Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium
The Razor[1]
Former names CMGI Field (2002)
Address 1 Patriot Place
Location Foxborough, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°05′27.40″N 71°15′51.64″W / 42.0909444°N 71.2643444°W / 42.0909444; -71.2643444Coordinates: 42°05′27.40″N 71°15′51.64″W / 42.0909444°N 71.2643444°W / 42.0909444; -71.2643444
Public transit Foxboro (game days only)
Owner The Kraft Group
Operator The Kraft Group
Executive suites 89
Capacity American football:
65,878 (2015–present)[2]
68,756 (2002–2014)
Soccer:
20,000 (expandable)[3]
Field size American football: 120 yd × 53 1/3 yd[4]
Soccer: 116 yd × 75 yd
Surface FieldTurf (2006–present)
Grass (2002–2006)
Construction
Broke ground March 24, 2000
Opened May 11, 2002 (partial)
September 9, 2002 (grand)
Construction cost US$325 million
($442 million in 2017 dollars[5] )
Architect HOK Sport (now Populous)
Project manager Barton Malow[6]
Structural engineer Bliss and Nyitray, Inc.
Services engineer Vanderweil Engineers[7]
General contractor Skanska[6]
Tenants
New England Patriots (NFL) (2002–present)
New England Revolution (MLS) (2002–present)
Massachusetts Minutemen (NCAA) (2012–2016, 2018)
Boston Cannons (MLL) (2015)

Gillette Stadium is a stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 28 miles (45 km) southwest of downtown Boston and 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS) . In 2012, it also became the home stadium for the football program of the University of Massachusetts (UMass), while on-campus Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium was undergoing renovations. Gillette will continue to host higher attended home games.

The facility opened in 2002, replacing the old Foxboro Stadium.[8] The seating capacity is 65,878, including 5,876 club seats and 89 luxury suites. The stadium is owned and operated by Kraft Sports Group, a subsidiary of The Kraft Group, the company through which businessman Robert Kraft owns the Patriots and Revolution.[9]

The stadium was originally known as CMGI Field before the naming rights were bought by Gillette after the "dot-com" bust.[10] Although Gillette was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2005, the stadium retains the Gillette name because P&G has continued to use the Gillette brand name and because the Gillette company was founded in the Boston area. Gillette and the Patriots jointly announced in September 2010 that their partnership, which includes naming rights to the stadium, will extend through the 2031 season.[11] Additionally, uBid (until April 2003 a wholly owned subsidiary of CMGI) as of 2009 continues to sponsor one of the main entrance gates to the stadium.[12]

The Town of Foxborough approved plans for the stadium's construction on December 6, 1999, and work on the stadium began on March 24, 2000.[13] The first official event was a New England Revolution soccer game on May 11, 2002.[14] The Rolling Stones played at Gillette Stadium on September 5, 2002 on the band's Licks Tour. Jeremiah Freed was the first band to play at the WBCN river rave on June 9, 2002 making them the first band to ever play Gillette Stadium.[15] Grand opening ceremonies were held four days later on September 9 when the Patriots unveiled their Super Bowl XXXVI championship banner before a Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[16]

Gillette Stadium is accessible by rail via the Providence/Stoughton and Franklin lines at the Foxboro MBTA station, but only during Patriots games and some concerts.

The Patriots have sold out every home game since moving to the stadium—preseason, regular season, and playoffs. This streak dates back to the 1994 season, while the team was still at Foxboro Stadium.[17] By September 2016 this streak was 231 straight games.[17]

History

Foxboro Stadium

From the 1971 NFL season until the 2001 NFL season, the Patriots played all of their home games at Foxboro Stadium. The stadium was privately funded on an extremely small budget and featured few amenities. Its aluminum benches would freeze over during games with cold weather and it had an unorganized dirt parking lot.[18] Foxboro Stadium did not prove to bring in the profit that was needed to keep an NFL team in New England, as it was one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL, with just over 60,000 seats.[19][20] The team had fallen into debt after team executive Chuck Sullivan funded the Jackson Victory Tour, in an attempt to earn more profit for the team. Tickets sales failed, however, and the team's debt increased even further – to a final total of US$126 million.[21] After two unsuccessful owners bought the team and stadium, it was clear that a new stadium had to be built for the team to stay in New England. This is when other cities in the New England area, including Boston (which was previously home to the Patriots and already had a stadium they could, and for a time before Foxboro Stadium opened, did, play in), Hartford, and Providence became interested in building new stadiums to lure the Patriots away from Foxborough.[22]

