Sun Life Stadium

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Sun Life Stadium
"Dolphins Stadium or Fins House"
Sun Life Stadium logo
Former names Joe Robbie Stadium (1987–96)
Pro Player Park (1996)
Pro Player Stadium (1996–2005)
Dolphins Stadium (2005-06)
Dolphin Stadium (2006–09)[1]
Land Shark Stadium (2009–10)
Location 347 Don Shula Drive
Miami Gardens, Florida 33056
United States
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Parking 26,718 cars
Owner Stephen M. Ross (95%)
H. Wayne Huizenga (5%)[2]
Operator Miami Dolphins
Capacity 65,000 (Football)
78,363 (Wrestling)
Record attendance 80,120 (2013 BCS National Championship Game)
Field size Left field – 330 ft / 100.6 m
Left-center field – 361 ft / 110 m
Center field – 404 ft / 123.1 m
Right-center field – 385 ft / 117,3 m
Right field – 345 ft / 105.1 m
Backstop – 58 ft / 17.7 m
Surface Prescription Athletic Turf (Natural Grass)
Construction
Broke ground December 1, 1985
Opened August 16, 1987
Construction cost $115 million
($240 million in 2024 dollars[3])
Architect Populous (then HOK Sport) ; HOK (2016 renovation)
Project manager George A. Fuller Company[4]
Structural engineer Bliss & Nyitray Inc.
Services engineer Blum Consulting Engineers
General contractor Huber, Hunt & Nichols[5]
Tenants
Miami Dolphins (NFL) (1987–present)
Champs Sports Bowl (NCAA) (1990–2000)
Florida Marlins (MLB) (1993–2011)
Orange Bowl (NCAA) (1996–1998; 2000–present)
Florida Atlantic Owls (NCAA) (2001–2002)
Miami Hurricanes (NCAA) (2008–present)

Sun Life Stadium is a football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States, a city north of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL), and the Miami Hurricanes football team of the University of Miami. Sun Life Stadium also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It was the home to the Florida Marlins baseball team from 1993 to 2011. Originally named Joe Robbie Stadium, it has also been known as Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium.

Since its construction, the stadium has hosted five Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI and XLIV), the 2010 Pro Bowl,[6] two World Series (1997 and 2003), four BCS National Championship Games (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013), the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and WrestleMania XXVIII. The stadium is one of four potential hosts for the 2019 and 2020 Super Bowl games.[7]

On January 18, 2010, the Miami Dolphins signed a five-year deal with Sun Life Financial to rename Dolphin Stadium to Sun Life Stadium. The deal is worth $7.5 million per year for five years (a total of $37.5 million).[8]

History and facts

Conception and construction

County officials check out the interior of the stadium, April 24, 1987

For their first 21 seasons, the Miami Dolphins played at the Orange Bowl. Joe Robbie, the team's founder, led the financing campaign to build a new home for the team. He believed it was only a matter of time before a Major League Baseball team came to South Florida. At his request, the stadium was built so only minimal renovations would be necessary to ready it for a baseball team.[citation needed] Most notably, the field was made somewhat wider than is normally the case for an NFL stadium. The wide field also makes it fairly easy to convert the stadium for soccer.

Because of this design decision, the first row of seats is 90 ft (27 m) from the sideline in a football configuration, considerably more distant than the first row of seats in most football stadiums (the closest seats at the new Soldier Field, for instance, are 55 ft (17 m) from the sideline at the 50-yard line). This resulted in a less intimate venue for football compared to other football facilities built around this time, as well as to the Orange Bowl.

At the time it opened in 1987, the stadium was located in an unincorporated area within Miami-Dade County, and had a Miami address. Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003.[9]

Dolphins

The stadium before a Miami Dolphins game, 2007

The first regular season NFL game played there was a 42–0 Dolphins victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on October 11, 1987. The game was in the middle of the 1987 NFL strike, and was played with replacement players. The stadium hosted its first Monday Night Football game there on December 7 of that year, a 37–28 Dolphins victory over the New York Jets. In addition to the Super Bowl, several other playoff games have been played in the stadium, including the 1992 AFC Championship Game, which the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills, 29–10. The Dolphins are 5–3 in playoff games held here, losing the most recent one in January 2009, against the Baltimore Ravens. The team is unbeaten here against the Minnesota Vikings (3-0), San Diego Chargers (7-0), St. Louis Rams (4-0), and Washington Redskins (4-0); they are winless here against the Dallas Cowboys (0-3) and New York Giants (0-3).

