Jerry World

A civic structure built for the future of sports and entertainment under a retractable sky.

AT&T Stadium, widely known by fans as 'Jerry World,' is a retractable roof stadium located in Arlington, Texas. Opened in 2009, it serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys and replaced the partially covered Texas Stadium, which hosted the team from 1971 through the 2008 season. Originally envisioned by owner Jerry Jones as a large entertainment venue rather than just a stadium, the facility has become a multi-purpose hub hosting the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Big 12 Championship Game, and concerts alongside professional wrestling and motocross events. With a base seating capacity of 80,000, it can be reconfigured to hold over 100,000 people using standing room and Party Pass sections.

Quick Facts

Nickname

Jerry World
The Palace in Dallas
The Cowboys Cathedral

Former names

Cowboys Stadium (2009–2013); Dallas Stadium (2026 FIFA World Cup)

Location

Arlington, Texas, U.S.

Groundbreaking

20 September 2005

Built

2006–2009

Opened

27 May 2009

Owner

City of Arlington

Operator

Dallas Cowboys

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.

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.
The facility hosted the Southwest Classic until 2024.