Meadowlands Arena

Coordinates: 40°48′42″N 74°4′3″W / 40.81167°N 74.06750°W / 40.81167; -74.06750
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Izod Center
)
"Izod Center" redirects here. For the venue in Poland, see Izo Arena.

Meadowlands Arena
The Meadowlands
New Jersey XTreme (NIFL) (2005)
Website
www.meadowlands.com
The arena's architecture features sharp, cantilevered corners which also serve as the entrance gates.
The Izod Center with the under-construction Meadowlands Xanadu, now called American Dream Meadowlands on March 14, 2009
The arena, when it was named Continental Airlines Arena, during a Seton Hall college basketball game

Meadowlands Arena[4] (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) 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 arena, which opened in 1981, was originally built to accommodate the New Jersey Nets basketball team. In 1982, the Colorado Rockies hockey team joined the Nets in the new building and became known as the New Jersey Devils. The Nets and Devils were joined by the Seton Hall Pirates men's collegiate basketball program in 1985.

In 2007, the Prudential Center opened in nearby Newark as the new Devils home arena. Seton Hall, whose campus in South Orange is closer to Newark than East Rutherford, likewise moved its basketball games there. The Nets remained at the Meadowlands for three more seasons before moving to Newark, where they played two seasons before departing New Jersey for Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The men's basketball team from Fordham University played four home games during the 2010–11 season at the arena.[5]

Following the departure of all three of its major tenants, the arena continued to host occasional non-sporting events, such as touring shows and concerts, and other local events. The state-owned facility reported losses for 2013, and was projected to have $8.5 million in losses for 2015. On January 15, 2015, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) voted to shut down Izod Center, and have Prudential Center acquire hosting rights to events scheduled for the arena over the next two years in a $2 million deal.[6][7][8]

Since closing, the vacant arena has been used as a rehearsal venue for large-scale touring concert productions as well as a sound stage for video and television productions.[6] Since 2018, NBC has leased the venue to film prime-time drama series, including The Enemy Within and Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.[9][10] It is also home to the crime drama series The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah, and the TV programs Tales of the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: Dead City.

History

In 1996, Continental Airlines purchased naming rights to the Brendan Byrne Arena. This picture shows the arena's signage under that name.

Construction on a new arena across

Rutgers Athletic Center.[11]

The arena was designed by Grad Partnership and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners and was constructed at a cost of $85 million.[12] Originally named after the sitting governor of New Jersey, Brendan Byrne, the arena opened July 2, 1981, with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musician Bruce Springsteen.[13] The Nets moved into their new home on October 30, 1981, and lost to their cross-river rivals, the New York Knicks in their inaugural home game.[14] In 1982, the arena hosted the NBA All-Star Game. Then, it hosted the 1996 NBA draft.

Another motivation for building an arena in the Meadowlands was to potentially lure a National Hockey League team to New Jersey. Governor Byrne was a member of an ownership group that was looking to do so, and in 1978 businessman Arthur Imperatore purchased the Colorado Rockies and announced that he would be relocating the team to New Jersey. Unfortunately for Imperatore, the Rockies would be sold twice more before that finally became a reality.[15] The newly-renamed, John McMullen-owned New Jersey Devils played their first game at the arena on October 5, 1982, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the game ending in a 3–3 tie. Don Lever scored the first goal in the arena, which was the Devils' very first goal.[14] In 1984, the arena hosted the NHL All-Star Game.[14] The following year, the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team began playing at the arena.[14]

On January 4, 1996, the

1996 Final Four—the last Final Four to date that has been held in an arena specifically built for basketball.[14]

In September 2006, the Nets and the NJSEA announced an extension of their lease to keep the team in the Meadowlands until 2013, with a provision to leave as early as 2009 if the Brooklyn arena was completed. It was reported at the time that the Nets' owner, Bruce Ratner was seeking to sell the Nets, thus thwarting any possible move to Brooklyn.[16]

On May 5, 2007, the Devils played their last game at the arena, losing 3–2 to the Ottawa Senators, eliminating them from the Eastern Conference semifinals 4–1. Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building. The Devils subsequently relocated to the newly constructed Prudential Center in nearby Newark at the beginning of the 2007–08 NHL season.[17]

Following the Devils' final season at the arena in 2007, Continental Airlines opted out of the naming rights agreement and the NJSEA signed an agreement with Izod for five years. The company paid $1.4 million per year for the first two years of the agreement; when the Nets left, it dropped to $750,000 per year for the balance of the five-year deal.[18] The columns of the arena's exterior were also repainted red as the arena assumed a new color scheme.[19]

