Architectural firm HKS, Inc. was responsible for the stadium's design, with Walter P Moore working as the Structural Engineer of Record. The stadium features a retractable roof and a large retractable window on one end, allowing the Colts to play both indoors and outdoors. The field surface was originally FieldTurf, but was replaced with Shaw Sports Momentum Pro in 2018.[13] The exterior of the new stadium is faced with a reddish-brown brick trimmed with Indiana limestone, similar to several other sports venues in the area, including Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse and Fairgrounds Coliseum.[14]
Name
The home field of the Indianapolis Colts for their first 24 seasons in the city (1984–2007) was the RCA Dome (formerly the Hoosier Dome), which was part of the Indiana Convention Center. In 2006, prior to the new stadium's construction, Lucas Oil, a manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives and lubricants, secured the naming rights for the stadium at a cost of $122 million over the next 20 years.[12]
Features
Interior of Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium has a seating capacity of 67,000,[3] and covers approximately 1.8 million square feet (170,000 m2). The stadium offers 139 suites, two club lounges, two exhibit halls and 12 meeting rooms. There are also 360-degree ribbon boards and two 53-foot (16 m) tall HD video boards.[15] An underground walkway directly connects the stadium to the Indiana Convention Center.[14]
Other features include:
183,000 square feet (17,000 m2) of exhibit space
7 locker rooms
11 indoor truck docks
14 escalators
11 passenger elevators
2 accessible pedestrian ramps
Retractable roof
The stadium's retractable roof can open or close in about 11 minutes. It is composed of two panels that each weigh 2.5 million pounds (1,100,000 kg).[16][3] The home team determines if the roof is to be opened or closed 90 minutes before kickoff.[3]
Retractable window
Visitors can view the Indianapolis skyline through the northeast retractable window.
The retractable north window offers a view of downtown Indianapolis during games, concerts and other events due to the stadium's angled position on the city block.[17][16]
Gate sponsorship
The four gates leading into Lucas Oil Stadium are each named for a sponsoring corporation, with the exception of the South Gate, which is named after the team:
The ground-level concourses of their respective gates feature banners and floor coverings with the corporations' logos, advertisements and merchandise displays.[19]
The first Colts game at the stadium was a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 24, 2008, which ended in 20-7 loss.[23] The Colts faced the Chicago Bears in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI in their first regular season game in the stadium on September 7, which ended in a 29-13 defeat.[24][25]
In March 2021, various rounds of the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament were moved to Lucas Oil Stadium as part of the NCAA's decision to consolidate the tournament into sites in Indiana. Lucas Oil hosted games in all rounds (except the "First Four"), including the Final Four and championship game every 5 years up until 2040.[28]
Entertainment
On August 9, 2006, Drum Corps International (DCI) announced that it would move its corporate offices to Indianapolis and that the DCI World Championships would be the inaugural event for the stadium and would be held at Lucas Oil Stadium every year through 2018.[29] In 2015, Drum Corps International and the city of Indianapolis announced a 10-year contract extension, allowing the World Championships to continue through 2028.[30] The competition was held for the first time at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009.[31]
The total cost of Lucas Oil Stadium was $720 million. The stadium is being financed with funds raised by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis, with the Indianapolis Colts providing $100 million. Marion County has raised taxes for food and beverage sales, auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes, and admission taxes for its share of the costs. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in food and beverage taxes in the eight surrounding doughnut counties (with the exception of Morgan County) and the sale of Colts license plates.[3]
The County Commissioners of each county voted whether to levy the 1% food and beverage tax proposed by Marion County. Sweetening the deal for those counties was the fact that half of the revenue from the tax would stay in the respective county. Morgan County was the only county to turn down the offer, yet in a later vote, it levied its own 1% tax – thus keeping all of its additional generated revenue.
Budget shortfall
In August 2006, the Capital Improvement Board, which operates the stadium, estimated that daily operating expenses of the new stadium would be $10 million more per year than the RCA Dome. The board urged the Indiana General Assembly to authorize funding to cover the shortfall.[36] The Indiana Legislature considered a bill to raise sales taxes statewide to cover the shortfall, however this plan faced stiff opposition from legislators outside the Indianapolis metro area.[37]
The assembly ultimately authorized a tax increase in Indianapolis-Marion County. In addition, the CIB trimmed staff and cut $10 million from its budget. Still, the agency anticipated a $20 million operating deficit for Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009. Anticipated expenses are $27.7 million—far outstripping the $7.7 million CIB expects to collect from its share of revenue from stadium events.[38] The Colts organization has been criticized for the favorable lease terms and the high percentage of revenue it can keep under the terms of its agreements with the stadium authorities and there have been calls for the team to cover the shortfalls of the CIB. The Colts responded to these criticisms in an open letter to fans on September 16, 2009.[39]
Complications
On September 8, 2013, after the Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders in the season opener, a rail over the opposing team tunnel collapsed, injuring two fans. One fan was transferred to the hospital for evaluation. No serious injuries were reported.
On September 3, 2015, three fans were injured by a bolt that fell from the roof of the stadium as it was being opened during an NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.[40] The stadium was pronounced safe by officials, but the roof remained closed for events until a final investigation was completed as to why the bolt fell.[41]
^"Release: Colts at Bills". www.colts.com/. Indianapolis Colts. August 16, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2023. The last renewal of the preseason series came on August 24, 2008, as the Colts christened Lucas Oil Stadium. Buffalo took a 20-7 victory.
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