Dolphin Stadium
Encyclopedia
Sun Life Stadium is an American football
stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins
National Football League
team, and the University of Miami
Hurricanes
football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl
, an annual college football bowl game
. It was the home to the Florida Marlins baseball team from 1993-2011. Originally named Joe Robbie Stadium, it has also been known as Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium.
Since its construction, the stadium has hosted five Super Bowl
s (XXIII
, XXIX
, XXXIII
, XLI
and XLIV
), two World Series
( and ), and three BCS National Championship Game
s (2001
, 2005
, 2009
). The stadium served as host for the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic
, and hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl
. It also will be the site for WrestleMania XXVIII
, the flagship event of the WWE.
On January 18, 2010, the Miami Dolphins signed a five-year deal with Sun Life Financial
to rename Dolphin Stadium to Sun Life Stadium. The deal is worth $7.5 million per year for five years (a total of $37.5 million).
.
Robbie believed it was only a matter of time before a Major League Baseball
team came to South Florida. At his request, the stadium was built so only minimal renovations would be necessary to ready it for a baseball team. Most notably, the field was made somewhat wider than is normally the case for an NFL stadium. The wide field also makes it fairly easy to convert the stadium for soccer.
Because of this design decision, the first row of seats is 90 feet (27 m) from the sideline in a football configuration, considerably more distant than the first row of seats in most football stadiums (the closest seats at the new Soldier Field
, for instance, are 55 feet (17 m) from the sideline at the 50–yard line). This resulted in a less intimate venue for football compared to other football facilities built around this time, as well as to the Orange Bowl.
The first regular season NFL game played there was a 42–0 Dolphins victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
on October 11, 1987. The game was in the middle of the 1987 NFL strike, and was played with replacement player
s. The stadium hosted its first Monday Night Football
there on December 7 of that year, in a 37–28 Dolphins victory over the New York Jets
. In addition to the Super Bowl, several other playoff games have been played in the stadium, including the 1992 AFC Championship Game
, which the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills
, 29-10. The Dolphins are 5-3 in playoff games held here.
In 1990, H. Wayne Huizenga
, then Chairman of the Board and CEO
of Blockbuster Video
and Huizenga Holdings Inc., agreed to purchase 50 percent of then-Joe Robbie Stadium and became the point man in the drive to bring Major League Baseball
to south Florida. That effort was rewarded in July 1991, when the Miami area was awarded an MLB expansion franchise. The new team was named the Florida Marlins
, and placed in the National League. On January 24, 1994, Huizenga acquired the remaining 50 percent of the stadium to give him 100% ownership. Since 1991, several million dollars have been spent to upgrade and renovate the stadium.
The first Marlins game played at then-Joe Robbie Stadium was on April 5, 1993, a 6–3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
in Toronto
; when the Toronto Blue Jays
played there from 1977 to 1989, they were burdened with seats that were so far from the field that they weren't even sold during the regular season. However, as mentioned above, Robbie had foreseen Miami would be a likely location for an new or relocated MLB team, and the stadium was designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible.
The stadium's baseball capacity was initially reduced to 47,600, with most of the upper level covered with a tarp. In addition to Huizenga's desire create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball, most of the seats in the upper level would have been too far from the field. The stadium's baseball capacity has been further reduced over the years, and finally settled at 36,500 seats. However, the Marlins usually open the entire upper level for the postseason. In the 1997 World Series
, the Marlins played before crowds of over 67,000 fans—the highest postseason attendance figures in MLB history, only exceeded by Cleveland Stadium
, home of the Cleveland Indians
during the 1948 World Series
and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
(before Dodger Stadium
was opened) in the 1959 World Series
.
Although it was designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, Sun Life Stadium is not a true multipurpose stadium. Rather, it is a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. Most of the seats are pointed toward center field – where the 50–yard line would be in the football configuration. As such, the sight lines were not as good for baseball. This was particularly evident during the Marlins' World Series appearances in 1997 and 2003. Some portions of left and center field were not part of the football playing field, and fans sitting in the left field upper-deck seats were unable to see these areas except on the replay boards.
Aside from baseball renovations, the stadium has undergone some permanent renovations. In April 2006, the stadium unveiled two large video boards from Daktronics
, the largest in professional sports at the time. The east display measures 50 feet (15.2 m) high by 140 feet (42.7 m) wide, and the west end zone display measure 50 feet (15.2 m) high by 100 feet (30.5 m) wide. A new 2118 feet (645.6 m)-long LED ribbon board, again the largest in the world at the time, was also installed. These have since been surpassed in size.
