Lucas Oil Stadium

Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008.[11] The stadium was constructed to allow the removal of the RCA Dome and expansion of the Indiana Convention Center on its site. The stadium is on the south side of South Street, a block south of the former site of the RCA Dome. In 2006, prior to the stadium's construction, Lucas Oil Products secured the naming rights for the stadium at a cost of $122 million over 20 years.[12] The venue also serves as the current home for the United Soccer League's Indy Eleven, as well as the home of the Drum Corps International Championships since 2009.

Lucas Oil Stadium

The House that Manning Built
Aerial photograph of Lucas Oil Stadium (2016).
Lucas Oil Stadium Location in Indianapolis Show map of Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Lucas Oil Stadium Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Address	500 South Capitol Avenue
Location	Indianapolis, Indiana
Coordinates	39°45′36.2″N 86°9′49.7″W
Owner	Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority (State of Indiana)[1]
Operator	Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County, Indiana
Executive suites	139
Capacity	American football: 67,000 (expandable to 70,000)[2] Basketball: 70,000 (approx)
Surface	FieldTurf (2008–2018) Shaw Sports Momentum Pro (2018–present)
Construction
Broke ground	September 20, 2005
Opened	August 16, 2008
Construction cost	US$720 million[3] ($843 million in 2018 dollars[4])
Architect	HKS, Inc. A2so4 Architecture[5] Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, Inc.[6]
Project manager	John Klipsch Consulting LLC[7]
Structural engineer	Walter P Moore/Fink Roberts & Petrie[8]
Services engineer	Moore Engineers PC[9][10]
General contractor	Hunt/Smoot/Mezzetta[3]
Tenants
Indianapolis Colts (NFL) (2008–present) Indy Eleven (USLC) (2018–present)

The 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, thus allowing the Colts and the Eleven to play both indoors and outdoors. The field surface was originally FieldTurf but was replaced in 2018 with Shaw Sports Momentum Pro.[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 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, and the Fairgrounds Coliseum.[14]

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 9 to 11 minutes. It is composed of two panels that each weigh 2.5 million pounds (1,100,000 kg).[16][3]

NFL rules for roof opening

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 sponsoring corporation: Lucas Oil, Verizon, and Huntington Bank. The ground-level concourses of their respective gates feature banners and floor coverings with the corporations' logos, advertisements and merchandise displays.[18]

Events

Super Bowl XLVI post-game celebrations in 2012.

Lucas Oil Stadium configured to host the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four.

Annual events include:

• Bands of America Grand National Championships and Indianapolis Super Regionals
• Big Ten Football Championship Game[19]
• Circle City Classic
• Drum Corps International World Championships
• FDIC International (Firefighting Convention)
• IHSAA Indiana State Football Championships
• ISSMA Band State Finals
• Monster Energy Supercross
• Monster Jam
• NFL Draft Combine
• National FFA Convention

Upcoming events include:

• General Conference Session of Seventh-day Adventists (May 2021)
• North American Youth Congress 2021
• College Football Playoff National Championship (January 10, 2022)
• NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four (April 2021, April 2026)

Significant past events included:

• Super Bowl XLVI (February 5, 2012)[20]
• Kenny Chesney concerts (2008, 2009, 2012, 2015)
• Chelsea vs. Inter Milan (International Champions Cup) (August 1, 2013)
• NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four (2010, 2015)
• One Direction – On The Road Again Tour (July 31, 2015)
• Gen Con 50 (August 2017)
• North American Youth Congress 2017
• (July-August 2017)
• U2 – The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 (September 10, 2017)
• Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour (September 15, 2018)

Football

The first games played at Lucas Oil Stadium occurred on August 22, 2008, and were part of the PeyBack Classic, featuring Indiana high school football games between Noblesville High School and Fishers High School in Game 1, followed by New Palestine High School and Whiteland Community High School in Game 2.[21] On November 26, 2008, Cardinal Ritter High School became the first high school to win a state championship on the field, beating Sheridan High School 34–27 for the class A state title. The Colts faced the Chicago Bears in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI in their first regular season game in the stadium.[22]

