History
The state-built arena opened in July 1981 next to Giants Stadium as Brendan Byrne Arena, later carrying the Continental Airlines and Izod names. It held about 20,000 for basketball.
The Nets arrived in its first year and the relocated Colorado Rockies followed in 1982 as the New Jersey Devils, who won Stanley Cups in 1995 and 2003. The Nets reached the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003, and Seton Hall played its home games there for two decades.
The Devils left for Newark in 2007 and the Nets in 2010, leaving the arena without anchor tenants. The state closed it in 2015; it still stands, used for rehearsals and as an NBC-leased production stage.
Why it matters: It was the home of New Jersey's major-league hockey and basketball teams during the Devils' championship era.
Timeline
- July 2, 1981
Bruce Springsteen played the first event.
- 1995Devils win Stanley Cup[1]
The Devils won the Cup in 1995 and again in 2003 while based here.
- 1996NCAA Final Four[1]
The arena hosted the 1996 men's Final Four.
- 2007
The Devils moved to Prudential Center in Newark.
- 2010Nets leave[1]
The Nets' final season at the arena was 2009-10.
- April 3, 2015
The NJSEA closed the arena to public events.
The site today
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
|---|---|
| Current use | Closed to the public; used as a rehearsal space for touring productions and as a TV and film sound stage, leased by NBC since 2018[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| New Jersey Nets | NBA · 1981–2010 |
|---|---|
| New Jersey Devils | NHL · 1982–2007 |
| Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball | NCAA · 1985–2007 |
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 | Brendan Byrne Arena (1981–1996); Continental Airlines Arena (1996–2007); Izod Center (2007–2015) |
|---|---|
| Location | 50 New Jersey Route 120, Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford, NJ, East Rutherford, New Jersey[1] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Hockey |
| Level | NBA, NHL, NCAA |
| Opened | July 2, 1981[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | April 3, 2015[1,2] |
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
| Original capacity | 20,149[1] |
| Final capacity | 18,974[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball 20,149 (1981-87) to 18,974 (2009-15); hockey about 19,040. Per Wikipedia. |
| Architect | Grad Partnership; Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners[1] |
| Construction cost | $85 million |
| Owner / operator | New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority |
| Closure | Its NHL and NBA tenants left for newer arenas in 2007 and 2010; the state then closed the building to public events in 2015. |
Documented details
- Since 2018 the building has been leased by NBC as a television and film stage.[1]
Sources
- Meadowlands Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, events, opened, teams
- Izod Center closes: End of an era, The Observer (Kearny, NJ). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened, teams
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia's infobox gives April 3, 2015 as the closing date and its text names a March 22, 2015 circus as the final event; The Observer (April 7, 2015) says the state closed it 'last Monday'.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.