In addition, the upgrades include vastly widened 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) concourses on the stadium’s north and south sides. Bars, lounges and other amenities have also been added. The renovation has three phases, the first has been completed; the second and third phases of renovation will take place after the Marlins move from the stadium. These remaining phases include the addition of a roof to shield fans from the rain, as well as remodeling the sidelines of the lower bowl to narrow the field and bring seats closer, ending its convertibility to baseball.
The stadium contains 10,209 club seats and 216 suites. When the Marlins played at the stadium, 2,400 of the club seats and 216 suites were available.
The stadium has played host to five Super Bowl
s (1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, and 2010). There has been a kickoff return for a touchdown in each Super Bowl
played at the stadium, except in the most recent game. The stadium also hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl
.
The NFL is threatening not to return (for the Super Bowl or Pro Bowl) unless significant renovations are made. One of the upgrades desired was a roof to protect fans from the elements. The 2007 Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium — when Indianapolis defeated Chicago 29-17 — was marred by heavy rains. An estimated 30 percent of the lower-level seating was empty during the second half. The concern about the elements during the Super Bowl no longer appears as much of an issue since the NFL awarded Super Bowl XLVIII
to New Jersey, the first Super Bowl to be played outdoors (with the possibility of snowfall) in a northern state.
The Dolphins already have pulled the plug on pitching a $200-million hotel tax proposal that would have included a partial stadium roof. With the end zones facing east and west, the uncovered north side of the stadium bakes in the south Florida sun. The issue has become so problematic that Stephen Ross, who owns the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, successfully petitioned the NFL for no early kickoffs in September home games even at the expense of losing home-field advantage against opponents unaccustomed to the sweltering heat and humidity.
Between 1990 and 2000, the stadium hosted a bowl game variously known as the Blockbuster Bowl, CarQuest Bowl, and MicronPC Bowl. After 2000, that bowl was moved to Orlando, where it eventually became known as the Champs Sports Bowl
.
The stadium has been the site of the Orange Bowl game since 1996, except for the January 1999 contest between Florida and Syracuse
, which had to be moved due to a conflict with a Dolphins playoff game.
Until 2008, the stadium was host biennially to the yearly Shula Bowl
, a game played between Florida Atlantic University
and Florida International University
, when the game was hosted by FAU as the home team.(FIU hosts the game at their own stadium, FIU Stadium
, every other year).
On January 8, 2009, the stadium hosted the 2009 BCS National Championship Game
between Florida
and Oklahoma
.
have been played at Sun Life Stadium.
Two National League Championship Series
have been played at Sun Life Stadium.
Two World Series
have been played at Sun Life Stadium.
The stadium was the venue where Ken Griffey, Jr.
hit his 600th career home run
off Mark Hendrickson
of the Florida Marlins
on June 9, 2008; and where Roy Halladay
of the Philadelphia Phillies
pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on May 29, 2010 against the Marlins.
Madonna
performed during her Sticky and Sweet Tour on November 26, 2008, in front of a sold-out audience of 48,000.
Paul McCartney
performed at the stadium during his Up and Coming Tour
on April 3, 2010.
U2
performed during their 360° Tour
on June 29, 2011, with Florence + The Machine as their opening act. The show was originally scheduled for July 9, 2010, but was postponed, due to Bono
's emergency back surgery. The concert forced the Marlins' interleague series with the Seattle Mariners
, originally scheduled to be played at Sun Life Stadium the previous weekend, to move to Safeco Field
in Seattle.
and C.D. Guadalajara
on August 3, 2011, as part of the 2011 World Football Challenge
. Guadalajara won the match 4–1 in front of 70,080 attendees.
shows, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and boat shows, the UniverSoul Circus, Australian rules football
exhibition matches, and numerous trade shows. It has even hosted religious gatherings, most notably a visit by Pope John Paul II
.
In 2006, it hosted the High School State Football Championships, sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA). Movies have also been shot there, most notably Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
, which starred Jim Carrey
and featured Dolphins great Dan Marino
as himself; Marley and Me
starring Owen Wilson
and Jennifer Aniston
; and the Oliver Stone
-directed Any Given Sunday
.
