Top facts about NRG Stadium, The Texas-based Multi-purpose Venue

NRG Stadium (pronounced N-R-G Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It was formerly known as Reliant Stadium. It cost $352 million to build and has a seating capacity of 72,220 people. The stadium was the first in the NFL to have a retractable roof.

The Houston Texans of the National Football League, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Texas Bowl, many matches of the United States men's national soccer team, Mexico national football team friendlies hosted by El Tri, and other events are held in the stadium.

Super Bowls XXXVIII (2004) and LI (2017), as well as WrestleMania 25, were held at the stadium (2009).

NRG Stadium is part of NRG Park, which consists of a number of stadiums (including the Astrodome). Under a 32-year, $300 million naming rights agreement signed in 2000, the entire complex is named after NRG Energy.

All the Top facts about NRG Stadium You Need to Know

The information provided here will give a summary of the major things this stadium has gone through over the years since it opened 19 years ago.

NRG Stadium History

In 1997, the Houston NFL Holdings group hired Populous (formerly HOK Sport) to start designing the first-ever NFL retractable roof football stadium.

The goal was to build a football stadium to replace the Astrodome that would function as an open-air venue while maintaining the intimacy and comfort of an indoor stadium, one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium.

The facility was planned in the 1.9-million-square-foot (180,000 m2) range for football and the square footage requirements of the rodeo.

The stadium's foundation was laid on March 9, 2000, and the structure was completed in October 2001. Construction took 30 months to complete.

The stadium first hosted a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans on August 24, 2002, which the Dolphins won 24–3.

On September 8, 2002, the stadium hosted the first regular-season NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans. In February 2003, the stadium hosted its first rodeo.

On August 30, 2012, at a Texans preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, a drunk fan died after falling down an escalator.

The stadium was renamed NRG Stadium on March 19, 2014, after NRG Energy, Reliant Energy's parent corporation.

NRG Stadium received a permanent artificial surface during the 2015 season. The Texans had been playing on a natural surface since the stadium opened, employing a system of sod trays identical to the one employed at Giants Stadium during its grass-surface experiment.

The stadium introduced artificial turf for high school and college games in recent years while preserving the grass for Texans games.

After complaints about the field conditions following the Texans' home opener, the artificial surface was installed for Texans games. UBU Speed, a subsidiary of Act Global, is the surface brand.

Hellas Construction was chosen by NRG Stadium in 2017 to install its Matrix Turf with Helix Technology.

Every year, under the terms of the three-year contract, a new turf field will be installed, another one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium.

NRG Stadium was upgraded after hosting Super Bowl LI to keep it competitive with other new NFL sites.

The office and team facilities were refurbished as part of the stadium's first major restoration in 15 years.

NRG Stadium Design

The stadium was designed by Hermes Reed Architects and Lockwood, Andrews, and Newnam, who collaborated to form the Houston Stadium Consultants (HSC).

The stadium was designed using kinetic architectural principles by Populous (formerly HOK Sport) and the HSC in collaboration with Walter P Moore and Uni-Systems engineers.

With its fabric ceiling and large expanses of glazing, the structure exudes transparency. The structure looks to shine from within at night. The concourses, which are open to the field of play, have an open-air feel thanks to the extensive use of glass, one of the

Top facts about NRG Stadium.

Over 7,000 club seats, 186 luxury suites, and several lounges and bars are available at NRG Stadium. Meetings, specialty functions, exhibits, and concerts can all be held in the stadium's 125,000-square-foot (11,600-square-meter) space.

The stadium's retractable fabric roof is one of the most remarkable features of the design. When fully retracted, the roof mechanism consists of two big panels that split out at the 50-yard line and lie over and above each end zone.

Ten tri-chord trusses ride on two parallel rails, each supported by a massive 675-foot-long super-truss. The roof operation is managed by a computer in the stadium press box, which displays live views of each roof panel's travel path as well as providing real-time feedback from all roof components. 

Another one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium is that the roof panels can open and close in as little as 7 minutes, moving at speeds of up to 35 feet (11 meters) per minute.

The "Bull Pen," a bleacher section behind the north end zone, is the hometeam's designated fan section.

The fans in the Bull Pen participate directly with the action on the field, assisting in the formation and maintenance of fan traditions, songs, chants, and other aspects of the game-day experience for spectators across the stadium.

Fans in the Bullpen are urged to remain standing throughout the game, sing, cheer, and otherwise show their support for the team.

Reliant altered its logo in 2011, which necessitated updating all of the stadium's signage. In December 2012, it was reported that the stadium's end zone screens would be replaced with the largest digital displays in any major sports facility in order to help bring the Super Bowl back to Houston.

