History of Giants Stadium in Timeline

Giants Stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey's Meadowlands Sports Complex, operated from 1976 to 2010. It primarily hosted sporting events and concerts. Most notably, it served as the home field for the New York Giants and New York Jets of the NFL. Additionally, it hosted professional soccer teams like the New York Cosmos (NASL) and the New York Red Bulls (MLS). The stadium was a significant sports venue in the New York metropolitan area for over three decades.

1956: Brooklyn Dodgers Play Games in New Jersey

In 1956, the Brooklyn Dodgers played home games at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City.

1957: Brooklyn Dodgers Play Games in New Jersey

In 1957, the Brooklyn Dodgers played home games at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City.

1968: North American Soccer League Formation

The North American Soccer League was formed in 1968 and operated until 1984. The New York Cosmos played at Giants Stadium.

1971: Deal struck for new stadium

In 1971, the New York Giants reached an agreement with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to build a new stadium.

1972: Construction Begins

In 1972, construction commenced on the new Giants Stadium.

October 1973: Giants Play at Yale Bowl

Starting in October 1973, due to renovations at Yankee Stadium, the New York Giants played their home games at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

1974: Giants Continue at Yale Bowl

In 1974, the New York Giants continued playing their home games at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

1975: "Live/1975-85" album era

1975 is the start of the era captured in the album "Live/1975–85" album by Bruce Springsteen, which included songs recorded at Giants Stadium in August 1985.

1975: Giants Share Shea Stadium

In 1975, the New York Giants shared Shea Stadium with the Yankees, Mets and Jets for their final season before moving to their new stadium.

October 10, 1976: Giants Move into New Stadium

On October 10, 1976, the New York Giants played their first game at the new Giants Stadium.

October 23, 1976: College Football Debut

On October 23, 1976, college football debuted at Giants Stadium with a game between Rutgers University and Columbia.

1976: Giants Stadium Opens

In 1976, Giants Stadium opened its doors, becoming a prominent venue for sports and entertainment.

October 1, 1977: Pelé's Final Game

On October 1, 1977, Giants Stadium hosted the final game of Brazilian soccer star Pelé.

1977: New York Cosmos Arrive

In 1977, the New York Cosmos began playing at Giants Stadium.

1977: Jets Play Regular Season Game

In 1977, the New York Jets played a regular season game at the Meadowlands.

June 25, 1978: First Concert at Giants Stadium

On June 25, 1978, the first concert at Giants Stadium was held, featuring The Beach Boys as the headliners, along with the Steve Miller Band, Pablo Cruise, and Stanky Brown.

1978: Garden State Bowl

In 1978, Giants Stadium hosted the Garden State Bowl.

1978: Grateful Dead Perform at Giants Stadium

In 1978, The Grateful Dead performed at Giants Stadium.

1979: Syracuse Plays Home Games at Giants Stadium

In 1979, Syracuse University played two home games against West Virginia and Penn State at Giants Stadium.

1981: Garden State Bowl

In 1981, Giants Stadium hosted the Garden State Bowl.

1983: Jets Lease Expires

At the end of the 1983 season, the New York Jets' lease at Shea Stadium expired.

1983: Kickoff Classic Begins

In 1983, Giants Stadium began hosting the Kickoff Classic.

September 6, 1984: Jets' First Game at Giants Stadium

On September 6, 1984, the New York Jets played their first game at Giants Stadium.

1984: Giants Stadium dual occupancy begins

Beginning in 1984, Giants Stadium hosted two NFL teams, the Giants and the Jets.

1984: New York Jets Arrive

In 1984, the New York Jets became a tenant at Giants Stadium, sharing the venue with the New York Giants.

1984: Jets move to Giants Stadium

In 1984, the New York Jets moved to Giants Stadium from Shea Stadium, leading to their fans referring to the stadium as "The Meadowlands".

August 1985: Bruce Springsteen recorded songs for "Live/1975-85" album

In August 1985, Bruce Springsteen recorded several songs at Giants Stadium shows for his live album "Live/1975–85".

