Photo Credit
Researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong
Redskins Stadium 1999
FedEx Field 1999 – 2023
Address: 1600 FedEx Way(1)
Location: Landover, Maryland
Owner: Washington Commanders Josh Harris
Operator: Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Non-NFL Events
Executive Suites: 257
Capacity: 65,000
Executive Suites: 257
Capacity: 65,000
Former Capacity:
1. 62,000 – 63,000 (2022)(2)
2. 58,000 (2021)(3)
3. 67,617 (2015 – 2021)(4)(5)
4. 79,000 (2012 – 2015)(6)
5. 83,000 (2011)(6)
6. 91,704 (2009 – 2010)(7)
7. 91,665 (2004 – 2008)(7)
8. 86,484 (2001 – 2003)(7)
9. 85,407 (2000)(7)
10. 80,116 (1997 – 1999)(7)
Construction
Broke Ground: March 13th, 1996(8)
Opened: September 14th, 1997
Expanded: 1998, 2000, 2005
Construction Cost: US$251 million
2. 58,000 (2021)(3)
3. 67,617 (2015 – 2021)(4)(5)
4. 79,000 (2012 – 2015)(6)
5. 83,000 (2011)(6)
6. 91,704 (2009 – 2010)(7)
7. 91,665 (2004 – 2008)(7)
8. 86,484 (2001 – 2003)(7)
9. 85,407 (2000)(7)
10. 80,116 (1997 – 1999)(7)
Construction
Broke Ground: March 13th, 1996(8)
Opened: September 14th, 1997
Expanded: 1998, 2000, 2005
Construction Cost: US$251 million
($476 million in 2023 dollars)(9)
Services Engineer: M-E Engineers, Inc.(10)
General Contractor: Clark Construction(11)
Main Contractors: Driggs Construction Co.(12)
Tenants
1. Washington Commanders (NFL) 1997 – Present
Commanders Field is an American football stadium located in Landover, Maryland, five miles east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 until 2010, it had the NFL’s largest seating capacity at 91,000, with it currently having a capacity of 65,000(13)(14). The stadium is owned and operated by the Commanders, with non-NFL events managed by team owner Josh Harris’s company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). The stadium opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, with it being known as FedEx Field from 1999 to 2023. The stadium was renamed Commanders Field in 2024 after the naming rights were relinquished by FedEx.(15)
History
In the 1990’s, Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke was seeking to replace RFK Stadium as the team’s stadium. Cooke sought to build next to Laurel Park Racecourse along Whiskey Bottom and Brock Bridge roads, but lack of parking facilities and public support prompted him to discard the idea(16). Instead, the stadium was built in Landover, Maryland, on Wilson Dairy Farm. A special exit, Exit 16 (Arena Drive), was built from Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway. Cooke named the site Raljon after his sons Ralph and John, registering it with the United States Postal Service for the stadium's Zip Code. Cooke died months before the opening of the new stadium, which his sons named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. It opened on September 14th, 1997, with the first game being held against the Arizona Cardinals.(17)
Daniel Snyder bought the team and stadium from Cooke’s estate in May 1999, briefly naming it Redskins Stadium before selling the naming rights to FedEx for 27 years at an average of $7.6 million per year. The stadium was officially renamed FedEx Field on November 21st, 1999(18). The Raljon dateline requirements and placename were phased out by Snyder by the start of the 1999 season(19). From 2002 to 2010, the Redskins led the NFL in home attendance(20). In the early 2010’s, 14,000 seats were removed from the upper deck due to lack of demand(6)(21). By 2015, another 4,000 seats had been removed(22). In July 2023, the team and stadium were acquired from Snyder by a group headed by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion dollars(23). The following year, Harris’s company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) took over operating non-NFL events at the stadium(24). In February 2024, FedEx announced that it had opted out of its naming rights contract before its expiration in 2026(25). The franchise applied the team’s name to the stadium while seeking a new sponsor.(26)
Design
The stadium has five level: the Lower Level, the Club Level, the Upper Level, and the Lower and Upper Suite Levels. The Lower Level is named after Bobby Mitchell, a running back and executive with the team from 1962 to 2002(27)(28). The Club Level is named after Joe Gibbs, the team’s head coach from 1981 to 1992 and from 2004 to 2007. The Upper Level is named after former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. The stadium has 257 suites as of 2023.
Notable Events
College Football
Commanders Field hosts the annual Prince George’s Classic college football game, which is a game usually between two historically black universities. It has hosted several other college football games, including the 1998 game between Notre Dame and Navy, the 2004 Black Coaches Association Classic between USC and Virginia Tech, and the 112th – Army – Navy Game.
Soccer
Commanders Field has been used for several international soccer matches. On March 28th, 2015, Argentina defeated El Salvador at the stadium before a crowd of 53,978(29). On June 7th, 2014, the stadium hosted a doubleheader. In the first game, Spain, the 2010 World Cup winner, defeated El Salvador 2 – 0 in a warm-up match in front of a crowd of 53,267. In the second game, D.C. United played the Columbus Crew to a scoreless drew in the first regular-season game United hosted at the stadium. It hosted four preliminary matches and one quarterfinal doubleheader in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. On July 1, 1999, the United States women’s national soccer team defeated Germany 3 – 2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 1999 quarterfinals.
