173-537: CLF may refer to: CenturyLink Field , a stadium in Seattle, Washington Center for a Livable Future Chain link fence Chlorine monofluoride (ClF) Church of the Larger Fellowship , worldwide Unitarian Universalist congregation Clear Sky Lodge Airport 's FAA LID code RAF Coltishall 's IATA code Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. , a business firm specializing in
346-427: A major professional sports franchise. A domed stadium was thought to be a must because of Seattle's frequent rain. At the time, the city had Husky Stadium and Sick's Stadium for college football and minor league baseball , respectively, but both were deemed inadequate for a major league team. In 1960, King County commissioners placed a $ 15 million bond issue measure on the ballot to fund construction of
519-401: A 30–16 victory over Long Beach Polytechnic . USA Today had recently rated both teams highly with Long Beach third and Bellevue at 16th in the nation. After the organizer of the event announced a match-up between Washington's Skyline High School and Oregon's Jesuit High School in 2009, he said that he proposed the possibility of televising games to Fox Sports , but Fox did not televise
692-464: A 67,000-seat capacity. Space is available to increase the total capacity to 72,000 for special events. Included in the capacity are 111 suites and over 7,000 club seats . The stadium has 1,400 seats for those with disabilities and their companions located in various sections. In 2009, Qwest Field ranked 21st out of the 31 stadiums in the NFL for total seating capacity . The configuration of Lumen Field
865-406: A Government of Canada Internet standard Commonwealth Literary Fund (1908–1974), an Australian Government body Unidad de Fomento , ISO 4217 code of a Chilean unit of account Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title CLF . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
1038-490: A Seattle resident filed a lawsuit that claimed the legislature did not have authority to call for such a vote, since it would be paid for by a private party who could gain from the result. The case was delayed until after the vote. The proposal was pitched to voters as providing both a new home for the Seahawks and a venue for top-level soccer. It passed on June 17, 1997, with 820,364 (51.1%) in favor and 783,584 against. The vote
1211-474: A better product on the field for the fans." Local soccer fans were concerned that the lack of a natural grass field would hinder Seattle's chances of receiving an MLS expansion franchise. They asserted that voters had approved the facility with the understanding that the new stadium was intended for soccer as well as football. In a compromise, First & Goal agreed to pay for grass to be installed for special events when needed. In 2002, Seahawks Stadium became
1384-523: A blue-colored repaint of the roof from May to July 2010. Light-emitting diodes following the outline of the stadium's logo were subsequently installed on the roof in October 2019. The east side of the stadium has a large glass curtain wall that faces the nearby International District. The exterior of the stadium also consists of salmon-colored concrete, and the west side of the structure is partially clad with red brick. The coloring and facade were designed so
1557-504: A coordinated effort with neighboring T-Mobile Park (the Mariners' current ballpark) to prevent gridlock , a provision for naming rights, the investment in public art at the stadium, and the giveaway of a luxury suite to a fan each Seahawks' game. The architectural firm Ellerbe Becket , in association with Loschky, Marquardt and Nesholm (LMN) Architects of Seattle, designed the 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m ) project. Allen
1730-418: A covered stadium for a major league football or baseball team was first proposed to Seattle officials in 1959. Voters rejected separate measures to approve public funding for such a stadium in 1960 and 1966, but the outcome was different in 1968; King County voters approved the issue of $ 40 million in municipal bonds to construct the stadium. Construction began in 1972 and the stadium opened in 1976 as
1903-418: A double that scored Remy, who had stolen second and third base after drawing a walk from Seguí. The Mariners' first batter, Dave Collins , struck out; however, the next batter, José Báez , singled for the franchise's first ever hit. The first home run at the venue was hit in the top of the third inning by Joe Rudi ; designated hitter Juan Bernhardt scored the Mariners' first home run in their fifth game at
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#17328484014402076-463: A game of Quidditch damaged the pitch before a Sounders match. Zach Scott expressed concerns over the same installation of the field and its effects on his body. The 10-year lease extension between Sounders FC and First & Goal announced in 2015 mandates new turf every four years or sooner; the first such new installation was in 2016. Between August and November, both the Seahawks and Sounders FC host games at Lumen Field. Each team has emphasized
