, a series of events leading up to the February 2, 2014, football game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. It was originally projected that over 400,000 people would come to the New York–New Jersey region for the game and related activities, and that over 80,000 would attend the game itself; actual patronage of the metropolitan area during that time was projected to be over 500,000. Metropolitan area transit agencies worked with the National Football League, organizers of the event, and developed special services, schedules, fares, and maps to promote the use of mass transit during the week, which began with the arrival of teams on January 26.
As of 2023, New Jersey has five teams from major professional sports leagues playing in the state, with only one team identifying themselves as solely being from the state. The other remaining teams identify themselves as being from the New York metropolitan area with the National Women's Soccer League team having a team name that includes both New Jersey and New York. The National Hockey League and National Basketball Association teams representing Philadelphia have their training facilities in South Jersey.
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Meadowlands 
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