Estadio Universitario

Lore & Background

Construction cost $23 million MXN when the stadium was completed in 1967. The official dedication occurred on 30 May of that year. Originally planned to hold nearly 90,000 spectators, the plan was downscaled to meet financial needs. After the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the stadium's official capacity was reduced to around 43,000–44,000. Later, modifications were made to improve the fan experience and increase safety, resulting in a reduced capacity; the stadium currently seats 41,615. Between 1973 and 1980, C.F. Monterrey, the other top-flight football club in Monterrey, also used the Estadio Universitario. The club departed to return to the Estadio Tecnológico beginning in September 1980.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is the home venue for the Tigres UANL, playing in the Liga MX. It was given to Sinergia Deportiva, the for-profit company that administers Tigres, as part of the club's assets. The stadium hosted several matches of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. It also hosted Copa Libertadores de América matches in 2005 and 2006, when Tigres qualified for the prestigious tournament. For a short period, it was also the home venue for C.F. Monterrey. It also hosted several matches of the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship and the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. While the Auténticos Tigres, the university's American football team, have their own stadium (the Estadio Gaspar Mass), the Estadio Universitario is normally used for playoff games and ONEFA championships. One exception was the 2016 ONEFA championship game, played at Gaspar Mass due to a playoff football game scheduled for the next day. On 5 August 1996, the stadium hosted the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys in the American Bowl, with the Chiefs winning by a score of 32–6. The event recorded 52,247 paid tickets.

Did You Know?

• British rock band Queen performed during The Game Tour on October 9, 1981, to approximately 52,000 fans on their first and only tour of Mexico.
• Artists and bands such as Rod Stewart, Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, Johnny Gill, The Cure, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Shakira, Aerosmith and Metallica have performed at the stadium.
• In 2016, a proposal was floated to build a replacement venue for Tigres that would sit atop the Santa Catarina River running through central Monterrey. The proposed stadium would have seated 80,000.