Location discussions

The first major stadium proposal from another city came in September 1993. Lowell Weicker, the Governor of Connecticut, proposed to the Connecticut General Assembly that a new stadium should be built in Hartford to attract the Patriots to move there, stating that a stadium had "potentially great benefit" if it were built. The bill passed in the State Assembly on September 27, 1993.[23]

In Massachusetts, there was a proposal to build a "Megaplex" in Boston, which would be the site of the stadium, as well as a new Fenway Park (the home park of the Boston Red Sox) and a convention center. The proposed sites for this hybrid convention center-stadium were along Summer Street in South Boston or at the so-called Crosstown site along Melnea Cass Boulevard in Roxbury, adjacent to Boston's South End. The administration of Massachusetts Governor William Weld pushed for construction of a full "Megaplex" at the crosstown site, with then-new Boston Mayor Thomas Menino favoring construction of a new, stand-alone convention center in South Boston. Ultimately, the residents of neither of these neighborhoods wanted a stadium, and as a result, Menino backed out, fearing that it would affect his chance at re-election.[24] The Fenway Park plan was cancelled after many "Save Fenway Park!" groups popped up to save the historic ballpark.

Kraft then began a plan to build a new stadium in South Boston. In that plan, Kraft was to pay for the stadium himself, hoping to win the support of Weld and Menino. He began to sketch designs, but the project was leaked to the press in December 1996. The residents of South Boston objected to a stadium being built in that location, causing Menino and Weld to become angry at Kraft. Kraft abandoned all plans for a Boston Stadium after the affair.[25] In January 1997, Kraft began talks with Providence mayor Vincent Cianci to relocate the team to Providence and build a new stadium there. The proposed 68,000-seat domed stadium would have cost $250 million, and would have been paid through income taxes, public bonds, surcharges on tickets, and private funds. Residents of the neighborhood of the proposed project were extremely opposed to the project because the surrounding area would have needed massive infrastructure improvements. The proposal fell through after a few weeks.[26]

During a news conference in September 1998, the team revealed plans to build a new stadium in Foxborough, keeping the team in Massachusetts. It was to be funded by the state as well as Kraft himself. This plan brought more competition from Connecticut, as a $1 billion plan to renovate an area of Hartford, including building a stadium.[27] Kraft then signed an agreement to move the team to Hartford on November 18, 1998. The proposed stadium included 68,000 seats, 60 luxury boxes, and had a projected cost of $375 million.[28] As before in Boston and Providence, construction of the stadium was challenged by the residents. Problems with the site were discovered, and an agreement could not be reached regarding the details of the stadium. The entire plan eventually fell through, enraging then Connecticut governor John G. Rowland, who lobbied hard for the stadium and spent weeks deliberating with Robert Kraft.[29] Rowland announced at a press conference that he was officially "a New York Jets fan, now and probably forever".[30] In 1999, the team officially announced that it would remain in Foxborough, which led to Gillette Stadium's construction.[31] After the Hartford proposal fell through, Robert Kraft paid for 100% of the construction costs, a rare instance of an NFL owner privately financing the construction of a stadium.

Design

On April 18, 2000, the team revealed plans for the new stadium in Foxborough.[32] It was announced as a 68,000-seat stadium at a cost of $325 million, with the entire cost privately funded. Boston is thus the only city in professional sports in which all facilities are privately owned and operated. The Patriots own Gillette Stadium, the Red Sox own Fenway Park, and TD Garden is owned by Delaware North (the owner of the Bruins) (the Celtics rent the TD Garden from Delaware North).