The video screens, which cover a total of 14,549 square feet (1,351.6 m2), were unveiled on August 16, 2013, and are the second largest of their kind, one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium.

The previous high was set at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The digital display boards of TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, have since surpassed this as the largest digital display boards in any stadium in the world.

Hurricane Ike Hitting the NRG Stadium

The stadium was damaged by Hurricane Ike during the night of September 12–13, 2008, forcing the Houston Texans' home opener on September 14 to be postponed.

Other areas of the stadium were damaged by wind and water, and part of the roof cladding came off, one of the

Top facts about NRG Stadium.

Large bits of hurricane debris were also found inside the stadium, but the stadium administration announced that, aside from the roof, the stadium had sustained no substantial structural damage and that the Texans would be able to play all of their eight home games at Reliant Stadium with the roof open.

The Texans' home opener against the Baltimore Ravens was originally postponed one day from Sunday, September 14, 2008, to Monday, September 15, but after the extent of Hurricane Ike's damage was revealed, the NFL rescheduled the game to week 10 (November 9, 2008), which was to have been the bye week for the Ravens and the Texans' scheduled home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The game was postponed for week 8 (October 26), which was supposed to be the Texans' and Bengals' bye week. The Bengals' bye week was changed from October 26 to November 9, when the Ravens were supposed to play.

Despite the fact that both the Texans and the Ravens had spent the entire week preparing to play that game as scheduled, both teams were given an unexpected bye week in week two, when Hurricane Ike devastated East Texas and the Gulf Coast.

The Texans hosted the Indianapolis Colts on October 5, 2008, and the stadium held three more home games in October.

On February 13, 2009, Houston-based rope access inspection and construction firm Reel Group Americas repaired the stadium.

NRG Stadium Various Utilizations & Events (1)

Since their formation in 2002, the Houston Texans have played their home games at NRG Stadium (previously Reliant Stadium). The Texans' annual calendar includes eight regular-season games, one or two pre-season games, and any playoff games they host.

The first game came on August 24, 2002, when the Houston Texans hosted the Miami Dolphins in their first preseason game in front of 69,432 fans. On September 8 of that year, the expansion Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19–10 in front of 69,604 fans in their first regular-season game.

On December 1, 2008, the Texans hosted their first Monday Night Football game at Reliant Stadium. The Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 30–17 in front of a franchise-record crowd of 70,809 fans.

That record has since been beaten in the Texans' next two home games that season. Their home game against the Tennessee Titans on December 7, 2008, received a then-record crowd of 70,831, and their home finale against the Chicago Bears on December 28, 2008, garnered a current franchise-crowd record of 70,838, one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium.

On November 23, 2009, during the Texans' second ever Monday Night Football game against Houston's former NFL franchise, the Tennessee Titans, a record crowd of 71,153 was in attendance, breaking the previous mark. On January 3, 2010, the Texans' home finale of the 2009 season against the New England Patriots drew 71,029.

Super Bowl XXXVIII (which was overshadowed by a controversial halftime show) and Super Bowl LI (which was the first Super Bowl to go into overtime) were both played at NRG Stadium, with the New England Patriots facing a team from the NFC South in both games.

On February 1, 2004, NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers 32–29 in front of 71,525 supporters.

On January 7, 2012, NRG Stadium hosted the Texans' first playoff game, with Houston defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 31–10 in an AFC Wild Card game, drawing 71,725, the largest audience ever to attend a Texans game at Reliant Stadium, another one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium.

In 2017, NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl LI, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the largest Super Bowl comeback in history, as well as the first-ever Super Bowl overtime game.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (also known as RodeoHouston) is an NRG Stadium co-tenant.

According to Leroy Shafer, assistant general manager of the rodeo's marketing department, "the building is as much for the rodeo as it is for the National Football League." Every year in March, the rodeo takes place for three weeks. 

During this time, NRG Stadium also holds an Xtreme Bulls event, a bull-riding-only tour organized by the Professional Rodeo Association (PRCA), which also hosts the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The stadium has a service level where rodeo livestock can be kept, one of the

Top facts about NRG Stadium

. The bulls, broncs, steers, and roping calves are kept under the lower bowl in the stadium's north end.

The rodeo's loading and unloading dock space is located near the stadium's north end. Rolling doors would divide the dock into two receiving sections during rodeo performances, separating food and concession deliveries from rodeo equipment and livestock deliveries.

During rodeo events, a 42-foot (13 m) concert performance stage is positioned at the stadium's south end and is moved into the center using a hydraulic drive system for rodeo music performances.

