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FedEx Field -
Address: 1600 FedEx Way, Landover, Maryland 20785
Home of: Washington Redskins (NFL)
Date opened: August 1997
Capacity: 91,704
Cost: $250.5 million
FedEx Field, located in 1600 FedEx Way, Landover, Maryland 20785, was completed in
1997 and has been the home of the National Football League’s
Washington Redskins since then. The stadium is owned by Daniel
Snyder, the owner of the team, and cost $250.5 million to build.
$180 million of the funding was private and the remaining $70.5
million was financed by the state. The playing surface at FedEx
Field is a natural grass surface and the nearest airport is a reasonable
ten miles away. The stadium can hold more than 91,000 people, ranking
it near the top of the NFL fields, and FedEx Field also has 280
luxury suites and more than 15,000 club level seats. The Washington
Redskins previously played their games at RFK Stadium for more
than 30 years before then owner Jack Kent Cooke decided it was
time for a new stadium for his team. Cooke spent nine years trying
to convince others to build a new park and was finally successful
in his negotiations. Cooke died just months before the stadium
was to be completed but the stadium was initially named Jack Kent
Cooke Stadium in his honor.
Current owner Daniel Snyder bought
the team in 1999 and sold the naming rights to Federal
Express for an undisclosed amount when the stadium was renamed
FedEx Field, its current title. Also in 1999, $35 million in improvements
were completed at FedEx Field with another $20 million of improvements
completed in time for the 2000 season. These renovations
included a new owner’s club suite level, escalators to the upper deck,
and additional seats around the field. FedEx Field has many fine
amenities that include several restaurants that overlook the field
with wonderful sight lines and a Redskins Hall of Fame that honors
the great players of the past. Displayed on the upper level balcony,
circling all the way around the seating bowl, is the Redskins Ring
of Fame that contains 40 names of Redskins players and coaches.
Located above the north end zone are championship flags that commemorate
the Redskins playoff history, much of which was accomplished under
current coach Joe Gibbs.
FedEx Field will host two college games during the 2010 season: Virginia Tech vs Boise State on September 6, 2010 and Indiana vs Penn State on November 20, 2010.
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