Concurrently announced was a new road to access the stadium from U.S. Route 1, and an additional 3,000 parking spaces to accommodate the increased number of fans.[32]

The stadium was designed by HOK Sport (now Populous). Kraft wanted it modeled on M&T Bank Stadium which had opened in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. Kraft insisted on it having a "front door" with a Disneyland-like entrance. Populous went through 200 designs before coming up with one that Kraft liked.[33] The entrance includes a lighthouse (which was originally designed to shoot a light 2 miles (3.2 km) high) and a bridge modeled on Boston's Longfellow Bridge.[34] The lighthouse and bridge are now featured on the stadium's logo.

For the first eight years of its existence the stadium used a video display, with a smaller LED scoreboard just beneath it, at each end of the field. The south side also had a large LED scoreboard in addition to the smaller one. In 2010, the stadium installed two new high definition Daktronics video displays to replace the entire previous setup at both ends. At the time of their construction, the larger screen, at 41.5 feet tall and 164 feet wide (12.6 m x 50.0 m), was the second-largest video monitor in any NFL stadium; only AT&T Stadium had a larger one.[35]

Gillette Stadium ranks first among all NFL venues in stadium food safety with a 0% critical violations.[36] The Gillette Stadium food service, instead of being outsourced like most NFL teams, is run in-house and is led by the Patriots executive director of foods and beverage David Wheeler.[37]

Events

NFL

Gillette Stadium mezzanine area

The venue has hosted the NFL's nationally–televised primetime season–opening games in 2004, 2005, 2015, and 2017 (when the Patriots unveiled their championship banners from Super Bowl XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX and LI). The stadium also played host to the 2003 AFC Championship Game, in which the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24–14. Eight days earlier the Patriots hosted the coldest game (4 °F, −12 °F wind chill) in New England Patriots history in the AFC Divisional Playoff game when the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans, 17–14.[38] Gillette Stadium also hosted the 2007 AFC Championship Game, with the Patriots defeating the San Diego Chargers, 21–12.

On January 10, 2010, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Patriots 33–14 here giving the Patriots their first home loss in the playoffs in Gillette Stadium. The Patriots suffered their second home playoff loss on January 16, 2011 in a 28–21 New York Jets victory. During the 2012 NFL playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos, 45–10, and again hosted the AFC Championship, where they won against the Baltimore Ravens, 23–20. The following year, they again hosted the AFC Championship game, where they lost 28–13 to the Baltimore Ravens. During the 2015 NFL playoffs, the Patriots avenged their previous defeat by the Baltimore Ravens by edging the Ravens 35-31. They then defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7 in the AFC Championship. The stadium hosted its sixth AFC Championship game during the 2016 playoffs, as the Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 36–17. In all, the Patriots are 16–3 at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs.

College football

As part of the UMass football program's move to Division I FBS, the Minutemen played all of their home games at Gillette Stadium for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The stadium is 95 miles away from the UMass campus in Amherst—the longest trip of any FBS member. The Minutemen's on-campus stadium, Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, was not suitable for FBS football in its previous configuration. Its small size (17,000 seats) would have made it prohibitively difficult to meet FBS average attendance requirements, and its press box and replay facilities were well below Mid-American Conference standards. Additionally, several nonconference teams would not even consider playing games in Amherst. McGuirk Stadium was renovated to FBS standards for the 2014 season, but the Minutemen's current deal with the Kraft Group calls for the Minutemen to play four of their home games in Foxborough from 2014 to 2016 in exchange for keeping part of the revenue from ticket sales.[39][40] Moving forward, Gillette will continue to host UMass football with those games of anticipated larger attendance.