1985: NASL Folds

In 1985, the North American Soccer League, the home league of the New York Cosmos, folded.

1985: USFL Championship Game

In 1985, the USFL championship game, which turned out to be the league's last game, was held at Giants Stadium.

June 15, 1986: Amnesty International Concert

On June 15, 1986, Giants Stadium hosted Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Benefit Concert, featuring U2, Sting, Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Joan Baez, the Neville Brothers, the Police and many more.

1986: "Live/1975-85" released

In 1986, Bruce Springsteen released the live album "Live/1975–85", which included songs recorded at Giants Stadium in August 1985.

1987: Supercross event

In 1987, Giants Stadium hosted a professional supercross event.

1987: Grateful Dead Perform at Giants Stadium

In 1987, The Grateful Dead performed at Giants Stadium.

1988: Amateur Supercross event

In 1988, Giants Stadium hosted an amateur supercross event which resulted in a rider getting injured.

1989: Grateful Dead Perform at Giants Stadium

In 1989, The Grateful Dead performed at Giants Stadium.

1991: Grateful Dead Perform at Giants Stadium

In 1991, The Grateful Dead performed at Giants Stadium.

1993: Rutgers Home Games

In 1993, Rutgers University played all of their home games at Giants Stadium.

1994: 1994 FIFA World Cup

In 1994, Giants Stadium hosted seven games of the FIFA World Cup tournament, including the Italy vs. Bulgaria semifinal.

1994: Bermuda Grass Sod for the World Cup

In 1994, Giants Stadium was covered with Bermuda grass sod for the World Cup, identical to the surface at the Rose Bowl.

October 5, 1995: Pope John Paul II Celebrates Mass

On October 5, 1995, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at Giants Stadium during a rainstorm, drawing a crowd of 82,948.

1995: Grateful Dead Perform at Giants Stadium

In 1995, The Grateful Dead performed at Giants Stadium.

September 1996: Temple Owls Versus Penn State Nittany Lions

In September 1996, Temple played a home game against Penn State at Giants Stadium.

1996: New York Red Bulls Arrive

In 1996, the New York Red Bulls, then known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, started playing their home games at Giants Stadium.

1996: MetroStars Play at Giants Stadium

In 1996, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, now known as the New York Red Bulls, began playing at Giants Stadium.

1997: Princeton Plays Yale

In 1997, Princeton played one home game against Yale at Giants Stadium.

1998: Dave Matthews Band Performs

In 1998, Dave Matthews Band performed at Giants Stadium.

1999: 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 1999, Giants Stadium hosted four games of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

1999: Giants Stadium Used AstroTurf until 1999 NFL Season

Until the end of the 1999 NFL season, Giants Stadium featured an AstroTurf playing surface.

July 20, 2000: Tattoo the Earth Tour

On July 20, 2000, Giants Stadium hosted the Tattoo the Earth Tour, featuring performances by Slipknot, Slayer, Sevendust, Sepultura, Hed PE, Mudvayne, Metallica, and many others. The show also included 42 tattoo artists.

2000: Dave Matthews Band Performs Three Nights

In 2000, Dave Matthews Band performed three nights at Giants Stadium.

2000: Interchangeable grass trays introduced

In 2000, Giants Stadium replaced AstroTurf with interchangeable grass trays, kept in place for drainage.

June 11, 2001: Dave Matthews Band Concert

On June 11, 2001, during a Dave Matthews Band concert at Giants Stadium, Dave Matthews sang "let it rain" during "Two Step", and a thunderstorm broke out. This has been called "Two Step In The Rain" by fans, and can be heard on The Best of What's Around Vol. 1.

2002: Kickoff Classic

In 2002, Giants Stadium hosted the Kickoff Classic.

September 14, 2003: Giants Stadium breaks record for NFL games hosted

On September 14, 2003, the game between the Jets and Dolphins marked the 366th regular season NFL game at Giants Stadium, surpassing Wrigley Field's record.