In 2009, Newark mayor

Charlotte Bobcats. Terrence Williams made the final basket in the arena.[24][25][26][27]

Shutdown

With the loss of its major tenants, the Izod Center served primarily as a venue for traveling events, such as concerts, ice shows, and other occasional local events such as graduation ceremonies. New Jersey's government considered possible options for the arena, including selling or leasing it to another operator, or closing it entirely. Triple Five Group had attempted to negotiate taking over the arena so it could be incorporated into the nearby American Dream Meadowlands complex, but the deal fell through. The arena reported losses for 2013, also facing competition from Barclays Center in landing major concerts, and it was estimated that the arena would lose $8.5 million over the course of 2015. Even with its use during Super Bowl XLVIII, Izod Center reported a $45,800 loss from the event.[28][29][30]

On January 15, 2015, as urged by state governor

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus event on March 22, 2015. Under the terms of the agreement, the operators of Prudential Center were held responsible for staffing and logistics for shows held after January 31 but was entitled to receive the profits from such events.[31]

On July 14, 2016,

The Record reported that Devils Arena Entertainment had yet to pay the first $500,000 installment of its $2 million agreement with the NJSEA.[32] On August 11, 2016, the NJSEA announced that it would allow musicians to book the arena for use as a rehearsal facility. Prudential Center president Hugh Weber noted that Coldplay had similarly done so prior to their tour stop at nearby MetLife Stadium, and that while Prudential Center has frequently seen similar bookings, there is a large backlog due to the venue's high traffic. The NJSEA and the Prudential Center will share the revenue generated by the rehearsals.[4]

Seating capacity

Basketball
Years Capacity
1981–1987 20,149[33]
1987–1988 20,040[34]
1988–2003 20,050[35]
2003–2004 19,970[36]
2004–2005 20,175[37]
2005–2006 20,100[38]
2006–2007 20,035[39]
2007–2009 19,990[40]
2009–2015 18,974[41]
Ice hockey
Years Capacity
1981–1985 19,025[42]
1985–2007 19,040[43]

Usage

An aerial view of the Meadowlands Arena (under its Continental Airlines Arena signature)

Sports

The arena has primarily served as a sports venue in its history. The arena was the home of the NBA's

parquet
floor for regular season college basketball (since 2007, the NCAA has used a uniform floor for regional sites).

College basketball first arrived at the arena with the opening rounds of the 1984

Municipal Auditorium, which hosted 13 regional finals from 1940 to 1952, has hosted more.[44] It also hosted the 1982–1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 1986 Atlantic Ten Conference
men's basketball tournaments.

On January 22, 1987, after New Jersey was hit with 20 inches (51 cm) of snow, only 334 fans attended the Devils' 7–5 victory over the Calgary Flames, a record for the lowest attendance for a game in modern NHL history.[45]

Other teams that have called the arena home include the

San Diego Sockers
, 7-3, in front of 4,717 fans, giving the Sockers a sweep of the best-of-five series.

On February 12, 2011, the arena hosted

UFC on Fox 3
event took place at the arena on May 5, 2012.

Championships

Meadowlands Arena played host to the

North American Soccer League
, as the league folded in early 1985. It was one of the busiest arenas in North America in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, playing host to numerous championship and neutral games.

The arena also hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four (basketball) in 1996, which was won by the University of Kentucky, and included Syracuse University, the University of Massachusetts, and Mississippi State University.

Concerts

Bruce Springsteen and the "Other Band" Tour
.

The arena was a popular site for concerts, having been designed with acoustics in mind and requiring a smaller facility fee for artists than competing venues, such as Madison Square Garden.

2012
.

Additionally, a number of tracks from Springsteen's 1986 live album

Live/1975-85 were recorded at the arena during concerts in 1981 and 1984. In 2015, Springsteen's August 5, 1984, concert was officially released as a live album followed by his August 20, 1984 concert in 2018, his July 25, 1992 concert in 2019, and his July 9, 1981 concert in 2020.[14]

New Jersey natives Bon Jovi have played at the arena many times and sold out every show. The only other act to do that is Bruce Springsteen.

The Rolling Stones performed three consecutive shows, during their 1981 North American Tour, on November 5–7, 1981, with Tina Turner, George Thorogood & The Destroyers and The J. Geils Band as their opening acts. The shows on November 5 and 6 were filmed and partially featured on their live-concert film, entitled Let's Spend the Night Together.[48]

Queen performed in the arena on August 9, 1982, during their Hot Space Tour. This concert is infamous for Brian May 'accidentally' snapping a replica of his Red Special after he hurled it to his wall of Vox AC30s and the roadies missed catching it. The replica was made by John Birch and was notably seen in the music videos of We Will Rock You and Spread Your Wings.[49]

Flight 666.The Grateful Dead played 16 times from 1983 through 1989, and recorded Road Trips Volume 4 Number 2, on March 31–April 1, 1988 and Nightfall of Diamonds
, on October 16, 1989.