Date Away Team Result Home Team Attendance
October 23, 2010New Hampshire39-13UMass Amherst32,848
October 22, 2011New Hampshire27-21UMass Amherst24,022
September 8, 2012Indiana45-6UMass Amherst16,304
September 29, 2012Ohio37-34UMass Amherst8,321
October 20, 2012Bowling Green24-0UMass Amherst10,846
November 17, 2012Buffalo29-19UMass Amherst12,649
November 23, 2012Central Michigan42-21UMass Amherst6,385
September 7, 2013Maine24-14UMass Amherst15,624
September 21, 2013Vanderbilt24-7UMass Amherst16,419
October 12, 2013Miami (OH)10-17UMass Amherst21,707
October 26, 2013Western Michigan31-30UMass Amherst20,571
November 2, 2013Northern Illinois63-19UMass Amherst10,061
November 16, 2013Akron14-13UMass Amherst10,599
August 30, 2014Boston College30-7UMass Amherst30,479
September 6, 2014Colorado41-38UMass Amherst10,227
October 18, 2014Eastern Michigan14-36UMass Amherst12,030
September 19, 2015Temple25-23UMass Amherst10,141
October 24, 2015Toledo51-35UMass Amherst12,793
November 7, 2015Akron17-13UMass Amherst6,228
September 10, 2016Boston College26-7UMass Amherst25,112
September 24, 2016Mississippi State47-35UMass Amherst13,074
October 15, 2016Louisiana Tech56-28UMass Amherst13,311
November 10, 2018BYU0-0UMass Amherst-

Hockey

Gillette Stadium also hosted the eighth edition of the NHL Winter Classic, between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, on January 1, 2016.[41]

Date Away Team Result Home Team Event Spectators
December 31, 2015Les Canadiennes de Montreal1-1Boston Pride2016 Outdoor Women's Classic-
January 1, 2016Montreal Canadiens5-1Boston Bruins2016 NHL Winter Classic67,246

Notable soccer games

Memorable Major League Soccer playoff victories include wins over the Chicago Fire in the 2005 and 2007 Eastern Conference Final, sending the Revs to the MLS Cup. Additionally, the venue hosted MLS Cup 2002, four games of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, and some Copa America Centenario matches in 2016.

MLS Cup

Date Winning Team Result Losing Team Tournament Spectators
October 20, 2002United States Los Angeles Galaxy1-0United States New England RevolutionMLS Cup 200261,316

International soccer matches

Date Winning Team Result Losing Team Tournament Spectators
September 27, 2003 Norway7–1 South Korea2003 FIFA Women's World Cup First Round14,356
 Canada3–1 Japan
October 1, 2003 United States1–0 Norway2003 FIFA Women's World Cup Quarterfinals25,103
 Sweden2–1 Brazil
June 10, 2016 Chile2–1 BoliviaCopa América Centenario Group D19,392
June 12, 2016 Peru1–0 BrazilCopa América Centenario Group B36,187
June 18, 2016 Argentina4–1 VenezuelaCopa América Centenario Quarterfinal59,183

Lacrosse

Gillette Stadium hosted the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2017, and 2018 and was the home of the Boston Cannons for the 2015 season.

Collegiate

Dates Tournaments Result Spectators
May 10–26, 2008Division I Men's, Division II & Division IIISyracuse, NYIT, Salisbury97,194
May 9–25, 2009Division I Men's, Division II & Division IIISyracuse, C.W. Pos, Cortland State78,529
May 9–25, 2012Division I Men's, Division II & Division IIILoyola (MD), Dowling, Salisbury62,590
May 13–29, 2017Division I Men's, Division II & Division IIIMaryland, Limestone, Salisbury59,501
May 12–28, 2018Division I Men's, Division II & Division IIIYale, Merrimack, Wesleyan60,071

MLL

Date Away Result Home Spectators
April 12, 2015Denver Outlaws13-16Boston Cannons4,285
April 26, 2015Charlotte Hounds12-11 (OT)Boston Cannons3,612
May 3, 2015New York Lizards15-13Boston Cannons4,713
May 17, 2015Rochester Rattlers16-17 (OT)Boston Cannons5,654
May 30, 2015Florida Launch9-13Boston Cannons10,142
June 28, 2015Chesapeake Bayhawks11-14Boston Cannons7,211
July 11, 2015Ohio Machine19-12Boston Cannons6,813

[42]

