With football fever, most fans wonder, “Is Metlife Stadium covered?” It is a relatively New Stadium, opened in 2010. Most people expect innovations like retractable rooftops to be included in its design.
The stadium was the most expensive of its time and has become the heart of New Jersey and New York sports fans.
This article will explore various aspects of Metlife Stadium’s roofing, shade, and design. Here are all the details to answer your questions;
Is Metlife Stadium Covered?
Metlife stadium does not have a roof, unlike most modern NFL stadiums. There were various disputes about the funding for adding a roof to the stadium, so the proposal failed.
This is why Metlife rarely hosts indoor events and is famous for activities like football, concerts, and wrestling.
Some seats have an overhang or roof above them; you can time it in the shade of the walls. Most of the seats, however, are exposed to the elements.
Why Is Metlife Stadium Not Covered?
There are many advantages to having a covered stadium. It assures that all events can proceed regardless of weather changes and are more comfortable. This has gotten most people curious about why Metlife Stadium is open;
1. The Financial Huddle
Building a covered stadium is expensive, and most investors don’t see the money worth it. The stadium spans over 600 by 800 feet, and the finances for such a construction are complex. Metlife stadium cost over $1.6 billion to construct, about $2.18 billion today.
A roof involves the purchase of covers, machines to retract the roof, concrete, steel and cable to hold it up and more.
The Metlife was initially supposed to be a covered stadium, but the sponsors refused the plan because it was too expensive.
A roof adds $100 to $150 million or more to a stadium project. Additional long-term expenditures include roof maintenance, repair, and air conditioning. These bills could pile up to millions over the years.
2. The Technical Huddle
According to Walter P. Moor, an engineering firm, the technicality is the biggest issue with retractable roofs. Putting a roof over a stadium is an engineering challenge since it is unsupported.
Metlife stadium’s size makes it more challenging since it resembles a bridge than a roof. It would require a lot of temporary support and steel to pull off. Additionally, they must account for how the weather affects the roof.
Snow and rain add weight to the roof, which could cause a collapse. Increasing temperatures make the steel expand, and it could damage the roof. Eventually, it is easier to leave the roof open and consider other ways to protect it from the elements.
3. The Weather and Intended Use
Sports fans love open stadiums more than closed ones, especially football. Open stadiums have fewer uses than closed ones, but Metlife Stadium is loved. It has hosted more football games than any other regional NFL stadium.
The home teams also want to take advantage of their home weather during games. An open stadium exposes the players to the local weather. The home team is more accustomed to this than the guests, so they have an advantage.
This has been a significant concern for many teams, and the NFL even drafted rules about this to help even the odds. The traveling team will get most of the shade in such situations.
In good weather, it can be used for other things like concerts and WWE events, bringing in a lot of revenue.
Open stadiums generally seat more people since ventilation isn’t a significant concern. It works well without a roof, so convincing sponsors to add one is hard.
The downside is that most events are at the mercy of the elements. Events sometimes have to be rescheduled or moved if it rains too much or a storm is coming in. Luckily, New Jersey has fair weather, and such events are rare.
How To Get The Perfect Seat In Metlife Stadium
New York and New Jersey residents love Metlife Stadium since it offers the home ground for both NFL franchises. Metlife Stadium hosts numerous events like soccer, concerts, wrestling, and high school football games.
The first few months of the NFL season are hot, so you must find a seat with shade. As the season progresses, it will get colder, and you will have more fun in a place with the sun. You ought to understand the stadium and how its shades operate for the best experience.
Generally, you can expect the southern end zone of the Met to be in the shade along with most of the visiting team’s side. The upper row towards the back and under the rim will also be in the wall’s shade.
The Giant’s and Jets’ sides of the field will be in the sun, and the rows closer to the field. Most NFL games in Metlife Stadium start at 1.00 pm when the sun is overhead. Sometimes, there could be night games or afternoon starts.
Metlife stadium is oriented a bit off-axis in the north-to-south direction. The sun is high at noon, slightly behind the southern end zone. It will dip behind the guest team’s side in the afternoon and set past the 50-yard line.
This means the seats in sections 124-140 and 224-240 will be the first to experience a shade. The upper bowl seats will be in the shade as the solar ring covers them all day. Sections 324-340 will get the shade in the evening when the sun sets.
Most home team sections will have sunlight during so they will be a goo place to sit during winter. Sections 108-118 and 208-219 will have sunlight, provided it’s not cloudy. The upper rows might get sunlight in colder seasons, but the wind chill will cancel it out.
You could get closer to the action during the hotter seasons if you are all alright with the sun. The shade follows the pattern of the sun, so you should consider the time you want to use the stadium when picking seats.
Metlife Stadium’s Design and Planning
Metlife Stadium was supposed to be be a neutral stadium that showcases the personalities of the Jets and Giants. The Giants wanted a traditional look featuring rusticated stone and exposed steel frameworks.
The jets wanted a modern design with glass and metal. These ideas were combined, and the stadium had a column/tower dynamic.
The stadium’s base has limestone-like stonework, while the rest has modern glass, lighting, and aluminum louvers.
The lighting can change color depending on the team playing: green for the Jets and blue for the Giants. The stadium was designed for two teams, so it only takes a few hours to reconfigure it for either team.
Up until 2023, the teams had agreed to have the NFL log painted on the field. They now paint their logs on the field with easily dissolvable paint.
Metlife Stadium is the largest NFL stadium in terms of seating capacity. It has 82,500 regular seats, 10,005 club seats, and 218 luxury suites. It also has four locker rooms, two for the guest team and two for the hosts.
Metlife Stadium got an addition in 2012, the Solar Ring. The Solar Ring includes 1,350 solar panels added to the top of the stadium walls in 47 frames. They are illuminated by LED lighting with blue and green lights for the Jets and Giants.
The panels provide 350 KW, 25 times more than the LEDs need, so the rest is used for the stadium. Metlife is undergoing renovations to help it meet the FIFA requirements to host games in 2024.
The design makes Metlife Stadium accessible by cars, but it is problematic since it causes many traffic jams. This is primarily a concern when big events occur, as thousands of vehicles must cross the same roads.
The more considerable downside is that the stadium wasn’t designed with consideration for pedestrians.
There aren’t any pedestrian paths or sidewalks that access the stadium. This jeopardizes pedestrian safety, and officials discourage people from walking to the stadium.
You can access Metlife stadium by car via Exit 16W on the Western spur of the New Jersey Turnpike. A better option is NJ Route 3 or NJ Route 120. Coach USA provides direct bus service to drop you off at Metlife.
You can also get a bus from New Jersey to the stadium, and if that’s not an option, you can always use a taxi or Uber. Metlife security uses a clear bag policy, which allows for only transparent bags smaller than 12″x6″x12″
Conclusion
You can more conveniently plan your next game now that you no longer have to wonder, “Is Metlife Stadium covered?” Metlife Stadium is an open-air stadium famous for hosting NFL games with thousands of fans.
The large capacity and design allow it to seat over 80,000 people, which has created a lot of revenue. It has shades from the walls and solar rings if you know where to sit. The guest team side always has the best seats in the sunny seasons so they will be in the shade.
