In the mid-1960s, civic leaders in
New Jersey began calling for a sports complex in the
New Jersey Meadowlands that would be able to lure an
NFL team from New York City. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority Law was passed by the
New Jersey Legislature in 1971 and signed by then–
Governor of New Jersey William T. Cahill. The first chairman of the NJSEA was
David A. "Sonny" Werblin, former president of the NFL's
New York Jets. By year's end, Werblin had secured a deal for the
New York Giants, who were then playing in
Yankee Stadium in
the Bronx, to move to the Meadowlands. Ground was broken on
Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack on November 19, 1972. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Meadowlands has been proposed as a potential location for a future
casino in the event that voters approve a measure allowing it. ==Venues==