Lincoln Financial Field has worked well as a replacement for Veterans Stadium, which was demolished after more than 30 years of service to Philadelphia sports fans. This facility was opened on August 3rd, 2003, when the stadium welcomed FC Barcelona and Manchester United for a friendly match. The facility ended up costing $512 million to create, and the newest round of renovations are expected to cost more than $125 million. During the two-year renovation project, which started spring of 2013, more seats will be added, new HD screens installed, and the entire venue will be blanketed in Wi-Fi.
Part of the costs of constructing a new stadium were covered by a naming rights agreement between the team and Lincoln Financial, which were negotiated for $139.6 million over 21 years. Season ticket holders were sold stadium builder’s licenses to raise additional funds.
Located off the Delaware Expressway, near the Delaware River on the south end of Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Stadium is typically called “The Linc” by fans. During the first season of operation, fans were banned from bringing cheesesteaks and hoagies into the stadium because of security concerns stemming from 9/11. When local fans and radio show hosts mercilessly roasted ownership over the potential of a bomb being smuggled in via sandwich, the policy was reversed after a week.
Philadelphia Eagles Stadium
If you follow any major, professional North American sports league, you probably already know that the sports fans of Philadelphia are among the most imposing and brutal fanatics. A recent poll conducted among 321 NFL players revealed that they consider Philadelphia Eagles fans to be the most intimidating in the league. However, the Eagles record over the past five years suggest that there’s not much of a home field advantage as of late, considering that they have a home record of 19-21 over the last half-decade, which works out to a .475 winning percentage. During the same timespan, the Eagles have done far better on the road, earning a 23-17 record for a .575 winning percentage.
Over the past decade, the NFLPA survey of playing fields has ranked Lincoln Financial Field as progressively getting worse, with the 2010 survey ranking them the sixth worst natural grass field in the league. The 2004 survey ranked The Linc as the ninth best.
Stadium Vitals
Date Opened: August 3rd, 2003
Construction Cost: $512 million
Architect: NBBJ; Agoos Lovera Architects
Capacity Attendance: 69,176
Playing Surface: Desso GrassMaster
Previous Philadelphia Eagles Stadiums
Baker Bowl; Philadelphia Municipal Stadium; Connie Mack Stadium; Franklin Field; Veterans Stadium
Other Major Events
College Football
In addition to hosting the Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field has been serving as the home field for the Temple University Owls since 2003, when a contract was signed to solidify a 15-year partnership. The annual Army-Navy name, a tradition that dates back well over a century, takes place most often at this venue, which is considered the primary field.
International Soccer
The opening of this stadium featured two of the top professional teams in the world, beginning a tradition of superb footie taking place at The Linc. The 2009 CONCACAF quarter finals were hosted at Lincoln Financial Field, featuring back-to-back games with Canada versus Honduras followed by the U.S. versus Panama.