Concerts

Date Artist Opening act(s) Tour / Concert name Attendance Gross Notes
September 5, 2002The Rolling StonesThe PretendersThe Licks Tour——
July 6, 2003MetallicaLimp Bizkit
LINKIN PARK
Deftones
Mudvayne		The Summer Sanitarium Tour42,898 / 48,600$3,217,350
August 1, 2003Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band—The Rising Tour96,108 / 98,559$7,107,215
August 2, 2003
July 24, 2004Toby KeithMontgomery Gentry
Jo Dee Messina
Gretchen Wilson
Scotty Emerick
Don Campbell Band		The Big Throwdown Tour39,717 / 41,354$2,850,279
July 23, 2005Kenny ChesneyKeith Urban
Gretchen Wilson
Uncle Kracker
Pat Green		The Somewhere in the Sun Tour50,860 / 50,860$3,263,448
September 3, 2005Green DayJimmy Eat World
Against Me!		The American Idiot Tour26,781 / 43,615$1,006,421
July 16, 2006Kenny ChesneyDierks Bentley
Big & Rich
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson		The Road and The Radio Tour55,124 / 55,124$4,136,945
July 27, 2006Bon JoviNickelbackThe Have a Nice Day Tour45,874 / 45,874$3,384,804
September 20, 2006The Rolling StonesKanye WestA Bigger Bang Tour44,115 / 45,285$4,042,193
July 28, 2007Kenny ChesneyBrooks & Dunn
Sugarland
Sara Evans
Pat Green		The Flip-Flop Summer Tour56,926 / 56,926$4,496,363
July 26, 2008Kenny ChesneyKeith Urban
LeAnn Rimes
Gary Allan
Sammy Hagar		The Poets and Pirates Tour57,394 / 57,394$5,274,364
July 18, 2009Elton John
Billy Joel		—Face to Face 200952,007 / 52,007$6,209,342
July 28, 2009AC/DCAnvilThe Black Ice World Tour——
August 15, 2009Kenny ChesneySugarland
Montgomery Gentry
Miranda Lambert
Lady Antebellum		The Sun City Carnival Tour57,890 / 57,890$5,041,001
September 20, 2009U2Snow PatrolThe U2 360° Tour138,805 / 138,805$12,859,778
September 21, 2009
June 5, 2010Taylor SwiftKellie Pickler
Gloriana
Justin Bieber		Fearless Tour56,868 / 56,868$3,726,157Swift became the first woman to headline the stadium.[43]
June 13, 2010EaglesDixie Chicks
Keith Urban		The Long Road Out of Eden Tour26,433 / 41,582$2,822,410
July 24, 2010Bon JoviKid RockThe Circle Tour51,138 / 51,138$4,418,585
August 21, 2010Brad PaisleyJason Aldean
Darius Rucker
Sara Evans
Easton Corbin		The H2O Tour51,107 / 51,107$3,476,779
June 25, 2011Taylor SwiftNeedtobreathe
Randy Montana
James Wesley		Speak Now World Tour110,800 / 110,800$8,026,350
June 26, 2011
August 26, 2011Kenny ChesneyZac Brown Band
Billy Currington
Uncle Kracker		The Goin' Coastal Tour106,755 / 106,755$9,228,920
August 27, 2011
August 18, 2012Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band—The Wrecking Ball World Tour49,621 / 50,000$4,548,896
August 24, 2012Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw		Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Jake Owen		The Brothers of the Sun Tour111,209 / 111,209$9,926,110Birth of no shoes nation[44]
August 25, 2012
July 20, 2013Bon JoviThe J. Geils BandThe Because We Can Tour45,912 / 45,912$3,514,571
July 26, 2013Taylor SwiftEd Sheeran
Austin Mahone
Joel Crouse		The Red Tour110,712 / 110,712$9,464,063At the first show, Carly Simon was the special guest.[45]