For the first time ever, the PBR's top bull riding tour, the Built Ford Tough Series, visited Reliant Stadium on February 25, 2012. It was the first time a PBR event has been included in RodeoHouston.

It was also their first event in Houston in 11 years, having previously conducted an annual event in the Compaq Center from 1998 to 2001.

NRG Stadium Various Utilizations & Events (2)

The Texas Bowl and Texas Kickoff are annual college football events held at the stadium. The first Texas Bowl featured a game between Rutgers University and Kansas State University, with Rutgers winning 37–10 in the first edition.

Prior to the Texas Bowl's debut, the stadium hosted the Houston Bowl, as well as the Big 12 Championship Games in 2002 and 2005.

Vince Young, a Houston native, was the quarterback for the University of Texas at Austin in the 2005 game, leading the Longhorns to a 70–3 victory over the University of Colorado in front of 71,107 spectators. In 2007, the East-West Shrine Game was also held there.

Due to Hurricane Katrina damage at the rivalry's usual venue, the Superdome, a Bayou Classic game between Grambling State and Southern was played here in November 2005.

The University of Houston and Rice University, the city's two Division I FBS schools, have both played regular-season home games at NRG Stadium in the past.

The Bayou Bucket Classic, a football rivalry between Houston and Rice, was staged there in 2004, and the game was confirmed in 2011 that it would be played there again in 2012 and 2013.

Since 2010, the stadium has hosted the "Battle of the Piney Woods." It is one of Texas's oldest football rivalries, involving Division I FCS Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University.

The series was originally slated to run until 2013 but was then extended to 2017, and the stadium was finally appointed the series' permanent home in April 2015.

Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University, the two major historically black universities in Greater Houston, have both played regular-season home games at NRG Stadium. From 2013 to 2017, the stadium hosted the SWAC Championship Game.

The College Football Playoff National Championship game will be held in January 2024 (ending the 2023 college football season) at NRG Stadium, which was announced as a prospective site in 2017. 

Varsity football teams frequently use NRG Stadium as a neutral site during the University Interscholastic League football playoffs.

International soccer matches are also held at NRG Stadium. The games are usually held in the spring and summer, prior to the commencement of the NFL season.

From 2005 until 2011, the stadium hosted CONCACAF Gold Cup matches. Round 1 matches and a quarterfinal doubleheader match were among the Gold Cup events in 2007.

During a warm-up match between the

and the

, the arena set a new attendance record.

The match between the United States and Mexico was held at Reliant Stadium on February 6, 2008, in front of a crowd of 70,103 people.

The previous USA vs. Mexico match in Reliant Stadium drew a sellout crowd of 69,582 fans on May 8, 2003, and was the largest home crowd for the US men's national team this decade until the USA played Mexico in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, which drew a capacity crowd of 79,156 fans, one of the Top facts about NRG Stadium.

The 2010 MLS All-Star Game was held at Reliant Stadium, with 70,728 fans watching

defeat the MLS All-Stars 5–2. Venezuela and Mexico played a friendly match on January 25, 2012, with Mexico winning 3–1.

Mexico and Nigeria played another friendly on May 31, 2013, which concluded in a 2–2 draw. In June 2016, NRG Stadium held two Copa America Centenario group stage matches and one semifinal.

Costa Rica won 3-2 against Colombia. The match between Mexico and Venezuela ended in a 1-1 draw. Argentina defeated the United States with a score of 4-0. Argentina's all-time leading scorer,

, netted a free-kick to become the country's all-time leading scorer.

The stadium has hosted multiple NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals and finals, including the South Regional semifinals and finals in 2008, 2010, and 2015, as well as the Final Four in 2011 and 2016. In 2023, it will host the Final Four once more.

Monster Jam has been held at NRG Stadium for the past eighteen years. It has also held an AMA Supercross Championship round since 2003, replacing the Astrodome, which had hosted the event since 1974.

The stadium is a popular concert venue that has hosted artists such as The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Beyonce, U2, Guns N' Roses, and Taylor Swift.

A preseason game between the Dallas Stars and the Phoenix Coyotes was scheduled for September 23, 2011. This game was later canceled due to the high cost of putting ice in the stadium.

Rice University offers a professional sports management class in the stadium's executive offices. Texas India Forum had a Howdy Modi event on September 22, 2019.

Thousands of delegates from all over the world attended two international Jehovah's Witness conventions held in the stadium during the summer of 2019.

From late May to mid-June, some Houston area school districts use the stadium for their annual high school graduation ceremonies. HISD, Galena Park ISD, Klein ISD, and Cypress ISD are just a few examples.

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