The Marlins move in

A Florida Marlins baseball game, 2008

In 1990, Wayne Huizenga purchased 50% of then-Joe Robbie Stadium and became the point man in the drive to bring Major League Baseball (MLB) to South Florida. That effort was rewarded in July 1991, when the Miami area was awarded an MLB expansion franchise. The new team was named the Florida Marlins, and placed in the National League. On January 24, 1994, Huizenga acquired the remaining 50% of the stadium to give him 100% ownership. Since 1991, several million dollars have been spent to upgrade and renovate the stadium.

The first Marlins game played at then-Joe Robbie Stadium was on April 5, 1993, a 6–3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Renovations and configurations

After Huizenga bought part of the stadium, it was extensively renovated to accommodate a baseball team, as part of his successful bid to bring baseball to South Florida. Purists initially feared the result would be similar to Exhibition Stadium in Toronto; when the Toronto Blue Jays played there from 1977 to 1989, they were burdened with seats that were so far from the field (over 800 feet in some cases) that they weren't even sold during the regular season. However, Robbie had foreseen Miami would be a likely location for a new or relocated MLB team, and the stadium was designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible.

Interior of Sun Life Stadium in 2009, then named Land Shark Stadium. When the Marlins played there, the field was juggled among the Miami Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes, and Florida Marlins, making it an extremely used turf.

Aside from baseball renovations, the stadium has undergone some permanent renovations. In April 2006, the stadium unveiled two Daktronics large video boards, the largest in professional sports at the time.[10] The east display measures 50 ft (15 m) high by 140 ft (43 m) wide, and the west end zone display measures 50 ft (15 m) high by 100 ft (30 m) wide. A new 2,118-foot (646 m)-long LED ribbon board, again the largest in the world at the time, was also installed. These have since been surpassed in size.[10]

In addition, the upgrades include vastly widened 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) concourses on the stadium’s north and south sides. Bars, lounges and other amenities have also been added. The renovation has three phases, with the second and third phases of renovation taking place after the Marlins left the stadium. These remaining phases include the addition of a roof to shield fans from the rain, as well as remodeling the sidelines of the lower bowl to narrow the field and bring seats closer, ending its convertibility to baseball.[11]

The stadium contains 10,209 club seats and 216 suites. When the Marlins played at the stadium, 2,400 of the club seats and 216 suites were available.

A privately funded $350 million stadium renovation project began in January 2015. The project plan allows the stadium to be used for football games during the 2015 season, with completion planned for the 2016 football season.[12] Stadium upgrades include video boards in each corner of the stadium, additional suites, and an open-air canopy over the main seating areas.[13] As part of the renovation, the stadium's seating capacity will be reduced from 75,000 to 65,000 seats. Personal seat licenses will not be used, and a preview center opened at the stadium in February 2015 to help current and prospective season ticket holders select their ticket packages. Luxury packages will be used in place of PSL revenue to help finance the stadium. 32 four-seat pods will be located in the lower bowl at the south 30-yard lines, with an additional 16 pods at the south end zone.[14] The pods feature a living room arrangement, including premium furniture and television screens that show the NFL RedZone channel and NFL programming.[15]

Seating capacity

Aerial view in 2012, prior to the 2015 renovation.

Permanent seating info

The 65,326 permanent seats for football and soccer configurations break down as follows: The general 19" seats with chair back and armrests, there are 27,397 seats in the lower deck and 34,736 seats in upper deck. For the bigger club 21" seats with chair back and armrests, there are 10,209 seats. In the 193 executive suites with 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 seat suites, there are a total of 3,198 seats. There is also 300 seating locations for disabled persons, 150 seats for working press, and 10 radio/TV booths.[16]

Parking

The parking around the stadium takes up 140 acres, featuring parking for 24,137 cars, 171 buses, 90 RVs, 85 limousines, and one helipad on site.[16] The parking fee has been $30 per car/truck/SUV for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Notable events

NFL

An NFL game at then-named Dolphin Stadium in 2007

The stadium has played host to five Super Bowls (1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, and 2010). There has been a kickoff return for a touchdown in each Super Bowl played at the stadium, except in the most recent game. The stadium also hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl.