2249-416: A hitter's park, especially in the 1990s when Ken Griffey Jr. , Edgar Martínez , Jay Buhner , Alex Rodriguez , and other sluggers played there. The large number of in-play objects—speakers, roof support wires and streamers—contributed to an "arena baseball" feel. The Kingdome was somewhat improved in 1982 with the addition of a 23-foot (7.0 m) wall in right field nicknamed the "Walla Walla" (after
2422-400: A major-league stadium, and stipulated that as a condition of being awarded the franchise, bonds had to be issued to fund construction of a domed stadium that had to be completed by 1970; additionally, the capacity at Sick's Stadium had to be expanded from 11,000 to 30,000 by Opening Day 1969, when the team was scheduled to begin playing. The Pilots were supposed to begin play in 1971 along with
2595-501: A measurement of 137.6 decibels in 2014. The crowd's notorious noise has also contributed to the team's home field advantage with an increase in false start (movement by an offensive player prior to the play) and delay of game (failure of the offense to snap the ball prior to the play clock expiring) penalties against visiting teams. The stadium was the first in the NFL to install a FieldTurf artificial surface . Numerous college and high school football games have also been played at
2768-468: A natural grass field caused by Seattle's frequent rain also made the surface an appealing option. In order to keep a grass surface robust under heavy football use during late fall and early winter rains, a $ 1.8 million irrigation and heating system would have been required. The coach of the Seahawks at the time, Mike Holmgren , said that FieldTurf installation was the right decision and stated that "the players love it, and I think this surface will offer
2941-484: A new "neighborhoods" program for destination signage; the four "neighborhoods" are Cityside (north), Cascade (east), Rainier (south), and Olympic (west). The concourses at Lumen Field are staggered: Olympic Hall on the west side is at field level, while Cascade Main on the east side and Rainier Main on the south side are elevated one level above. The club and suite levels sit above the Cascade and Olympic concourses, followed by
3114-571: A new bowl game starting in 2010 that would have been a fundraiser for Seattle Children's Hospital . Lower division NCAA teams have played at the stadium throughout the years. From 2003 to 2008, the Division II football teams from Western Washington University and Central Washington University met each year in a rivalry game called "The Battle in Seattle." Central won all but the 2004 game, and each meeting attracted more than 11,000. Western (of Bellingham ) discontinued its football program after
3287-544: A parking garage, and a public plaza. The venue hosts concerts, trade shows, and consumer shows along with sporting events. Located within a mile (1.6 km) of Downtown Seattle, the stadium is accessible by multiple freeways and forms of mass transit. The stadium was built between 2000 and 2002 on the site of the Kingdome after voters approved funding for the construction in a statewide election held in June 1997. This vote created
3460-567: A penalty shootout for the USL championship in front of 8,011. Scott Jenkins scored the final goal and announced his retirement after the game. Kingdome The Kingdome (officially the King County Stadium ) was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Industrial District (later SoDo ) neighborhood of Seattle , Washington , United States. Owned and operated by King County , it
3633-460: A pitching change as Indians' pitcher Orel Hershiser was walking off the mound following a home run by Edgar Martínez . After an inspection by engineers, the game was continued the next evening, resulting in a 6–4 win for the Indians. Seguí, who retired from professional baseball after the 1977 season, was invited by the Mariners to throw the ceremonial last pitch after the final Mariners game at
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#17328484014403806-717: A playing surface that was despised by both football and baseball players alike; after the 1998 season, a survey by the NFL Players Association found that 56.7 percent of Seahawks players rated the surface as "poor" or "fair", and was the worst-rated one in the AFC West . Injuries from playing at the Kingdome and its contemporaries occurred more often compared to stadiums with natural grass. Of note, Seahawks running backs Sherman Smith and Curt Warner respectively suffered season-ending knee injuries in 1980 and 1984 during games at
3979-399: A ramp and plunged 47 feet to his death; this was despite the installation of signs warning about the chest-level barriers the previous year. Logistics would be a problem throughout the team's tenure at the Kingdome because the Seahawks and Mariners had scheduling priority over them, especially during the playoffs when the Mariners were playing there at the same time in the spring. As part of
4152-468: A scoreboard to motivate the crowd. As of 2013, the stadium has had a league-high number of false starts since. In preparation for the 2005 NFC Championship Game at Qwest Field, the Carolina Panthers practiced with the recorded sounds of jet engines in the background to prepare for the volume of the crowd. Kickers experience further disadvantages when attempting field goals at Lumen Field. Both