On February 8, 2011, the stadium was chosen to host WWE's WrestleMania XXVIII
. The event will take place on Sunday, April 1, 2012. On the April 4, 2011 edition of WWE Raw
, it was announced that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would be facing John Cena
in his first match at a WrestleMania
event since 2004.
.
Initially, Dolphins Stadium was named after Joe Robbie, the original and then-owner of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were the stadium's primary tenant at the time.
In the early 1990s, Wayne Huizenga
gained control of the stadium. Huizenga first sold the naming rights to Pro Player, the sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom
, and Joe Robbie Stadium became Pro Player Stadium on August 26, 1996.
Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was ultimately liquidated in 2001, but the stadium name held for several more years. In January 2005, the Pro Player name was replaced with Dolphins Stadium, coinciding with a renovation of the stadium. Dolphins was changed to Dolphin in April 2006, in an update of graphics and logos.
From February 2008 through January 2009, Stephen M. Ross
gradually acquired 95% of the stadium and surrounding land. He then partnered with Jimmy Buffett
to change the name once more, this time to Land Shark Stadium. The renaming was announced on May 9, 2009, but would last less than a year as the deal did not include rights for the upcoming 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV.
On January 20, 2010, the firm Sun Life Financial
officially announced that they had acquired the naming rights, and the name of the stadium became Sun Life Stadium.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team, and the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
, an annual college football bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. It was the home to the Florida Marlins baseball team from 1993-2011. Originally named Joe Robbie Stadium, it has also been known as Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium.
Since its construction, the stadium has hosted five Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s (XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1988 regular season. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held...
, XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
, XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
, XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
and XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
), two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
( and ), and three BCS National Championship Game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
s (2001
2001 Orange Bowl
The 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game and BCS National Championship match between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida State Seminoles on January 3, 2001, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...
, 2005
2005 Orange Bowl
The 2005 Orange Bowl represented the BCS National Championship Game of the 2004 season and was played on January 4, 2005 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida....
, 2009
2009 BCS National Championship Game
The 2009 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by FedEx, was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 college football season, and featured the second-ranked Florida Gators against the...
). The stadium served as host for the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
, and hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
. It also will be the site for WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVIII is the forthcoming twenty-eighth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE. It is scheduled to take place on April 1, 2012 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...
, the flagship event of the WWE.
On January 18, 2010, the Miami Dolphins signed a five-year deal with Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial Inc. is an international financial services company known primarily as a life insurance company. Based in Toronto, Canada, Sun Life and its partners provide insurance, retirement and investment solutions for individuals and businesses around the world including Canada, the United...
to rename Dolphin Stadium to Sun Life Stadium. The deal is worth $7.5 million per year for five years (a total of $37.5 million).
Conception and construction
Joe Robbie, founder of the Miami Dolphins, led the financing campaign to build a new home for his team. For their first 20 years, the Dolphins played at the Orange BowlMiami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team came to South Florida. At his request, the stadium was built so only minimal renovations would be necessary to ready it for a baseball team. Most notably, the field was made somewhat wider than is normally the case for an NFL stadium. The wide field also makes it fairly easy to convert the stadium for soccer.
Because of this design decision, the first row of seats is 90 feet (27 m) from the sideline in a football configuration, considerably more distant than the first row of seats in most football stadiums (the closest seats at the new Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, for instance, are 55 feet (17 m) from the sideline at the 50–yard line). This resulted in a less intimate venue for football compared to other football facilities built around this time, as well as to the Orange Bowl.
Dolphins
1987 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1987 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with an 4–11 record, and last place finish in the AFC West.One of the most tumultuous weeks in franchise history took place following the club’s playoff loss against the Jets in the playoffs...
on October 11, 1987. The game was in the middle of the 1987 NFL strike, and was played with replacement player
Replacement player
In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout.- National Football League – 1987 :...
s. The stadium hosted its first Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
there on December 7 of that year, in a 37–28 Dolphins victory over the New York Jets
1987 New York Jets season
The 1987 New York Jets season was the 28th season for the team and the 18th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 10–6 record from 1986 under head coach Joe Walton. The season was marred by a players' strike that resulted in the cancellation of all Week...
. In addition to the Super Bowl, several other playoff games have been played in the stadium, including the 1992 AFC Championship Game
NFL playoffs, 1992-93
The NFL playoffs following the 1992 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXVII.-Bracket:-NFC: Washington Redskins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7:Running back Brian Mitchell led the Redskins to the 24-7 victory with 109 rushing yards and 100 total yards on receptions and punt returns...