Rush performed during their Power Windows Tour on March 31 and April 1, 1986. The shows were partially featured on their concert album, entitled A Show of Hands.

Pink Floyd performed three concerts on October 10, 11 and 12, 1987, as part of their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour.

Bad World Tour
on October 3, 4 and 5, 1988, in front of 61,061 people.

George Dalaras performed a sold-out concert at Meadowlands Arena on April 9, 1994.[50][51] It is the biggest Greek concert ever held outside of Greece.[52] It was a personal initiative of George Dalaras in order to support Cyprus and to promote the Cyprus problem.[53][54] Among others, Al Di Meola had taken part in the concert.

The Dave Matthews Band's performance on September 11, 1999, was recorded for a PBS special and subsequently released as a live album and DVD, entitled Listener Supported.

Kiss performed on June 27, 2000, during their Kiss Farewell Tour, which was filmed and is available on their Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000 box set.

Cher: Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
, there is a video of her rehearsing at the Izod Center.

B.B. King
for most of the first set.

Simon & Garfunkel performed two consecutive shows during their Old Friends Reunion Tour, on December 7–8, 2003, with The Everly Brothers as their opening act. They performed "Leaves That Are Green" in place of "Song for the Asking", which had been on their setlist for other concerts on this tour, following an announcement that they had not played it live since 1967.

The arena played host to the final show of the politically motivated Vote for Change Tour on October 13, 2004, featuring performances by Patti Scialfa, Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band, with special guest John Fogerty and unannounced guest Eddie Vedder.[55]

Late Night With Conan O'Brien
, where the Slipnutz, a comedy musical trio who were featured on Conan, opened for the band. However, the Slipnutz were heavily booed by the crowd.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed two consecutive shows during their Stadium Arcadium World Tour, on October 17 and 18, 2006, with The Mars Volta as their opening act. Footage from the shows and the arena were used in the music video for "Snow (Hey Oh)".

The Spice Girls performed during The Return of the Spice Girls Tour on February 13, 2008.

The New Power Generation kicked off their Welcome 2 American Tour, with two consecutive shows on December 15 and 17, 2010. They also performed two impromptu semi-private shows in the "Hospitality Room", where 50 fans attended the show on December 16[56] and 30 attended the show on December 18.[57]

The "Love for Levon" concert took place on October 3, 2012, as a tribute to late drummer/singer Levon Helm of The Band. The show featured a wide variety of musicians who had worked with Helm, as well as musicians who were influenced by him. Proceeds from the show went towards keeping Helm's Woodstock barn in his family's control, as well as continuing his Midnight Ramble concert series in the barn. The show's musical directors were Don Was and Levon Helm collaborator Larry Campbell.[58][59] The concert was released on CD/DVD on March 19, 2013.[60]

Other events

Fordham University's men's basketball team used the Izod Center as an alternate home court for four games in the 2010–11 season.[61] The average attendance for these games was only 1,799, which was approximately half of the capacity of Fordham's normal home, Rose Hill Gymnasium.[62]

American Idol held auditions at the Izod Center on September 22, 2011.[63]

Some scenes of the film Just Wright were filmed at the arena.

Several episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City were filmed in the arena, doubling as Madison Square Garden.[64]

Other facilities

The arena's concourse in 2007, while it was known as Continental Airlines Arena

The center previously hosted a Continental Airlines ticketing office.[65]

The Winner's Club was a luxury bar and restaurant inside the arena that hosted parties and group events. The Winner's Club is now used by the New Jersey State Police.

Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey

Main article: Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey

The Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey was established in 1988 to honor athletes, teams, events, and contributors associated with the

state of New Jersey
. While there was no physical site or structure for the hall, the members were honored with plaques displayed throughout the arena.

Replacement

In 2021, plans were revealed to replace the Meadowlands Arena with a new convention center.[66][67]

Public perception

The arena was frequently cited near the bottom of public polls. It was commonly referred to as "cold and dull" in appearance, as well as being "cavernous".[68] In a 2005 poll, USA Today rated it the worst arena in the NBA, with the distance of the inexpensive seats from the court, and the level of crowding in the concourse after the game cited as reasons.[69]

References

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External links

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