Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Lore & Background

Plans to build the Superdome were drawn up in 1967 by the New Orleans modernist architectural firm of Curtis and Davis and the building opened as the Louisiana Superdome in 1975. Its steel frame covers a 13-acre expanse and the 273-foot dome is made of a lamellar multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet, making it the largest fixed domed structure in the world. The Superdome has hosted eight Super Bowls (the most of any stadium as of 2025's Super Bowl LIX), and six NCAA championships in men's college basketball.

In college football, the Sugar Bowl has been played at the Superdome since 1975, which is one of the 'New Year's Six' bowl games of the College Football Playoff and the 2020 National Championship. It also traditionally hosts the Bayou Classic, a rivalry game played between the historically black universities Southern University and Grambling State University. The Superdome was also the long-time home of the Tulane Green Wave football team of Tulane University until 2014 when they returned to Yulman Stadium on their campus, and was the home venue of the New Orleans Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1975 until 1979.

In 2005, the Superdome housed thousands of people seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina. The building suffered extensive damage as a result of the storm, and was closed for many months afterward. The building was repaired and reopened in time for the Saints' 2006 home opener on September 25.

Reader's Guide

The Superdome is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It opened in 1975. It is the home of the New Orleans Saints (NFL). The stadium has hosted eight Super Bowls, six NCAA men's basketball championships, the Sugar Bowl since 1975, and the Bayou Classic. It was the home of the Tulane Green Wave football team until 2014 and the New Orleans Jazz (NBA) from 1975 to 1979.