RCA Dome
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| RCA Dome | |
|---|---|
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| Location | 100 South Capitol Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana 46225 |
| Coordinates | |
| Broke ground | May 27, 1982 |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Demolished | May-August 2008 |
| Owner | Capital Improvement Board |
| Operator | Capital Improvement Board |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction cost | $77.5 million USD |
| Architect | HNTB |
| Former names | Hoosier Dome (1983-1994) |
| Tenants | Indianapolis Colts (NFL) (1984-2007) NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (1991, 1997, 2000, 2006) |
| Capacity | 57,980 |
The RCA Dome is a domed stadium located in Indianapolis, Indiana, which was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984-2007). It was completed in 1984 at a cost of $82 million as part of the Indiana Convention Center, with the costs split evenly between private and public money. It was finished nearly a year before the Colts actually moved to the city. In 1984, the Colts relocated to Indianapolis from Baltimore.
Until the end of the 2007 season, the RCA Dome was the smallest stadium in the NFL. In 2008, Lucas Oil Stadium's default seating arrangement of 63,000 will make it the second-smallest NFL stadium, ahead of Soldier Field (61,000).
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[edit] History
The stadium was completed in 1984. It is remarkably similar in design and appearance to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis and BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, owing in great part to the involvement of engineer David Geiger, pioneer in air-supported roofs[1].
The RCA Dome hosted WrestleMania VIII in 1992. WrestleMania VIII was the last appearance of Jake "The Snake" Roberts until 1995, "Macho Man" Randy Savage's last title win, Hulk Hogan's last match until WrestleMania IX, the return of The Ultimate Warrior, and Bret Hart's second reign as Intercontinental champion. However, WrestleMania VIII failed to sell out, the first WrestleMania to do so. WrestleMania VIII has been considered one of the worst WrestleManias ever.
The stadium was named the Hoosier Dome until 1994 when RCA paid $10 million for the naming rights for 10 years, with two five-year options to RCA at a cost of $13.5 million if invoked. Currently, the stadium seats 57,980 for football. Modifications were made to the stadium in 2001 to expand the suites and add club seating. Before that, the maximum seating for a football crowd was 60,272. The dome was officially dedicated on September 8, 1984, as a sellout crowd watched the Purdue Boilermakers defeat the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Basketball is also played at the RCA Dome. The first game played there was an exhibition game in 1984 between an NBA All-Star team led by home-state hero Larry Bird and the United States Olympic Men's Basketball team, coached by Bob Knight, who was at the time the coach of Indiana University. The dome also served as the site of the NBA All-Star Game in February 1985, where a record NBA crowd of 43,146 saw the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 140-129[2]. Since then it has hosted many NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games, including four Final Fours (1991, 1997, 2000, 2006). The NCAA, whose headquarters are in Indianapolis, has committed to holding the Final Four in Indianapolis once every five years. The RCA Dome hosted its first Women's Final Four in 2005.
In addition, it has hosted 1990 General Conference Sessions of Seventh-day Adventists, the Indiana High School Athletic Association's annual boys and girls championships, and served as one of two sites for the FIBA Men's World Basketball Championship Tournament in 2002, sharing the honors with Conseco Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers. Additionally, the RCA Dome is the site of the Indiana State School Music Association State Marching Band Competition, the Bands of America Grand Nationals, and the Drum Corps International Midwestern Regional, along with the NFL Scouting Combine in February of each year. The dome also served as venue of the World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania VIII in 1992.
Originally the football playing surface was Astroturf, replaced with FieldTurf in May 2005[3].
[edit] Roof
The roof is made up of teflon-coated fiberglass and weighs 257 tons. It is held up by the air pressure inside the building. The ceiling is 193 feet high, though the height can actually vary up to 5 feet as the materials expand and contract with the weather. There are warning signs posted cautioning patrons of the high winds at the doors when exiting the RCA Dome. The RCA Dome is one of the few remaining inflated-roof sports structures.
[edit] Future
The stadium is scheduled to be replaced by a new retractable-roof stadium, the Lucas Oil Stadium, in time for the 2008 NFL season. It is being constructed due south of the RCA Dome, which is slated to be demolished at a cost of $3,500,000[4].
The final game played in the RCA Dome was an AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Colts and the San Diego Chargers on January 13, 2008. The Chargers won, 28-24. The Colts also lost their final regular-season home game at RCA Dome on December 30, 2007, 16-10 to the Tennessee Titans.
[edit] Notes and references
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) |
Home of the Indianapolis Colts 1984 – 2008 |
Succeeded by Lucas Oil Stadium |
| Preceded by McNichols Sports Arena Continental Airlines Arena Tropicana Field Edward Jones Dome |
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 1991 1997 2000 2006 |
Succeeded by H.H.H. Metrodome Alamodome H.H.H. Metrodome Georgia Dome |
| Preceded by Gator Bowl Pontiac Silverdome |
Host of Bands of America Grand National Championship 1984 – 1986 1989 – 2007 |
Succeeded by Pontiac Silverdome Lucas Oil Stadium |
| Preceded by McNichols Sports Arena |
Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1985 |
Succeeded by Reunion Arena |
| Preceded by Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena |
Host of WrestleMania VIII 1992 |
Succeeded by Caesars Palace |
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