4325-436: A single concrete structure. Almost all of the Kingdome rubble was recycled with roughly half used for the new stadium. The designers were challenged by the soft soil at the site since it was a tidal marsh until public works projects in the early 20th century adjusted the waterline of nearby Elliott Bay . The top layer is a soft fill taken from the grading projects that had leveled portions of Seattle's hills . To account for
4498-614: A stadium, but voters on November 8 defeated it with only 48 percent approval because of doubt the stadium could be built within that budget, and lack of a guarantee the city would have a team to play in the stadium. By 1966, the National Football League and the American League were both considering granting the city an expansion franchise , and as a result, the King County Council placed another bond issue measure on
4671-400: Is a U-shape with an open north end to provide views of downtown Seattle and the large north plaza. The large retractable roof of T-Mobile Park along with Mount Rainier to the southeast can be seen from the partially open south end. The stadium's concourses were built to be wide, and they provide additional views of the surrounding area. A 13-story tower was erected at the north end of
4844-534: Is approximately 300 miles (480 km) from WSU, but closer to many alumni in the Seattle metro area. The university's athletic director said that an attendance of 50,000 was needed to make it worth moving the game from Martin Stadium in Pullman . The Cougars went 6–6 in their annual Seattle home game, which generated additional revenue that was invested in facilities for the football program while also increasing exposure to
5017-528: The 1978–79 season after the expiration of their contract with the city of Seattle, the owner of the Coliseum; the team pushed for a move to the Kingdome after the city balked at a $ 30 million plan to expand the Coliseum to 20,000 seats the previous year. On August 22, the King County Council voted 7–2 to approve a 17-year lease with the SuperSonics, with the agreement signed the following day. The following week,
5190-521: The 2008 season, but Central (of Ellensburg ) agreed to continue the series with Western Oregon University (of Monmouth ) for games in 2009 and 2010. "Battle in Seattle VII" saw Central make a comeback to win 23–21 in front of 5,374. On October 31, 2009, the Division I FCS Eastern Washington University Eagles played a home game in Seattle for the first time. Along with the goal of drawing alumni from
5363-715: The 2022 tournament final for the CONCACAF Champions League ; the Sounders won all three finals, with new tournament attendance records set for each final (or leg) hosted at Lumen Field. The stadium hosted several CONCACAF Gold Cup matches across multiple editions, and the Copa América Centenario in 2016. It will also host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup , which was awarded to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Seahawks played their home games at
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5536-456: The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and three additional games after the installation of a temporary grass surface. Lumen Field is one of sixteen venues that will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup , to be played in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The stadium is scheduled to host four matches during the group stage and two matches in the knockout stage. It is one of two Pacific Northwest venues hosting
5709-809: The Air Force Falcons at the stadium in Tyrone Willingham 's first game as head coach . The Huskies played their entire 2012 home schedule at the stadium while their home field, Husky Stadium , underwent a $ 250 million renovation; to expedite the start of the renovation by three weeks, the Huskies and the Washington State Cougars also played the Apple Cup in 2011 at then-CenturyLink Field. The stadium hosted its second Apple Cup in September 2024 after
5882-598: The Kansas City Royals . However, when Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri got wind of those plans, he demanded both teams begin play in 1969. The American League had birthed the Royals and Pilots as a result of the Kansas City Athletics moving to Oakland , and Symington would not accept the prospect of Kansas City waiting three years for baseball's return. On February 13, 1968, King County voters approved
6055-559: The Kingdome from their 1976 inaugural season until 1999 , sharing the stadium with Major League Baseball 's Seattle Mariners and the National Basketball Association 's Seattle SuperSonics . In 1995 a proposal was made to issue county bonds to fund a remodeling project of the facility. The proposal failed, and as a result, Seahawks' owner Ken Behring threatened to sell or move the team (likely to Los Angeles). In 1997 local billionaire Paul Allen pledged to acquire
6228-486: The NCAA Final Four in 1984 , 1989 , and 1995 . During the 1990s, the Seahawks' and Mariners' respective ownership groups began to question the suitability of the Kingdome as a venue for each team, threatening to relocate unless new, publicly funded stadiums were built. An issue was that neither team saw their shared tenancy as profitable; both teams also questioned the integrity of the stadium's roof as highlighted by