, which the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 29-10. The Dolphins are 5-3 in playoff games held here.
The Marlins move in
Wayne Huizenga
Harry Wayne Huizenga is an American businessman who grew Blockbuster Video, Waste Management, Inc., and AutoNation into successful companies. He is the former owner of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins, the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers and the Major League Baseball's Miami...
, then Chairman of the Board and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Blockbuster Video
Blockbuster (movie rental store)
Blockbuster LLC is an American-based provider of home video and video game rental services, originally through video rental shops , later adding DVD-by-mail, streaming video on demand, and kiosks. At its peak in 2009, Blockbuster had up to 60,000 employees. There are around 1700 Blockbuster...
and Huizenga Holdings Inc., agreed to purchase 50 percent of then-Joe Robbie Stadium and became the point man in the drive to bring Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
to south Florida. That effort was rewarded in July 1991, when the Miami area was awarded an MLB expansion franchise. The new team was named the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, and placed in the National League. On January 24, 1994, Huizenga acquired the remaining 50 percent of the stadium to give him 100% ownership. Since 1991, several million dollars have been spent to upgrade and renovate the stadium.
The first Marlins game played at then-Joe Robbie Stadium was on April 5, 1993, a 6–3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers
1993 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1993 Dodgers improved on the dismal 1992 season finishing fourth in the Western Division of the National League. This was in part thanks to this years Rookie of the Year winner, catcher Mike Piazza. Piazza set rookie records with 35 home runs and 112 RBI...
.
Renovations and configurations
After Huizenga bought part of the stadium, it was extensively renovated to accommodate a baseball team, as part of his successful bid to bring baseball to south Florida. Purists initially feared the result would be similar to Exhibition StadiumExhibition Stadium
Canadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
; when the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
played there from 1977 to 1989, they were burdened with seats that were so far from the field that they weren't even sold during the regular season. However, as mentioned above, Robbie had foreseen Miami would be a likely location for an new or relocated MLB team, and the stadium was designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible.
The stadium's baseball capacity was initially reduced to 47,600, with most of the upper level covered with a tarp. In addition to Huizenga's desire create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball, most of the seats in the upper level would have been too far from the field. The stadium's baseball capacity has been further reduced over the years, and finally settled at 36,500 seats. However, the Marlins usually open the entire upper level for the postseason. In the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
, the Marlins played before crowds of over 67,000 fans—the highest postseason attendance figures in MLB history, only exceeded by Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
, home of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
during the 1948 World Series
1948 World Series
The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians against the Boston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of . The Indians spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston...
and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(before Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
was opened) in the 1959 World Series
1959 World Series
The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
.
Although it was designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, Sun Life Stadium is not a true multipurpose stadium. Rather, it is a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. Most of the seats are pointed toward center field – where the 50–yard line would be in the football configuration. As such, the sight lines were not as good for baseball. This was particularly evident during the Marlins' World Series appearances in 1997 and 2003. Some portions of left and center field were not part of the football playing field, and fans sitting in the left field upper-deck seats were unable to see these areas except on the replay boards.
Aside from baseball renovations, the stadium has undergone some permanent renovations. In April 2006, the stadium unveiled two large video boards from Daktronics
Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
, the largest in professional sports at the time. The east display measures 50 feet (15.2 m) high by 140 feet (42.7 m) wide, and the west end zone display measure 50 feet (15.2 m) high by 100 feet (30.5 m) wide. A new 2118 feet (645.6 m)-long LED ribbon board, again the largest in the world at the time, was also installed. These have since been surpassed in size.
In addition, the upgrades include vastly widened 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) concourses on the stadium’s north and south sides. Bars, lounges and other amenities have also been added. The renovation has three phases, the first has been completed; the second and third phases of renovation will take place after the Marlins move from the stadium. These remaining phases include the addition of a roof to shield fans from the rain, as well as remodeling the sidelines of the lower bowl to narrow the field and bring seats closer, ending its convertibility to baseball.
The stadium contains 10,209 club seats and 216 suites. When the Marlins played at the stadium, 2,400 of the club seats and 216 suites were available.
NFL
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s (1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, and 2010). There has been a kickoff return for a touchdown in each Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
played at the stadium, except in the most recent game. The stadium also hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
.
