University
of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, AZ
For the first time in their history, dating back to 1898, the
Cardinals have a stadium that they do not have to share with
another team. From their formation
as a football club in Chicago in 1898 to their move to St. Louis
in 1960 and move to Arizona after the 1987 season, the team has
never had a stadium of their own, most recently playing at a
collegiate stadium, Sun Devil Stadium. Through the late 1990s the
Cardinals began seeking a new stadium. After several years of
debate, in August 2002, the Arizona State Tourism and Sports
Authority voted to build a new retractable roof stadium in
Glendale, AZ for the Arizona Cardinals. At a cost of $455 million,
the stadium not only features a retractable roof, but features a
retractable side and field that moves in and out of the structure.
The stadium is built on 28 acres that is owned
by the sports authority. The
Cardinals paid for 25% of the stadium, $109 million, including
cost overruns and the state Tourism and Sports Authority paid for
75% of the stadium. The Cardinals also bought the land for the
stadium at a cost of $18.5 million.
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