6401-619: The Pac-8 single-game rushing record; the Trojans won by nine points, 23–14. In 1994, under then-new athletic director Rick Dickson , the Cougars flirted with the idea of hosting an additional home game at the Kingdome starting in 1997; however, the plan never came to fruition. In the late 1970s, the Kingdome hosted both instances of a Pacific-10 Conference all-star game called the Challenge Bowl;
6574-714: The Portland Trail Blazers on September 22, 1978. A few weeks later, a crowd of 15,219 watched as the SuperSonics defeated the Chicago Bulls , 104–86, on October 14 in their first regular-season game as a tenant. Captain Fred Brown and leading scorer Gus Williams helped lead the team to their first and only championship that season, defeating the Washington Bullets in the Finals and avenging their Finals loss to them
6747-532: The Seattle Mariners was born. The Mariners held their first game in franchise history at the Kingdome on April 6, 1977 , against the California Angels . The Angels shut out the Mariners 7–0 in front of a sellout crowd of 57,762. The first pitch was a strike thrown by the Mariners' Diego Seguí to Jerry Remy . In the top of the first inning, Don Baylor registered the first hit at the stadium with
6920-526: The Seattle market . After the blackout of the October 24, 1993 game versus the New England Patriots , one more game was blacked out that year, with five games blacked out the following year; KING-TV , which as Seattle's NBC affiliate was the Seahawks' local broadcast home at the time, prevented further blackouts by purchasing all remaining unsold tickets for three games in 1993 and two games in 1994. In
7093-532: The United States , Costa Rica , Canada , and Cuba . Two matches of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup opening round were also played at the stadium on July 4, 2009. In the second match, the United States comfortably defeated Grenada , who were playing in their first major international competition, 4–0. The Gold Cup returned in 2013 with Panama beating Martinique and Mexico defeating Canada in opening group play matches. CenturyLink Field also hosted three matches during
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7266-505: The University of Washington for a few games when both the Kingdome and the Coliseum were unavailable. Along with the scheduling issues, as with other multipurpose stadiums used by the NBA the Kingdome proved itself to be a less-than-ideal venue for basketball. Although the Kingdome's capacity allowed the SuperSonics to set attendance records, the vast space it afforded meant that it did not have
7439-513: The metropolitan area , the athletic directors from both Eastern Washington (of Cheney ) and Washington State had expressed the importance of connecting with alumni at receptions and other events on the western side of the state. Billed as the "Showdown on the Sound", the game was a 47–10 victory over the Portland State Vikings . According to Eastern's athletic director, Qwest Field's rental
7612-463: The public address system during this game. The NFL sent a memorandum early in the 2006 season about such complaints and sent officials to monitor two games. Holmgren denied the allegations, and the crowd responded by being even louder than usual when the Giants returned to Qwest Field. Since 2005 the Seahawks have tracked the number of false starts committed by visiting teams and display the statistic on
7785-476: The "Summit" levels for the Cascade, Rainier, and Olympic "neighborhoods". Lumen Field has 45 concession stands, 63 restrooms with 799 toilets and 364 urinals, 12 elevators, and over 500 television screens. The stadium has a public art collection that includes Earth Dialogue , a series of four disks by Bob Haozous on the north side of the Hawks' Nest that faces Downtown Seattle. The 1997 state referendum stated that
7958-507: The 11 American venues, as well as one of five current MLS venues selected to host matches. Under preliminary plans by the city government, it would cost up to $ 10.5 million to host the World Cup matches, including installation of a temporary grass surface, policing the venue and practice fields, and managing a fan festival at the Seattle Center or on the city's waterfront. During the event,
8131-399: The 1977 agreement, King County agreed to pay the SuperSonics $ 15,000 for each game (up to five) that was moved elsewhere because of booking issues. Even then, the scheduling priority meant that the SuperSonics would only play home playoff games at the Kingdome while the Mariners were on the road, with most of the games played at the Coliseum; the team even had to use Hec Edmundson Pavilion at
8304-486: The 1978 NBA Finals; they set it again on April 15, 1980, during a conference semifinal game against the Milwaukee Bucks with an attendance record of 40,172 (also since broken). The Kingdome regular season, single-game attendance record of 38,067 was set on November 22, 1991, when the SuperSonics faced the Chicago Bulls . While leaving a SuperSonics game on February 16, 1983, a 21-year-old man from Olympia fell off