The 2007 Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium — when Indianapolis defeated Chicago 29–17 — was marred by heavy rains. An estimated 30% of the lower-level seating was empty during the second half.[17]

Sun Life Stadium in 2012.

In 2010, the NFL threatened to take Sun Life Stadium out of further consideration for a Super Bowl or Pro Bowl unless significant renovations were made. One of the upgrades desired was a roof to protect fans from the elements. In 2012, the Dolphins scrapped plans for pitching a $200-million hotel tax proposal that would have included a partial stadium roof.

In 2016, construction began on an open-air canopy that will protect all fan seating areas from rain. However, the canopy will have a football-field sized hole in the middle, and will not protect the playing field itself from rain. The renovations are scheduled to be completed by the first Miami Dolphins pre-season home game in August 2016.

Since the field runs east–west (rather than north–south as is the case in most other stadiums), the north stands are exposed to the full force of South Florida's oppressive heat early in the season. The issue has become so problematic that Stephen Ross, who owns the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, successfully petitioned the NFL to have all September home games start at 4 pm. Although the heat gave the Dolphins a substantial home-field advantage against opponents unaccustomed to the sweltering heat, Ross was willing to give that up in order to ensure a more comfortable environment for fans.[18]

Date Super Bowl Team (Visitor) Points Team (Home) Points Spectators
January 22, 1989 XXIII Cincinnati Bengals 16 San Francisco 49ers 20 75,597
January 29, 1995 XXIX San Diego Chargers 26 San Francisco 49ers 49 74,107
January 31, 1999 XXXIII Denver Broncos 34 Atlanta Falcons 19 74,803
February 4, 2007 XLI Indianapolis Colts 29 Chicago Bears 17 74,512
February 7, 2010 XLIV New Orleans Saints 31 Indianapolis Colts 17 74,059

NCAA

Sun Life Stadium has hosted both the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, and the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.[19] The 2013 game between Alabama and Notre Dame set a new attendance record for the facility, with 80,120 on hand to witness Alabama's third BCS Championship in four seasons.[20]

The stadium has hosted the Miami Hurricanes beginning in 2008. The stadium was the home field for the Florida Atlantic Owls (2001–2002).

Between 1990 and 2000, the stadium hosted a bowl game variously known as the Blockbuster Bowl, CarQuest Bowl, and MicronPC Bowl. After 2000, that bowl was moved to Orlando, where it eventually became known as the Russell Athletic Bowl.

The stadium has been the site of the Orange Bowl game since 1996, except for the January 1999 contest between Florida and Syracuse, which had to be moved due to a conflict with a Dolphins playoff game.

Until 2008, the stadium was host biennially (in even numbered years) to the yearly Shula Bowl, a game played between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers, when the game was hosted by FAU as the home team. (FIU hosts the game at its own stadium, FIU Stadium, every other year.) In 2010 the game was moved to Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium, and in 2011 the Owls opened FAU Stadium on its Boca Raton campus in 2011, and started hosting the Shula Bowl biennially in 2012.

Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter flies over Sun Life Stadium

WrestleMania XXVIII

On February 9, 2011, The Miami Herald announced that Miami had won the right to host WrestleMania in 2012.[21] WWE later officially announced the event in a press conference held at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.[22] WrestleMania XXVIII was the second Wrestlemania event that was hosted in the state of Florida, the fourth open-air event, and the third event to be held entirely outdoors.[21] For hosting the event, WWE will received a $250,000 cash incentive from the Miami-Dade Sports Commission raised through grants and sponsorships.

A record attendance of 78,363 fans pack Sun Life Stadium for WrestleMania XXVIII

On April 1, 2012, Sun Life Stadium held WWE's 28th annual flagship event, WrestleMania XXVIII. The event drew a record 78,363 fans in attendance. Also at the time, the event set a new record for the highest grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $8.9 million.[23]

The crowd witnessed the End of an Era as The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match, with WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels as special guest referee. Also, CM Punk retained the WWE Championship against Chris Jericho. Miami native The Rock defeated John Cena in the 'Once in a Lifetime' main event set one year in advance.

