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Lucas Oil Stadium Seating Chart, Lucas Oil Stadium Tickets
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Events at Lucas Oil Stadium
Welcome to the new home of the 2007 Super Bowl Champs, the Indianapolis Colts. Lucas Oil Stadium will open to 63,000 screaming fans on Sept 7, 2008. While the anticipated inaugural opening of the stadium was delayed a few weeks, what could cheer up the city and fans more than a match-up between the Colts and the Bears. The 600 million dollar stadium designed by HKS Sports and Entertainment Group will be one of the best stadiums in the NFL. Located on Capital Avenue, within eyesight of the RCA Dome, Lucas Oil Stadium will be Indianapolis’s first outdoor football stadium. But fans can rest assured that they and the team will be protected from the weather by the high tech retractable roof. The solid architecture of the building has a brick facade with soaring glass windows reminiscent an old fieldhouse. Adding to the stadiums outdoor feel is a towering windowed gate that slides on steels rails. Made up of 6 panels the 214 foot by 88 foot wall opens to let in more light. Within 9 minutes both the roof and gate can be opened or closed. Fans will enter the stadium to find themselves in a space that raises several stories. With seven levels fans will have access to amenities on every concourse. The field arena is decorated in Colts blue and white, and the playing field is made of Fieldturf, which sits 25 feet below street level to allow fans easier access to their seats. Spectators from all corners of the stadium will be able to view replays and highlights on the largest videoboard in the NFL. With two 97’ by 53’ and high definition scoreboards the fans will be pleased. The stadium will house over 150 luxury suits and for larger events the seating can be expanded to seat 70,000.
Aside from NFL football games, Lucas Oil Stadium will host NCAA basketball’s March Madness Tournament and will be the permanent backup for the Final Four Tournament. In 2010 the semi-round of the men’s Final Four will be held in the stadium, and in 2011 the NCAA women’s Finial Four Tournament with be held there. Of course the biggest of all events will be the XLVI Super Bowl held on February 5, 2012. Other annual events that will find their home in Lucas Oil Stadium will be the DCI World Championships, the Bands of America Grand National Championship, and the Indiana Marching Band State Finals. Kenny Chesney and LeAnn Rimes are scheduled for the 2008 season and other large music acts like Madonna, Coldplay, and Dave Matthews Band are sure to be booked for future seasons.
The road to Lucas Oil Stadium has brought the Colt’s from Baltimore and through seasons of greatness and seasons full of want. The history of the Colts started in the year 1953 when Carroll Rosenbloom bought the franchise. Lead by quarterback Johnny Unitas and head coach Weeb Ewbank, the Baltimore Colts had strong seasons in the 50s, and by the early 60s, the Colts had become an elite team. In 1968 they won the AFL championships over the Browns 34-0, but lost the World Championship to the Jets. In 1972 Rosenbloom traded the Colts to Robert Irsay for the LA Rams. With Irsay the Colts made the playoffs four times in the 70s and won three consecutive AFC east titles with Bert Jones as quarterback. Beginning in 1978 the Colt lost their rhythm and had losing season after losing seasons. The Colts were so bad that John Elway, their 1982 1st round draft pick, refused to join the team. Irsay began looking for a new home for the Colts, and in 1984 negotiations with Indianapolis mayor Richard Lugar settle the matter. With a new stadium, the Hoosier Dome (later renamed the RCA Dome), waiting for an NFL team, the Colts came home to Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis Colts struggled even with QB Jim Harbaught and RB Marshall Faulk at the helm. As Robert Irsay passed away, his son Jim took over as owner of the Colts. He began hiring and firing and during the 1998 NFL Draft he was able to land the quarterback from the University of Tennessee, Payton Manning and Edgernin James. In 2002 Tony Dungy left Tampa Bay to become the head coach of the Colts. The rest is history. As the Indianapolis Colts, and the fans look forward to many more terrific seasons, the city of Indianapolis looks forward to all the great business this multi-million dollar stadium will bring. We will look back fondly on the RCA Dome as demolishionist demolish the dome to create more space to expand the convention center. In the year 2008 the Colts will have played their last game in the RCA Dome and will open a new era in the Lucas Oil Stadium.