Soccer

The stadium hosted its first soccer game on August 1, 2013, when Chelsea played Inter Milan in a first-round game of the International Champions Cup, drawing 41,983 fans.[23]

Date	Winning Team	Result	Losing Team	Tournament	Spectators
August 1, 2013	Chelsea	2–0	Inter Milan	2013 International Champions Cup First Round	41,983

As of 2018, Lucas Oil Stadium serves as the home field for the United Soccer League's Indy Eleven, replacing the venue the team used while in the North American Soccer League, Carroll Stadium.[24]

Entertainment

Drum Corps International (DCI) announced on August 9, 2006, 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.[25] In 2015, Drum Corps International and the city of Indianapolis announced a 10-year contract extension, allowing the World Championships to continue through 2028.[26] The competition was held for the first time at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2009.[27]

Other regular events include the Bands of America Grand National Championships[28] and the Indiana Marching Band State Finals,[29] both major events for the city in Marching band competitions.

Concerts

Date	Artist	Opening Act(s)	Tour / Concert Name	Attendance	Revenue	Notes
September 13, 2008	Kenny Chesney	Keith Urban LeAnn Rimes Gary Allan Luke Bryan Sammy Hagar	The Poets and Pirates Tour	50,528 / 50,528	$3,835,609	The stadium's first public concert.[30]
September 19, 2009	Kenny Chesney	Miranda Lambert Sugarland Montgomery Gentry Zac Brown Band	Sun City Carnival Tour	45,178 / 45,178	$3,016,365
July 28, 2012	Kenny Chesney Tim McGraw	Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Jake Owen	Brothers of the Sun Tour	41,671 / 43,864	$3,509,151
May 9, 2015	Kenny Chesney Eric Church	Brantley Gilbert Chase Rice Old Dominion	The Big Revival Tour	43,675 / 44,872	$4,064,335
July 31, 2015	One Direction	Icona Pop	On the Road Again Tour	42,196 / 42,196	$3,426,589
September 10, 2017	U2	Beck	The Joshua Tree Tour 2017	51,731 / 51,731	$5,970,055
September 15, 2018	Taylor Swift	Camila Cabello Charli XCX	Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour	55,729 / 55,729	$6,531,245	Highest attended concert at the stadium.[31]

Financing

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.[32] 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.[33]

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.[34] 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.[35]

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.[36] 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.[37]

Construction pictures

• 
  Early phases of construction
• 
  Satellite image
• 
  Mid-stage of construction