2003: Bruce Springsteen's Rising Tour

In 2003, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed a record 10 shows at Giants Stadium during the Rising Tour.

2003: FieldTurf installed

In 2003, Giants Stadium replaced the grass trays with FieldTurf, which remained until the stadium closed.

2003: Giants Stadium Breaks NFL Games Record

In 2003, Giants Stadium surpassed Wrigley Field for hosting the most NFL games.

2003: SuperCoppa Italiana Held at Giants Stadium

In 2003, the SuperCoppa Italiana, typically held in Italy, was held at Giants Stadium because both participating clubs, Juventus and Milan, were touring the United States.

2003: The Bamboozle Music Festival

Since 2003, Giants Stadium's parking lot has hosted The Bamboozle music festival annually.

May 31, 2005: England vs. Colombia

On May 31, 2005, Giants Stadium hosted a match between England and Colombia, which England won 3-2.

2005: CONCACAF Gold Cup

In 2005, Giants Stadium hosted matches in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, including the final between the USA and Panama.

2005: Saints Use Giants Stadium for Home Game

In 2005, due to Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints used Giants Stadium for a "home" game against the Giants. The event included painting one end zone in the Saints' colors, hanging Saints' banners, and having the Saints wear their home jerseys. The game was rescheduled to Monday night.

2007: Dave Matthews Band Performs

In 2007, Dave Matthews Band performed at Giants Stadium.

2007: CONCACAF Gold Cup

In 2007, Giants Stadium hosted the CONCACAF Gold Cup featuring four group stage matches.

2007: The Police Reunion Tour

In 2007, The Police began their reunion tour, which started 21 years after their final full live performance at the Amnesty International concert at Giants Stadium.

2008: Giants Stadium is destroyed in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

In 2008, Giants Stadium was featured in the film "The Day the Earth Stood Still", where it is destroyed by nanites.

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September 24, 2009: U2 Concert

On September 24, 2009, a U2 concert at Giants Stadium drew a record-breaking crowd of 84,472.

2009: Giants Stadium Closing

Giants Stadium closed after the 2009 NFL season.

2009: Bruce Springsteen performs "Wrecking Ball" for the first time

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen performed the song "Wrecking Ball" for the first time at the final five concerts at Giants Stadium, after writing the song in response to the stadium's closing.

2009: CONCACAF Gold Cup

In 2009, Giants Stadium hosted the final for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for a second time.

2009: New York Giants and New York Jets Final Season

In 2009, both the New York Giants and New York Jets played their final season at Giants Stadium.

2009: MetroStars Final Season

In 2009, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, now known as the New York Red Bulls, played their final season at Giants Stadium.

January 3, 2010: Final Event at Giants Stadium

On January 3, 2010, the final event at Giants Stadium was held; a game between the Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football.

February 4, 2010: Demolition of Giants Stadium Begins

On February 4, 2010, demolition work on Giants Stadium commenced at approximately 10:00 AM EST, starting at the Gate B spirals, the closest point to the new stadium.

May 10, 2010: 50% of Giants Stadium Demolished

By May 10, 2010, approximately 50% of Giants Stadium had been demolished as part of the demolition project.

May 19, 2010: Press Box Demolished

On May 19, 2010, at 8:30 pm, demolition crews pulled down the press box, the highest part of Giants Stadium.

June 28, 2010: Last Section of Grandstand Demolished

On June 28, 2010, the last section of the Giants Stadium grandstand came down, leaving only two upper-level escalators standing.

August 10, 2010: Demolition Completed

On August 10, 2010, the demolition of Giants Stadium was completed.

2010: Giants Stadium Closes

In 2010, Giants Stadium closed after hosting numerous events over several decades.

2010: MythBusters Tested Burial Rumor

In 2010, during the demolition of Giants Stadium, no human remains were found, confirming a MythBusters test disproving a rumor of a body buried in the stadium.