WrestleMania XXVIII garnered 1,217,000 buys,[24] making it at the time, the most purchased wrestling event in history, surpassing WrestleMania 23's buyrate of approximately 1.2 million, with global gross sales in excess of $67 million.[25]

Baseball

Two National League Division Series have been played at Sun Life Stadium:

Two National League Championship Series have been played at Sun Life Stadium:

Two World Series have been played at Sun Life Stadium:

When the Marlins began play in 1993, baseball capacity was initially reduced to 47,662, with most of the upper level covered with a tarp. In addition to Huizenga's desire create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball, most of the seats in the upper level would have been too far from the field to be of any use during the regular season. The stadium's baseball capacity was further reduced over the years, and finally settled at 38,560 seats. However, the Marlins would usually open the entire upper level for the postseason. In the 1997 World Series, the Marlins played before crowds of over 67,000 fans, some of the highest postseason attendance figures in MLB history, only exceeded by Cleveland Stadium, home of the Cleveland Indians during the 1948 and 1954 World Series, old Yankee Stadium prior to its mid 1970s renovation, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers (before Dodger Stadium was opened) in the 1959 World Series.

Although it was designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, Sun Life Stadium never was a true multipurpose stadium. Rather, it was built as a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. Most of the seats in the baseball configuration were pointed toward center field – where the 50-yard line would be in the football configuration. As a result, even with the reduced capacity, the sight lines for baseball left much to be desired. This was particularly evident during the Marlins' World Series appearances in 1997 and 2003. Some portions of left and center field were not part of the football playing field, and fans sitting in the left field upper-deck seats were unable to see these areas except on the replay boards. Even with the reduced capacity, during years the Marlins were not contending, they often drew crowds of 5,000 or fewer—a total that looked even smaller due to the cavernous environment.

The stadium was notorious for its poor playing conditions. The lights were not located in optimal positions for baseball visibility. During August and September, when the Dolphins (and later, the Hurricanes) shared the stadium, the field conditions were, according to both Marlins and visiting players, among the worst in the majors. Indeed, several Marlins players said that at times, they "couldn't wait to go on the road." Visiting teams hated coming to the stadium as well. For instance, when the Atlanta Braves came to the stadium for the last time in 2011, Dan Uggla, who played for the Marlins from 2006 to 2010, said that he was probably the only Brave who was going to miss it.[26][27][28] The stadium's problems as a baseball venue became even more stark as time wore on, as the Marlins' tenure in the stadium coincided with a wave of new, baseball-only parks. By the time the Marlins left the stadium, it was one of only three in the majors (and the only National League stadium) that played host to both a baseball team and an NFL or CFL team. The others were Oakland's O.co Coliseum and Toronto's Rogers Centre.

For most of the Marlins' tenure at the stadium, it was the hottest stadium in the major leagues. The Marlins played nearly all of their home games from late May through mid-September at night due to South Florida's often oppressive heat and humidity. They also got waivers from MLB and ESPN to play on Sunday nights.

The stadium was the venue where Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 600th career home run off Mark Hendrickson of the Marlins on June 9, 2008; and where Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on May 29, 2010, against the Marlins.

Concerts

Date Main act(s) + opening act(s) Tour / Concert name Tickets sold Notes
July 30, 1989 The Who The Who Tour 1989
December 31, 1991 Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion Tour
October 3, 1992 U2
+ (opening acts: Big Audio Dynamite II, Public Enemy)		 Zoo TV Tour
March 30, 1994 Pink Floyd The Division Bell Tour 54,738 / 54,738 (100%)
November 25, 1994 The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour Special Guest Michael Hutchence
April 13 & 14, 1995 Billy Joel & Elton John Face to Face 1995 Tour 103,694 / 103,694 (100%)
November 14, 1997 U2 PopMart Tour Special Guest Smash Mouth
November 26, 2008[29] Madonna + Paul Oakenfold Sticky & Sweet Tour 47,998 / 47,998 (100%) Timbaland and Pharrell Williams were the special guests onstage.
April 3, 2010[30] Paul McCartney Up and Coming Tour 35,784 / 35,784 (100%)
June 29, 2011[31] U2
+ (opening act: Florence and the Machine)		 U2 360° Tour 72,569 / 72,569 (100%) Postponed from July 9, 2010.
November 23, 2011 The Black Eyed Peas + Sean Kingston, Jason Derulo, T-Pain, CeeLo Green and Queen Latifah The Beginning Tour
August 16, 2013[32] Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z Legends of the Summer Tour 46,366 / 46,366 (100%)
June 25, 2014 Beyoncé and Jay-Z On the Run Tour 49,980 / 49,980 (100%)
October 5, 2014 One Direction + 5 Seconds of Summer Where We Are Tour 53,914 / 53,914 (100%)

Soccer

Association football match between Mexico and Colombia in 2012

A number of soccer matches have been in Sun Life Stadium, including a number of international friendlies featuring Central or South American sides. (Miami is home to some of the largest populations of Central and South Americans in the United States.)