The NFL is threatening not to return (for the Super Bowl or Pro Bowl) unless significant renovations are made. One of the upgrades desired was a roof to protect fans from the elements. The 2007 Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium — when Indianapolis defeated Chicago 29-17 — was marred by heavy rains. An estimated 30 percent of the lower-level seating was empty during the second half. The concern about the elements during the Super Bowl no longer appears as much of an issue since the NFL awarded Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII will be the 48th edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 44th annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey...
to New Jersey, the first Super Bowl to be played outdoors (with the possibility of snowfall) in a northern state.
The Dolphins already have pulled the plug on pitching a $200-million hotel tax proposal that would have included a partial stadium roof. With the end zones facing east and west, the uncovered north side of the stadium bakes in the south Florida sun. The issue has become so problematic that Stephen Ross, who owns the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, successfully petitioned the NFL for no early kickoffs in September home games even at the expense of losing home-field advantage against opponents unaccustomed to the sweltering heat and humidity.
NCAA
The stadium has hosted the Miami Hurricanes beginning in 2008. The stadium was the home field for the Florida Atlantic Owls (2001–2002).Between 1990 and 2000, the stadium hosted a bowl game variously known as the Blockbuster Bowl, CarQuest Bowl, and MicronPC Bowl. After 2000, that bowl was moved to Orlando, where it eventually became known as the Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
.
The stadium has been the site of the Orange Bowl game since 1996, except for the January 1999 contest between Florida and Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
, which had to be moved due to a conflict with a Dolphins playoff game.
Until 2008, the stadium was host biennially to the yearly Shula Bowl
Shula Bowl
The Shula Bowl is an annual college football rivalry game between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Golden Panthers. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, the "Don Shula Award" for one year. The current winner is FIU, winning 41-7 on 12 November...
, a game played between Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
and Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, when the game was hosted by FAU as the home team.(FIU hosts the game at their own stadium, FIU Stadium
FIU Stadium
FIU Stadium, popularly known as "The Cage", is the on-campus American football stadium of Florida International University in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the home field of the FIU Golden Panthers football team. The stadium opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for...
, every other year).
On January 8, 2009, the stadium hosted the 2009 BCS National Championship Game
2009 BCS National Championship Game
The 2009 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by FedEx, was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 college football season, and featured the second-ranked Florida Gators against the...
between Florida
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
.
Baseball
Two National League Division SeriesNational League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series determine which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series...
have been played at Sun Life Stadium.
- 19971997 National League Division Series-Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves:-San Francisco vs. Florida:The San Francisco Giants made it back to the postseason for the first time since the 1989 World Series. The Florida Marlins were in the postseason for the first time ever.-Game 1, September 30:...
against the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
: Marlins win 3 games to 0 - 20032003 National League Division Series-San Francisco Giants vs. Florida Marlins:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaIn Game 1, Kerry Wood faced Russ Ortiz. Both pitchers were on their game and in the bottom of the third the Braves struck first when Marcus Giles homered to make it 1–0 Braves. The score remained 1–0...
against the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
: Marlins win 3 games to 1
Two National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
have been played at Sun Life Stadium.
- 19971997 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1997 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Marlins scored three unearned runs in the first inning off Greg Maddux, thanks to a Fred McGriff error, when Moisés Alou hit a bases-clearing double to left...
against the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
: Marlins win 4 games to 2 - 20032003 National League Championship Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 2003 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Marlins took Game 1 of the series, coming back from an early 4–0 deficit. They scored five runs in the third on three home runs from Juan Encarnacion, rookie Miguel Cabrera, and Ivan "Pudge" Rodríguez. In the sixth inning,...
against the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
: Marlins win 4 games to 3
Two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
have been played at Sun Life Stadium.
- 19971997 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
against the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
: Marlins win 4 games to 3. - 20032003 World SeriesThe 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
against the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
: Marlins win 4 games to 2
The stadium was the venue where Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
hit his 600th career home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off Mark Hendrickson
Mark Hendrickson
Mark Allan Hendrickson is an American Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles. Hendrickson is also a retired National Basketball Association power forward who played 114 NBA games before becoming a pitcher full-time. He is one of just 12 athletes to play in both...
of the Florida Marlins
2008 Florida Marlins season
The Florida Marlins' 2008 season was the 16th season for the Major League Baseball franchise. Fredi González returned for his second season as manager...
on June 9, 2008; and where Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on May 29, 2010 against the Marlins.
