History
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority built the stadium in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford. The Giants left New York City for it in 1976, and their first game there was a loss to Dallas.
The Jets arrived in 1984, which made it one of the few NFL venues shared by two teams. It also hosted big soccer events, from Pelé's era with the Cosmos to seven matches of the 1994 World Cup. MLS's MetroStars played there for 14 seasons.
The teams privately financed a replacement in the stadium's own parking lot. After the Jets shut out Cincinnati in January 2010, the old bowl was taken apart piece by piece rather than imploded, because the new stadium stood only a few dozen yards away.
Why it matters: It was one of the few stadiums shared full-time by two NFL franchises, and a major US venue for international soccer.
Timeline
- November 19, 1972Groundbreaking[1]
Construction started on the stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
- October 10, 1976
The Giants opened the building with a 24–14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
- 1984Jets move in[1]
The New York Jets started sharing the stadium with the Giants.
- 1994FIFA World Cup matches[1]
The stadium hosted seven 1994 World Cup matches, among them the Italy–Bulgaria semifinal.
- January 3, 2010
The Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals 37–0 in the last game played at the stadium.
- February 4, 2010
Gramercy crews started dismantling the stadium at Gate B. It sat too close to the new stadium to be imploded.
- August 10, 2010Demolition completed[1]
Wikipedia's infobox gives this as the completion date. No second source was found.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,3,4] |
|---|---|
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
We have not verified what occupies the site today. Know? Tell us, with a source.
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| New York Giants | National League · 1976–2009 |
|---|---|
| New York Cosmos | NASL · 1977–1984 |
| New Jersey Generals | USFL · 1983–1985 |
| New York Jets | AFL / NFL · 1984–2009 |
| MetroStars / New York Red Bulls | MLS · 1996–2009 |
| Rutgers Scarlet Knights | NCAA · 1993 · secondary |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | The Meadowlands |
|---|---|
| Location | 50 Route 120, Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford, New Jersey[1] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Soccer |
| Level | NFL, NCAA, USFL, NASL, MLS |
| Opened | October 10, 1976[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | January 3, 2010[1,2] |
| Demolished | 2010[1,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[4] |
| Final capacity | 80,242[1,4] |
| Capacity notes | 80,242 is the maximum listed in Wikipedia's infobox and in Langan's project page. |
| Architect | Kivett and Myers; Ewing Cole Erdman & Eubank; Clauss & Nolan[1] |
| Construction cost | US$78 million |
| Surface | AstroTurf (1976–1999), grass trays (2000–2002), FieldTurf (2003–2009) |
| Owner / operator | New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority |
| Closure | Replaced by the privately financed New Meadowlands Stadium (now MetLife Stadium), built next to it. |
Documented details
- Demolition could not be done by implosion because the replacement stadium stood roughly a 30-yard pass away.[3]
- Much of the crushed concrete was planned as fill for the 14-foot-deep hole where the playing field had been.[3]
- The long-running rumor that Jimmy Hoffa was buried under the stadium was tested on MythBusters, which found no body. No remains turned up during demolition.[1]
Connected venues
Sources
- Giants Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, demolished, opened, teams
- Giants Stadium ends its 34-year run on Sunday, CNY Central (AP). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened
- Giants Stadium Demolition Gets Started, Construction Equipment Guide. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished
- Giants Stadium Demolition, Langan. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, physical status
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Wikipedia's infobox gives demolition as Feb 4 – Aug 10, 2010, but its body text says the work took about four months, and CEG reported a planned four-month schedule. The year (2010) is corroborated, the exact completion date is not.
- Wikipedia gives two dates for the 1995 papal Mass (Oct 5 and Oct 6), so it is left out of the timeline.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.