References

1. "About ISCBA". State of Indiana. Archived from the original on December 10, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
2. Chappel, Mike (August 1, 2012). "Indianapolis Colts: Team Will Turn to Single-Game Tickets in Chase for Sellouts". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
3. "Facts and Information". Lucas Oil Stadium. 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
4. Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2019). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved April 6, 2019. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
5. "Lucas Oil Stadium". A2SO4. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
6. "Lucas Oil Stadium". Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, Inc. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
7. "Lucas Oil Stadium – Home of the Indianapolis Colts". John Klipsch Consulting LLC. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
8. "Lucas Oil Stadium". Emporis. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
9. "Super Bowl XLVI/Lucas Oil Stadium". ArchDaily. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
10. "Indianapolis International Airport Receives the 2009 Monumental Award". Kibi.org. November 19, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
11. "Iscba Announces Lucas Oil Stadium Grand Opening Events" (Press release). ISCBA. June 23, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
12. "Lucas Oil Gets Stadium Naming Rights, Colts Confirm". WRTV. wrtv.com. March 1, 2006. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
13. "Indianapolis Colts - Lucas Oil Stadium".
14. "If You Build It..." (PDF). The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
15. Ingerson, Meagan (November 26, 2007). "Lucas Oil Stadium Scoreboards: 53 feet high, $11.4M Pricetag". The Indianapolis Star. indystar.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
16. "Lucas Oil Stadium". Uni-Systems. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
17. "Super Bowl XLV Visitor Guide: Stadium". NFL. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
18. "HHGregg Signs On As Lucas Oil Stadium Founding Sponsor". SportsBusiness Daily. sportsbusinessdaily.com. December 11, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
19. "Montee Ball's Four Touchdowns Spark Wisconsin to Big Ten Title". ESPN. Associated Press. December 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
20. Callahan, Rick (July 19, 2012). "Indianapolis to make bid for 2018 Super Bowl". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
21. "Lucas Oil Stadium Preparing For Grand Opening Events". Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority (Press release). Inside Indiana Business. June 24, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
22. Milz, Mary (March 31, 2008). "Colts Season Opener Puts New Stadium in National Spotlight". WTHR. wthr.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
23. "Guinness International Champion Cup Teams, Venues, and Bracket Announced". internationalchampionscup.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
24. Mack, Justin (January 29, 2018). "'We can't wait to see you at our new venue.' Indy Eleven headed to Lucas Oil Stadium".
25. "Drum Corps International Moving Headquarters, Bringing World Championships to Indianapolis" (Press release). Drum Corps International. August 9, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
26. http://www.dci.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=33500&ATCLID=210253294&SPID=166025&SPSID=965782
27. "2008 Drum Corps International World Championships Relocated to Indiana University" (Press release). DCI. April 4, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
28. "2011 Grand National Championships Review" (Press release). Music For All. November 12, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
29. Bradner, Eric. "Bands Take the Field at Lucas Oil Stadium for Annual Competition". Evansville Courier & Press. courierpress.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
30. "Chesney Concert Will Be First at Lucas Oil Stadium". WTHR. wthr.com. September 16, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
31. "4 ways Taylor Swift aced her stadium challenge in Indianapolis". IndyStar. indystar.com. September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
32. Eschbacher, Karen (August 27, 2006). "Operating in the Red Zone: Stadium Plan Faces Shortfall on Day-to-Day Costs". The Indianapolis Star. Pacer Digest. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
33. "CIB President: Stadium Could Close If Deal Isn't Reached". WRTV. April 3, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
34. Olson, Scott (September 15, 2009). "More Layoffs, Furloughs Possible for Cash-Strapped Indianapolis CIB". Indianapolis Business Journal. Indiana Economic Digest. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
35. "Colts Letter to Fans on Lucas Oil Stadium". WTHR. wthr.com. September 16, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
36. Bonesteel, Matt (September 4, 2015). "Three fans injured during Colts game after bolt falls from Lucas Oil Stadium roof". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
37. "Officials: Lucas Oil Stadium safe for events with roof closed, bolt investigation continues". Fox 59. fox59.com. September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.

External links

• Official website

Events and tenants
Preceded by RCA Dome	Home of the Indianapolis Colts 2008–present	Succeeded by current
Preceded by Carroll Stadium	Home of the Indy Eleven 2018–present	Succeeded by current
Preceded by Cowboys Stadium	Host of Super Bowl XLVI 2012	Succeeded by Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Preceded by Ford Field AT&T Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium 2019 Alamodome	NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 2010 2015 2021 2026	Succeeded by Reliant Stadium NRG Stadium Mercedes-Benz Superdome TBD
Preceded by Amalie Arena	NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 2016	Succeeded by American Airlines Center
Preceded by first stadium	Host of the Big Ten Championship Game 2011–present	Succeeded by current
Preceded by RCA Dome	Home of Bands of America Grand National Championship 2008–present	Succeeded by current
Preceded by Memorial Stadium, Bloomington	Home of the Drum Corps International World Championship 2009–2028	Succeeded by current
Preceded by RCA Dome	Home of the NFL Scouting Combine 2009–present	Succeeded by current
Preceded by Heinz Field	Host of AFC Championship Game 2010	Succeeded by Heinz Field