July 27, 2013
August 23, 2013Kenny Chesney
Eric Church		Eli Young Band
Kacey Musgraves		The No Shoes Nation Tour109,207 / 109,207$9,465,256
August 24, 2013
May 31, 2014George StraitTim McGraw
Faith Hill
Cassadee Pope		The Cowboy Rides Away Tour55,863 / 55,863$5,005,789
July 1, 2014Beyoncé
Jay-Z		—The On the Run Tour52,802 / 52,802$5,738,114Jay-Z became the first rapper to headline the stadium.[46]
August 7, 2014One Direction5 Seconds of SummerThe Where We Are Tour148,251 / 148,251$13,475,239
August 8, 2014
August 9, 2014
August 10, 2014Luke BryanDierks Bentley
Lee Brice
Cole Swindell		The That's My Kind of Night Tour56,048 / 56,048$4,349,568
July 24, 2015Taylor SwiftVance Joy
Shawn Mendes
Haim		The 1989 World Tour116,849 / 116,849$12,533,166Walk the Moon was the special guest.[47]
July 25, 2015MKTO was the special guest.[48]
August 22, 2015AC/DCVintage TroubleRock or Bust World Tour48,000 / 50,000—
August 28, 2015Kenny Chesney
Jason Aldean		Brantley Gilbert
Cole Swindell
Old Dominion		The Big Revival Tour
The Burn It Down Tour		120,206 / 120,206$11,624,917
August 29, 2015
September 12, 2015One DirectionIcona PopThe On the Road Again Tour48,167 / 48,167$4,493,993Liam Payne and Niall Horan, respectively, made a cover of "22" by Taylor Swift, because of the 22nd birthday of both.
September 25, 2015Ed SheeranPassenger
Christina Perri		The x Tour51,996 / 54,000$3,234,377
June 3, 2016BeyoncéDJ KhaledThe Formation World Tour48,304 / 48,304$6,008,698
July 15, 2016Luke BryanLittle Big Town
Chris Stapleton
Dustin Lynch		The Kill the Lights Tour76,450 / 87,871$7,511,536
July 16, 2016
July 19, 2016Guns N' RosesLenny KravitzThe Not In This Lifetime... Tour65,472 / 71,099$8,302,575
July 20, 2016
July 30, 2016ColdplayAlessia Cara
Foxes		A Head Full of Dreams Tour54,952 / 54,952$6,530,260
August 26, 2016Kenny ChesneyMiranda Lambert
Sam Hunt
Old Dominion		The Spread the Love Tour121,399 / 121,399$11,455,368
August 27, 2016
September 14, 2016Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band—The River Tour48,324 / 51,664$5,439,521
May 19, 2017MetallicaVolbeat
Mix Master Mike		The WorldWired Tour47,778 / 48,905$6,095,723
June 25, 2017U2The LumineersThe Joshua Tree Tour 201755,231 / 55,231$6,881,340
August 4, 2017ColdplayAlunaGeorge
Izzy Bizu		A Head Full of Dreams Tour52,188 / 52,188$6,263,906
August 25, 2017Kenny ChesneyThomas Rhett
Old Dominion
Midland		The No Shoes Nation Tour 2017121,642 / 121,642$12,095,688
August 26, 2017
July 26, 2018Taylor SwiftCamila Cabello
Charli XCX		Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour174,764 / 174,764$21,779,846Hayley Kiyoko was the special guest on night one.
July 27, 2018
July 28, 2018
August 5, 2018Beyoncé
Jay-Z		Chloe X Halle and DJ KhaledOn the Run II Tour47,667 / 47,667$6,159,980
August 24, 2018Kenny ChesneyDierks Bentley
Brothers Osborne
Brandon Lay		The Trip Around The Sun Tour121,714/121,714$11,600,000[49]
August 25, 2018
September 15, 2018Ed SheeranSnow Patrol
Anne Marie Waters		÷ Tour110,238 / 110,238$9,382,550