Sun Life Stadium hosted a match between FC Barcelona and C.D. Guadalajara on August 3, 2011, as part of the 2011 World Football Challenge. Guadalajara won the match, 4–1, in front of 70,080 attendees.[33]

Colombia beat Mexico, 2–0, in a friendly international in front of 51,615 spectators at the stadium on 29 February 2012, and a year later they beat Guatemala, 4–1.

AC Milan and Chelsea faced each other at the stadium on July 28, 2012. AC Milan won the match, 1–0, in front of 57,748 fans.[34]

Brazil beat Honduras, 5–0, in a friendly match in front of 71,124 spectators on November 16, 2013. The attendance was the highest for a soccer match at the stadium.[35]

Free Kick Masters 2013 Tournament and Entertainment Spectacular was held at the Sun Life Stadium on 28 December 2013.

England played Ecuador and Honduras at the Sun Life Stadium on 4 June 2014 and 7 June 2014 respectively.[36]

South Korea played against Ghana on 9 June 2014.

Brazil beat Colombia, 1-0, in front of an announced attendance of 73,429 fans, a new attendance record for a soccer match at the stadium.

Matches at Sun Life Stadium

Date Competition Team Result Team Spectators
August 4, 1989 Friendly Argentina Independiente 1–2 England Arsenal 2,100
April 22, 1990  United States 0–1  Colombia 2,100
February 18, 1994 Joe Robbie Cup  Colombia 0–0  Sweden 15,676
 United States 1–1  Bolivia
February 20, 1994  Colombia 2–0  Bolivia 20,171
 United States 1–3  Sweden
August 3, 2011 2011 World Football Challenge Mexico Guadalajara 4–1 Spain Barcelona 70,080
October 8, 2011 Friendly  United States 1–0  Honduras 21,170
February 29, 2012  Mexico 0–2  Colombia 51,615
June 23, 2012 World Soccer Masters Tour 2012 Masters 7–7 Stars 48,327
July 28, 2012 2012 World Football Challenge England Chelsea 0–1 Italy Milan 57,748
February 6, 2013 Friendly  Colombia 4–1  Guatemala 25,000
July 12, 2013 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup  Trinidad and Tobago 0–2  Haiti 28,713
 Honduras 1–0  El Salvador
July 21, 2013 Friendly Colombia Millonarios 1–2 Honduras Olimpia 3,302
August 6, 2013 2013 International Champions Cup Italy Juventus 1–1 (8–9 p) Italy Internazionale 38,513
England Everton 0–1 Spain Valencia 38,513
August 7, 2013 United States LA Galaxy 0–2 Italy Milan 67,273
Spain Real Madrid 3–1 England Chelsea 67,273
November 16, 2013 Friendly  Brazil 5–0  Honduras 71,124
June 4, 2014  Ecuador 2–2  England 47,102
June 7, 2014  England 0–0  Honduras 44,121
June 9, 2014  Ghana 4–0  South Korea 7,000
August 4, 2014 2014 International Champions Cup England Manchester United 3–1 England Liverpool 51,014
September 5, 2014 Friendly  Brazil 1–0  Colombia 73,429

Monster Jam

The monster truck touring series Monster Jam goes to the stadium every year. In 2012, the show was filmed and shown on SPEED Channel.

Year Date Racing Winner Freestyle Winner
2002 January 26 Gunslinger El Toro Loco
2003 January 25 El Toro Loco Grave Digger
2004 January 24 MADUSA Grave Digger
2005 February 5 Grave Digger El Toro Loco/Grave Digger (tie)
2006 February 4 Gunslinger Blue Thunder
2007 February 17 El Toro Loco Grave Digger
2008 February 2 Blue Thunder Grave Digger
2009 January 31 Stone Crusher Grave Digger
2010 February 20 Gunslinger Maximum Destruction
2011 February 12 Mohawk Warrior Grave Digger
2012 February 11 Bounty Hunter Advance Auto Parts Grinder
2013 February 9 Bounty Hunter Grave Digger
2014 February 8 Grave Digger The Legend El Toro Loco
2015 January 3 Grave Digger The Legend Grave Digger The Legend
2016 No Show (Stadium Renovations) None None
2017 To Be Announced

Other events

Other events held at the stadium have included international soccer games, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and boat shows, the UniverSoul Circus, Australian rules football exhibition matches, and numerous trade shows. It has even hosted religious gatherings.