The stadium has also hosted a number of club soccer exhibition matches. During the 2005 World Series of Soccer, D.C. United hosted Chelsea F.C. there; the 31,473 spectators represented D.C. United’s third-highest ever home attendance. On August 9th, 2009, D.C. United hosted another international friendly game against Real Madrid at FedEx Field in front of 81,807 fans. FedEx Field was used on July 19th, 2014, in the International Champions Cup as Manchester United played Inter Milan(30). On July 26th, 2017, Manchester United played F.C. Barcelona again at the FedEx Field as part of International Champions Cup. This time the Catalan club secured a narrow 1 – 0 victory over Manchester United in front of 80,162 fans, with Neymar’s last goal for F.C. Barcelona being the difference(31). On August 4th, 2018, FedEx Field hosted a 2018 International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and Juventus. Real Madrid won 3 – 1. On July 23, 2019, FedEx Field also hosted a match between Real Madrid and Arsenal. The match ended 2 – 2, and Real Madrid won the penalty shootout. Commanders Field was being considered as a 2026 FIFA World Cup venue before being rejected.(32)(33)
Rugby Union
Commanders Field hosted a rugby union match between New Zealand and the USA Eagles on October 23rd, 2021(34). This was the first time a rugby union game has been hosted at FedEx Field.
Criticisms
The stadium is regarded as one of the worst stadiums in the NFL, being ranked as the worst in several polls.(36)(37)(38)
In January 2007, The Washington Post reported that former team owner Daniel Snyder met with Washington D.C. officials and former Virgina Governor Terry McAuliffe about building a new stadium(39)(40). In 2005, eight years after the stadium opened, 1,488 premium “dream seats” in three rows were added in front of what was the first when the stadium was built(41). The stadium is about a mile away from the Morgan Boulevard station, the nearest Washington Metro station to the stadium. Furthermore, federal regulations prohibit publicly paid shuttle service from public transit agencies when a private service is available.(42)
In 2021, three water leaks occurred near to fans(43). In 2022, as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was walking down the away team tunnel, a barrier separating seated fans from the away team tunnel gave way and caused several people to fall near him(44). According to several witnesses, team staff did not show care for or call for medical attention for the fans who fell, but yelled “get the F off the field”. The team released a statement responding to the criticisms, claiming the team did provide medical evaluations on site, but one fan denied that they did. Hurts was the only one who asked if they were okay(45). Hurts later wrote an open letter about the incident to the NFL, asking that action be taken to prevent an incident like this from recurring.(46)
Links and References
1. "FedExField Stadium Guide". Washington
Services Engineer: M-E Engineers, Inc.(10)
General Contractor: Clark Construction(11)
Main Contractors: Driggs Construction Co.(12)
Tenants
1. Washington Commanders (NFL) 1997 – Present
Commanders Field is an American football stadium located in Landover, Maryland, five miles east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 until 2010, it had the NFL’s largest seating capacity at 91,000, with it currently having a capacity of 65,000(13)(14). The stadium is owned and operated by the Commanders, with non-NFL events managed by team owner Josh Harris’s company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). The stadium opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, with it being known as FedEx Field from 1999 to 2023. The stadium was renamed Commanders Field in 2024 after the naming rights were relinquished by FedEx.(15)
History
In the 1990’s, Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke was seeking to replace RFK Stadium as the team’s stadium. Cooke sought to build next to Laurel Park Racecourse along Whiskey Bottom and Brock Bridge roads, but lack of parking facilities and public support prompted him to discard the idea(16). Instead, the stadium was built in Landover, Maryland, on Wilson Dairy Farm. A special exit, Exit 16 (Arena Drive), was built from Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway. Cooke named the site Raljon after his sons Ralph and John, registering it with the United States Postal Service for the stadium's Zip Code. Cooke died months before the opening of the new stadium, which his sons named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. It opened on September 14th, 1997, with the first game being held against the Arizona Cardinals.(17)
Daniel Snyder bought the team and stadium from Cooke’s estate in May 1999, briefly naming it Redskins Stadium before selling the naming rights to FedEx for 27 years at an average of $7.6 million per year. The stadium was officially renamed FedEx Field on November 21st, 1999(18). The Raljon dateline requirements and placename were phased out by Snyder by the start of the 1999 season(19). From 2002 to 2010, the Redskins led the NFL in home attendance(20). In the early 2010’s, 14,000 seats were removed from the upper deck due to lack of demand(6)(21). By 2015, another 4,000 seats had been removed(22). In July 2023, the team and stadium were acquired from Snyder by a group headed by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion dollars(23). The following year, Harris’s company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) took over operating non-NFL events at the stadium(24). In February 2024, FedEx announced that it had opted out of its naming rights contract before its expiration in 2026(25). The franchise applied the team’s name to the stadium while seeking a new sponsor.(26)
Design
The stadium has five level: the Lower Level, the Club Level, the Upper Level, and the Lower and Upper Suite Levels. The Lower Level is named after Bobby Mitchell, a running back and executive with the team from 1962 to 2002(27)(28). The Club Level is named after Joe Gibbs, the team’s head coach from 1981 to 1992 and from 2004 to 2007. The Upper Level is named after former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. The stadium has 257 suites as of 2023.