Other events

The AMA Supercross Championship has been racing at Gillette Stadium since 2016.

Monster Jam has been coming to the stadium since 2014.

Playing surface

On November 14, 2006, two days after a rainstorm contributed to the deterioration of the grass surface in a Patriots game against the Jets, team management decided to replace the natural grass surface with a synthetic surface, FieldTurf. The Patriots' first game on the surface was a victory over the previously 9–1 Chicago Bears on November 26. At the conclusion of the 2007 season, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a career record of 31–3 on artificial turf. The team lost a preseason matchup in August 2007 to the Tennessee Titans on the new FieldTurf but otherwise won its first eleven regular-season and playoff games on the surface covering the period of November 2006 until September 2008, when the Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins.

In February 2010, the surface was pulled and upgraded to FieldTurf "Duraspine Pro", which was expected to meet FIFA standards that the previous turf did not, preventing the team from having to place sod on top of their turf to host international soccer matches.[50]

The surface was upgraded again in April 2014 to FieldTurf "Revolution" with "VersaTile" drainage system. The FieldTurf Revolution product is currently used at many venues across North America, including CenturyLink Field (home to the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and MLS's Seattle Sounders) and Providence Park, home of the MLS's Portland Timbers, where its installation was recently completed.[51]

When the field is configured for American football, the Patriots have their "Flying Elvis" logo painted on the field at dead center of the 50-yard line. Off to both sides along the 50-yard line, the Gillette Stadium logo is also painted on the field. This is a gray-and-yellow stylized representation of the bridge and tower at the north entrance of the stadium.

Patriot Place

2009 Energy Project Award Winning 525 kilowatt BIPV CoolPly system on the Patriot Place Complex Adjacent to the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The Solar Project was built, and is owned and operated by Constellation Energy.

In 2006, the Patriots and Kraft announced plans to build a "super regional lifestyle and entertainment center" in the area around Gillette Stadium named Patriot Place.[52][53] The cost of the project was $350 million, more than the cost to build Gillette Stadium itself; Kraft had purchased much of the surrounding land, about 700 acres (280 ha), when he bought Foxboro Stadium in the late 1980s.[54]

The first phase of the project opened in fall of 2007,[55] and featured the first Bass Pro Shops in New England, as well as Circuit City (now closed), Bed Bath & Beyond, Five Guys Burgers, Christmas Tree Shops, and Staples.[54] In December 2007, the Patriots and CBS announced plans to build a themed restaurant and nightclub, named "CBS Scene", at the site, which would also include studios for CBS-owned WBZ-TV.[56] The restaurant was part of the second phase of the project, which included an open mall, a health center, a Cinema de Lux movie theater, a four-star Renaissance hotel, and "The Hall at Patriot Place." Attached to Gillette Stadium, the Hall includes a two-level interactive museum honoring the Patriots accomplishments and Super Bowl championships, plus the Patriots Pro Shop.[57] The first restaurants and stores in phase two began opening in July 2008, and were followed by the openings of the Hall at Patriot Place and the CBS Scene in time for the beginning of the 2008 New England Patriots season. More locations, including the health center and hotel, opened in 2009, along with additional sites in phase one.