In 2006, it hosted the High School State Football Championships, sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA). Movies have also been shot there, most notably Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which starred Jim Carrey and featured Dolphins great Dan Marino as himself; Marley and Me, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston; and the Oliver Stone-directed Any Given Sunday, starring Al Pacino.

Naming rights

The stadium was known as Land Shark Stadium for less than a year.

The stadium has gone through many name changes, bringing up a question of the value of corporate naming rights.[37]

During the planning and building phase of the stadium, the stadium was referred to as Dolphin Stadium. The stadium was named after Joe Robbie, the original and then-owner of the Miami Dolphins and stadium in 1987, when it opened. In the early 1990s, Wayne Huizenga gained control of the stadium. Huizenga first sold the naming rights to Pro Player, the sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom, and Joe Robbie Stadium became Pro Player Park on August 26, 1996 and shortly later Pro Player Stadium.

Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was ultimately liquidated in 2001, but the stadium name held for several more years. In January 2005, the Pro Player name was replaced with Dolphins Stadium, coinciding with a renovation of the stadium. Dolphins was changed to Dolphin in April 2006, in an update of graphics and logos.[38]

From February 2008 through January 2009, Stephen M. Ross gradually acquired 95% of the stadium and surrounding land. He then partnered with Jimmy Buffett to change the name once more, this time to Land Shark Stadium. The renaming was announced on May 8, 2009, but would last less than a year as the deal did not include rights for the upcoming 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV.[39]

On January 20, 2010, Canadian-based financial services company Sun Life Financial announced that it had acquired the naming rights, leading to the current name of Sun Life Stadium.[40] Sun Life Financial announced in 2012, that it will be exiting the U.S. annuity business and focusing on its employee benefits business in the U.S.[41] On August 14, 2015, the Dolphins told the Miami Herald that Sun Life's deal will expire in January 2016 and that the team has no plans to renew, wanting to position their renovated stadium as a brand new entity. The team also said that they will remove Sun Life's signage upon expiration of the deal, regardless of their ability to find a replacement sponsor before then.[42]

Name Start Date End Date
Joe Robbie Stadium August 16, 1987 August 25, 1996
Pro Player Park August 26, 1996 September 9, 1996
Pro Player Stadium September 10, 1996 January 9, 2005
Dolphins Stadium January 10, 2005 April 7, 2006
Dolphin Stadium April 8, 2006 May 7, 2009
Land Shark Stadium May 8, 2009 January 5, 2010
Dolphin Stadium January 6, 2010 January 19, 2010
Sun Life Stadium January 20, 2010 Present

References

  1. ↑ "Ross said the agreement to change the name from Dolphin Stadium is for this season only and expires before the stadium plays host to the Super Bowl in February." Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Ross' percentage is approximate. Small stakes are also known to be owned by the following sports and entertainment celebrities:Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Buffett, Gloria, Emilio Estefan, Fergie, Serena Williams, Venus Williams
  3. ↑ 1634 to 1699: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1700-1799: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1800–present: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Ballparks.com – Sun Life Stadium. Football.ballparks.com. Retrieved on June 19, 2012.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Miami Gardens: Demographics
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 http://www.sunlifestadium.com/stadium-facts
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Vikings among teams facing major stadium issues. Fox Sports. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Brazil routs Honduras 5-0 from Yahoo! Sports, 16 November 2013, retrieved 14 December 2014
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Are Naming Rights Deals A Good Buy?. CNBC (January 20, 2010). Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  38. ↑ History. Sun Life Stadium. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Sun Life stadium named. Sunlifestadium.com. (January 20, 2010).
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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2009
2013		 Succeeded by
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl
Preceded by Host of AFC Championship Game
1993		 Succeeded by
Rich Stadium
Preceded by Host of the Pro Bowl
2010		 Succeeded by
Aloha Stadium
Preceded by Host of WrestleMania XXVIII
2012		 Succeeded by
MetLife Stadium

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