One of the best things about working in sports management is getting the chance to spend time in the nation’s most amazing arenas. Ranging from large to beyond massive, the most amazing U.S stadiums represent devotion to sports and civic pride in equal measure. Here are the five of the most amazing arenas U.S sports teams and fans call home:
1. MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Home to New York’s celebrated Giants and Jets, this massive arena features 2.1 million square feet on 40 acres of land. The Jets and Giants combined forces to fund the arena, which cost about $1.6 billion. It’s likely that this amazing arena is the most expensive arena in existence. Helping to set a triumphant tone for this arena right from the beginning, the Giants hosted and won the arena’s very first regular season game on September 12, 2010, handily defeating the Carolina Panthers. Since its 2010 unveiling, this remarkable arena has become a national treasure. The largest arena on this list, Metlife Arena can accommodate 82,000 people.
2. The Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
As the permanent host for the Grammy awards ceremony and the home of the L.A Lakers, this amazing arena occupies a special place in U.S popular culture. Of course, plenty of other teams call this multi-purpose arena home, including the Los Angeles Clippers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. Opened in October, 1999, this amazing facility stands alone in a metropolitan area that features plenty of other important sporting facilities. Basketball fans also flock to the Staples center to see the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.
3. Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Planned since 2004, Barclays Center was delayed due to the effects of 2009’s economic recession. Since opening for the use of the public in 2012, this stylish and imposing arena quickly achieved a reputation as one of the premiere modern arenas in the nation. As noted by the Wall Street Journal, Barclays Center has reached out for and received logistical assistance from the Long Island Rail Road, making it exceedingly easy to access the arena by rail. This environmentally-friendly aspect of the arena further highlights the modern, contemporary appeal of Barclays Center.
4. Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Since it opened in 1976, the Rupp Arena has remained an important cultural landmark in downtown Lexington. Named after the University of Kentucky’s celebrated former coach, Adolph Rupp, Rupp Arena perfectly suits the needs of the Kentucky Wildcats and their fans. Besides hosting many sports events, this amazing arena has hosted hugely popular performers like Paul McCartney, Elton John and Taylor Swift.
5. Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, North Carolina
A more historic arena dating from 1959, this arena is a multifaceted complex that caters to a wide variety of sports fans and other patrons. Once one of the largest U.S arenas, this arena has ample seating for 23,000 fans. Within the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, one finds an amphitheater, sports arena and an aquatic sports center, to name a few attractions. The complex even contains a museum and an indoor pavilion. With its diversity and classic style, this arena remains an important national landmark.
Though these five arenas stand out in many ways, there are plenty more outstanding arenas and stadiums that bring worldwide acclaim to the U.S sporting scene. Whether they work in sports management or another part of the sports industry, people who experience the best U.S arenas create amazing memories that last for countless years.
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