Panorama of Gillette Stadium, taken from the south end, in 2007. The video screen has since been replaced with a larger one.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Park like a pro around Gillette Stadium". 9 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Stadium Overview - Gillette Stadium". Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Gillette Stadium Overview". revolutionsoccer.net. March 8, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  4. ↑ "National Football League Rules Digest". NFL. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "CMGI Field". SportsBusiness Journal. May 20, 2002. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Vanderweil Engineers". Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "Stadium Information". New England Patriots/Gillette Stadium. Archived from the original on October 28, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Gillette Stadium Quick Facts". New England Patriots/Gillette Stadium. Archived from the original on October 28, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  10. ↑ "CMGI Field is now Gillette Stadium". CNN.com. August 5, 2002. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Gillette naming rights extended". ESPN Boston. September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  12. ↑ "CMGI and New England Patriots Agree to Revise Sponsorship Agreement". Business Wire. August 5, 2002. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  13. ↑ Vaillancourt, Meg (December 7, 1999). "Foxborough Ok's Patriots Stadium". The Boston Globe.
  14. ↑ "Gillette Stadium". New England Revolution. Archived from the original on November 8, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  15. ↑ http://www.setlist.fm/festival/2002/wbcn-river-rave-2002-13d6a5bd.html
  16. ↑ Pedulla, Tom (September 6, 2002). "New Stadium is Champion Pats' Crowning Jewel". USA Today. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  17. 1 2 Game Notes: Patriots improve to 3-0 in Thursday Night Kickoff games
  18. ↑ Roberts, p.179
  19. ↑ Foulds, p.103
  20. ↑ Roberts, p.188
  21. ↑ Roberts, p.189
  22. ↑ Roberts, p.193
  23. ↑ Roberts, p.190-191
  24. ↑ Roberts, p.191-192
  25. ↑ Roberts, p.192
  26. ↑ Roberts, p.194-195
  27. ↑ Roberts, p.195-197
  28. ↑ Roberts, p.197
  29. ↑ Roberts, p.198-200
  30. ↑ "Patriots Cancel Hartford Move". LA Times. Wire Reports. 1 May 1999. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  31. ↑ Roberts, p.202
  32. 1 2 Burris, Joe (April 19, 2000). "Light is shed: Patriots Unveil New Stadium Plan, Providing a Beacon of Hope". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  33. ↑ Comfort Zone – Boston Globe – November 19, 2001
  34. ↑ "lighthousestars.com". Archived from the original on 10 August 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  35. ↑ Patriots Announce Addition of Really Huge HD Video Boards for 2010 in Gillette Stadium
  36. ↑ Sando, Mike (July 26, 2010). "OTL: Safer to digest in NFC West". Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  37. ↑ Breer, Albert (July 26, 2010). "Patriots Run a Clean Operation". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  38. ↑ "New England Patriots History". Patriots.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  39. ↑ Vautour, Matt (2011-04-21). "Gillette Stadium new home for UMass football beginning in 2012". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  40. ↑ Chimells, Ron (April 23, 2011). "UMass football could play on campus again, but not before 2014". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  41. ↑ "Bruins To Host Montreal Canadiens At Gillette Stadium For The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic". Boston Bruins. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  42. ↑ http://mll.stats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=2629260
  43. ↑ "Taylor Swift Announces Concert Date At Gillette Stadium". CBS Boston. November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Kenny Chesney reflects on strength of his Boston ties - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  45. ↑ Colemon, Miriam (2013-07-26). "Carly Simon Joins Taylor Swift for 'You're So Vain'". Rolling Stone.
  46. ↑ Read, James (July 2, 2014). "Beyoncé and Jay Z band together for Foxborough show". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  47. ↑ Raczka, Rachel (July 24, 2015). "Taylor Swift brought Walk The Moon onstage at Gillette". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  48. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (July 26, 2015). "Taylor Swift & MKTO Perform 'Classic' at Gillette Stadium: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  49. ↑ Frankenberg, Eric (August 30, 2018). "Kenny Chesney's Trip Around the Sun Tour Finishes as His Biggest Tour Ever". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  50. ↑ Breer, Albert (February 22, 2010). "Patriots Putting in New Field at Gillette". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  51. ↑ "Gillette Stadium upgrading field surface". 24 March 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  52. ↑ Bailey, Steve (January 25, 2006). "New Role for Krafts: Developers". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  53. ↑ "Gillette Stadium: New for 2006". Patriots.com. April 2, 2006. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  54. 1 2 Abelson, Jenn (May 20, 2007). "Krafts Building a $350m Patriot Place Complex, And A Legacy". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  55. ↑ "Bass Pro Shop Opens In Patriot Place". WBZ-TV. November 15, 2007. Archived from the original on January 3, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  56. ↑ "CBS Sports Bar & Restaurant Coming To Foxboro". WBZ-TV. December 9, 2007. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  57. ↑ Reed, Keith (May 20, 2007). "Patriots Museum Will Have Pizzazz". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
Sources
  • Roberts, Randy (2005). The Rock, the Curse, and the Hub. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01504-3.
  • Foulds, Alan E. (2005). Boston's Ballparks & Arenas. University Press of New England. ISBN 978-1-58465-409-4.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Foxboro Stadium		 Home of the
New England Patriots
2002 – present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Foxboro Stadium		 Home of the
New England Revolution
2002 – present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Columbus Crew Stadium		 Host of the
MLS Cup
2002		 Succeeded by
Home Depot Center
Preceded by
Invesco Field at Mile High		 Home of the
Drum Corps International
World Championship
2005		 Succeeded by
Camp Randall Stadium
Preceded by
M&T Bank Stadium		 Home of the
NCAA Lacrosse Final Four
2008–2009		 Succeeded by
M&T Bank Stadium
Preceded by
Oakland Coliseum
RCA Dome
Heinz Field
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High		 Host of AFC Championship Game
2004
2008
2012–2013
2015
2017–2018		 Succeeded by
Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
incumbent
Preceded by
Nationals Park		 Host of the
NHL Winter Classic
2016		 Succeeded by
Busch Stadium
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