Concerts
Guns N' Roses performed a New Year's Eve show on December 31, 1991.Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
performed during her Sticky and Sweet Tour on November 26, 2008, in front of a sold-out audience of 48,000.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
performed at the stadium during his Up and Coming Tour
Up and Coming Tour
The Up and Coming Tour is a concert tour by Paul McCartney. The tour began on March 28, 2010, at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona , included two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, following with concerts in Miami and San Juan, the latter marking McCartney's first...
on April 3, 2010.
U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
performed during their 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
on June 29, 2011, with Florence + The Machine as their opening act. The show was originally scheduled for July 9, 2010, but was postponed, due to Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
's emergency back surgery. The concert forced the Marlins' interleague series with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, originally scheduled to be played at Sun Life Stadium the previous weekend, to move to Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
in Seattle.
Soccer
Sun Life Stadium hosted a match between FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and C.D. Guadalajara
C.D. Guadalajara
Club Deportivo Guadalajara , is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Guadalajara plays in the Primera División de México and is the most successful club in Mexican football, having won 11 First Division titles, 7 Campeón de Campeones and 2 Copa México...
on August 3, 2011, as part of the 2011 World Football Challenge
2011 World Football Challenge
The 2011 World Football Challenge was the second World Football Challenge event, a series of friendly football matches played in the United States and Canada in July and August 2011.- Participants :...
. Guadalajara won the match 4–1 in front of 70,080 attendees.
Other events
Other events held at the stadium have included international Football games, monster truckMonster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
shows, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and boat shows, the UniverSoul Circus, Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
exhibition matches, and numerous trade shows. It has even hosted religious gatherings, most notably a visit by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
In 2006, it hosted the High School State Football Championships, sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
(FHSAA). Movies have also been shot there, most notably Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
, which starred Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
and featured Dolphins great Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
as himself; Marley and Me
Marley & Me (film)
Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
starring Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
and Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
; and the Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
-directed Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday is a 1999 American drama film directed by Oliver Stone depicting a fictional professional American football team. The film features an ensemble cast, consisting of Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J, Matthew Modine, John C...
.
On February 8, 2011, the stadium was chosen to host WWE's WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVIII is the forthcoming twenty-eighth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE. It is scheduled to take place on April 1, 2012 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...
. The event will take place on Sunday, April 1, 2012. On the April 4, 2011 edition of WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, it was announced that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would be facing John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
in his first match at a WrestleMania
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
event since 2004.
Naming rights
The stadium has gone through many name changes, bringing up the overall question of the value of corporate naming rightsNaming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
.
Initially, Dolphins Stadium was named after Joe Robbie, the original and then-owner of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were the stadium's primary tenant at the time.
In the early 1990s, Wayne Huizenga
Wayne Huizenga
Harry Wayne Huizenga is an American businessman who grew Blockbuster Video, Waste Management, Inc., and AutoNation into successful companies. He is the former owner of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins, the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers and the Major League Baseball's Miami...
gained control of the stadium. Huizenga first sold the naming rights to Pro Player, the sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom is an American company which manufactures clothing, particularly underwear. The company's world headquarters is in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is currently a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.-Company profile:...
, and Joe Robbie Stadium became Pro Player Stadium on August 26, 1996.
Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was ultimately liquidated in 2001, but the stadium name held for several more years. In January 2005, the Pro Player name was replaced with Dolphins Stadium, coinciding with a renovation of the stadium. Dolphins was changed to Dolphin in April 2006, in an update of graphics and logos.
From February 2008 through January 2009, Stephen M. Ross
Stephen M. Ross
Stephen M. Ross is an American real estate developer. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of The Related Companies, L.P., a New York City-based real estate development company. It is jointly owned by his business partner, Jorge M. Perez. He owns 95% of the Miami Dolphins NFL football franchise and...
gradually acquired 95% of the stadium and surrounding land. He then partnered with Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
to change the name once more, this time to Land Shark Stadium. The renaming was announced on May 9, 2009, but would last less than a year as the deal did not include rights for the upcoming 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV.
On January 20, 2010, the firm Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial Inc. is an international financial services company known primarily as a life insurance company. Based in Toronto, Canada, Sun Life and its partners provide insurance, retirement and investment solutions for individuals and businesses around the world including Canada, the United...
officially announced that they had acquired the naming rights, and the name of the stadium became Sun Life Stadium.