Jerry World

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Lore & Background

The journey to build Jerry World began in 1994 when Jerry Jones proposed expanding Texas Stadium, but by 2000, the search shifted to new sites including Grapevine, Coppell, and Arlington. In April 2004, a deal for a $650 million stadium at Dallas's Fair Park fell apart when commissioners refused to justify $425 million in public funding. The Cowboys then negotiated with Arlington, where voters approved tax increases on November 2, 2004, to fund the city's $325 million portion of the project. Construction faced hurdles, including lawsuits over land acquisition and the seizure of homes from residents who refused to sell, one of whom described the offer as 'giving me pennies and telling me to get out.' Demolition began in January 2006, with Tarrant County crews clearing more than 150 residences. The final cost rose to $1.15 billion, with Jones covering overruns while the NFL provided a $150 million loan.

In Their Own Story

On December 12, 2006, Jerry Jones unveiled the in-depth plans for the stadium, revealing a design that would look like Texas Stadium's trademark hole from the inside but could be covered by a retractable roof panel. The construction moved quickly: two cranes were raised in August 2006, and the first steel arch was completed by October 2007, followed by the second in February 2008. Tragedy struck during construction when an electrician was electrocuted in June 2008, just days after three people were injured assembling a crane. By May 13, 2009, Jones announced the official name as Cowboys Stadium. The first event occurred on June 6, 2009, featuring country stars Lee Ann Womack, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, and George Strait. Later that year, on September 20, the Cowboys played their first regular-season home game, setting an NFL regular season attendance record of 105,121.

Reader's Guide

Visitors to Jerry World encounter a venue designed by Bryan Trubey of HKS Architects with the concept of building 'not just a stadium, but almost... like a civic structure.' The facility features twin video boards among the top 100 largest high-definition screens globally, including a center-hung Mitsubishi board that was the world's largest HDTV at installation. The retractable roof system, designed by Walter P Moore and implemented by Uni-Systems, utilizes electrification developed by VAHLE, Inc. to allow quick conversions for events ranging from soccer to rodeos. Glass doors constructed by Dallas-based Haley-Greer glass systems allow each end zone to open, while the turf field built by Hellas Construction uses a SoftTop Convertible Turf system with 26 interchangeable panels to accommodate dirt bike races and monster truck rallies.

Did You Know?

• The record attendance for an NFL regular season game was set in 2009 with a crowd of 105,121.
• Construction costs rose from an estimated $650 million to $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built.
• The stadium includes more than 3,000 Sony LCD screens throughout luxury suites and concourses.
• A pair of nearly 300 ft (91 m)-tall arches spans the length of the stadium dome.
• The facility hosted the Southwest Classic until 2024.