Notable Events
College Football
Commanders Field hosts the annual Prince George’s Classic college football game, which is a game usually between two historically black universities. It has hosted several other college football games, including the 1998 game between Notre Dame and Navy, the 2004 Black Coaches Association Classic between USC and Virginia Tech, and the 112th – Army – Navy Game.
Soccer
Commanders Field has been used for several international soccer matches. On March 28th, 2015, Argentina defeated El Salvador at the stadium before a crowd of 53,978(29). On June 7th, 2014, the stadium hosted a doubleheader. In the first game, Spain, the 2010 World Cup winner, defeated El Salvador 2 – 0 in a warm-up match in front of a crowd of 53,267. In the second game, D.C. United played the Columbus Crew to a scoreless drew in the first regular-season game United hosted at the stadium. It hosted four preliminary matches and one quarterfinal doubleheader in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. On July 1, 1999, the United States women’s national soccer team defeated Germany 3 – 2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 1999 quarterfinals.
The stadium has also hosted a number of club soccer exhibition matches. During the 2005 World Series of Soccer, D.C. United hosted Chelsea F.C. there; the 31,473 spectators represented D.C. United’s third-highest ever home attendance. On August 9th, 2009, D.C. United hosted another international friendly game against Real Madrid at FedEx Field in front of 81,807 fans. FedEx Field was used on July 19th, 2014, in the International Champions Cup as Manchester United played Inter Milan(30). On July 26th, 2017, Manchester United played F.C. Barcelona again at the FedEx Field as part of International Champions Cup. This time the Catalan club secured a narrow 1 – 0 victory over Manchester United in front of 80,162 fans, with Neymar’s last goal for F.C. Barcelona being the difference(31). On August 4th, 2018, FedEx Field hosted a 2018 International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and Juventus. Real Madrid won 3 – 1. On July 23, 2019, FedEx Field also hosted a match between Real Madrid and Arsenal. The match ended 2 – 2, and Real Madrid won the penalty shootout. Commanders Field was being considered as a 2026 FIFA World Cup venue before being rejected.(32)(33)
Rugby Union
Commanders Field hosted a rugby union match between New Zealand and the USA Eagles on October 23rd, 2021(34). This was the first time a rugby union game has been hosted at FedEx Field.
Criticisms
The stadium is regarded as one of the worst stadiums in the NFL, being ranked as the worst in several polls.(36)(37)(38)
In January 2007, The Washington Post reported that former team owner Daniel Snyder met with Washington D.C. officials and former Virgina Governor Terry McAuliffe about building a new stadium(39)(40). In 2005, eight years after the stadium opened, 1,488 premium “dream seats” in three rows were added in front of what was the first when the stadium was built(41). The stadium is about a mile away from the Morgan Boulevard station, the nearest Washington Metro station to the stadium. Furthermore, federal regulations prohibit publicly paid shuttle service from public transit agencies when a private service is available.(42)
In 2021, three water leaks occurred near to fans(43). In 2022, as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was walking down the away team tunnel, a barrier separating seated fans from the away team tunnel gave way and caused several people to fall near him(44). According to several witnesses, team staff did not show care for or call for medical attention for the fans who fell, but yelled “get the F off the field”. The team released a statement responding to the criticisms, claiming the team did provide medical evaluations on site, but one fan denied that they did. Hurts was the only one who asked if they were okay(45). Hurts later wrote an open letter about the incident to the NFL, asking that action be taken to prevent an incident like this from recurring.(46)
Links and References
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2. Paras, Matthew (September 22, 2022).
again". The Washington Times. Retrieved
March 24, 2024.
3. Hruby, Patrick (May 17, 2023). "Josh Harris
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Media Guide. Washington Redskins. August 28,
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September 19, 2018. Retrieved
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churches, they say". The Baltimore Sun. ProQuest
2289246850. Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke is
seeking a special exception that would allow a
$160 million National Football League stadium in
an industrial zone east of Laurel in Anne Arundel
County. The Redskins are also hoping for
variances from county codes on matters such as
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17. Vick, Karl; Heath, Thomas (September 15, 1997)
17. Vick, Karl; Heath, Thomas (September 15, 1997)
The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28,
Positively It's Now FedEx Field". The Washington
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23. Jhabvala, Nicki. "Josh Harris preaches patience,
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24. Muret, Don (February 5, 2024). "HBSE takes
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March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
25. Jhabvala, Nicki; Maske, Mark (February 28,
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