8477-494: The 1988 season. The Dolphins scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to win 20–17; it marked the first home playoff loss for the Seahawks as well as the first road playoff win in 28 years for the Dolphins. It was the last NFL victory for Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and head coach Jimmy Johnson , and it was also the last event the Kingdome ever hosted before its implosion. The Seahawks had an overall record of 101–83 (.549) in
8650-473: The 2% tax on hotel rooms in King County . The taxes on admissions and parking were set below the authorized 10% to preserve the tax-exempt status of the project's bonds, which were first issued on May 1, 1999; the percentage was increased to the full amount when the bonds were completely paid on January 1, 2021, with the taxes subsequently serving as dedicated funding sources for maintenance and modernization of
8823-528: The 2016 Copa América Centenario , a special inter-continental tournament, including two group stage fixtures and a quarterfinal match between the United States and Ecuador attended by 47,322 spectators. On November 22, 2009, Seattle was the site of the 14th annual MLS Cup between Real Salt Lake and the Los Angeles Galaxy , where Salt Lake won the Cup on penalty kicks (5–4) in front of 46,011. The stadium
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#17328484014408996-513: The ALDS. Before the 1990 replacement, the AstroTurf surface was converted from baseball to football configuration via the covering of the infield with turf strips; a one-piece surface was placed over the infield after the conclusion of the Mariners season. The surface was attached together via both Velcro and Ziploc fasteners. After the 1990 replacement, separate surfaces were installed for each team;
9169-509: The Coliseum after the 1984–85 season in exchange for upgrades there. The SuperSonics faced the Phoenix Suns at the Kingdome on April 7, 1985, in their final game as a regular tenant, losing 110–125 with 5,672 in attendance. However, exemplifying the scheduling issues, it was not their final home game of the season; the SuperSonics were forced to play at the Tacoma Dome on April 11 because
9342-506: The Event Center, $ 26 million for the parking garage, and $ 360 million for the stadium. First & Goal was to cover cost overruns and pay up to $ 130 million of the project while the contribution from the public was capped at $ 300 million. The public funding package included new sports-related state lottery games, taxes on the facility's admissions and parking, sales tax credits and deferrals, and an eight-year extension of
9515-595: The Huskies moved to the Big Ten Conference and agreed to a five-year Apple Cup schedule with the Cougars. From 2002 through 2014 , the stadium hosted a Washington State Cougars ' non-conference home game each season (except for 2010 ). This included the 86th " Battle of the Palouse " against the Idaho Vandals in 2003 . The attendance for the dozen Cougar games ranged from 30,927 to 63,588. CenturyLink Field
9688-472: The Kingdome in 1999. However, while they were able to make the tickets and reservations for Seguí, a payment mix-up prevented him from boarding the flight out of Kansas City International Airport on the day of the game; the incident made him irate such that he refused to visit Seattle again until 2012 , when he was invited as part of the Mariners' 35th anniversary celebration. Despite the disappointment from Seguí's son, then-Mariners first baseman David Segui ,
9861-510: The Kingdome in which they lost 27–20 before a crowd of 60,825. The Seahawks' first regular season game was against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Kingdome on September 12. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 30–24, with 58,441 fans in attendance. At the end of that season, the venue hosted the Pro Bowl , the NFL's all-star game, on January 17, 1977. The Seahawks hosted Monday Night Football games at
10034-525: The Kingdome on April 10. The Mariners had their first win at the Kingdome and team history two games after the opener (they were also shut out in their second game 2–0), defeating the Angels 7–6 on April 8 via a walk-off double from Larry Milbourne . The venue hosted the All-Star Game on July 17, 1979 . The Kingdome was somewhat problematic as a baseball venue. Foul territory was quite large, and seats in
10207-524: The Kingdome twelve times in their history and were 9–3 in those games. The Seahawks and the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders played five Monday Night games in the Kingdome in the 1980s with Seattle holding a 3–2 edge including a 37–0 blowout victory in 1986. The next year, in 1987 , Bo Jackson of the Los Angeles Raiders rushed for 221 yards, the most ever on MNF, and scored 2 touchdowns. One of his scores
10380-564: The Kingdome twice; the Loggers won both contests, defeating the Lutes 23–21 on September 17, 1977, with 13,167 in attendance, and then defeating them again 27–14 on September 23, 1978, before a crowd of 8,329. The 1977 game set a series attendance record at the time. The stadium also hosted the annual WIAA high school football state championships in an event called the Kingbowl from 1977 through 1994;
10553-469: The Kingdome was demolished by implosion . The Seahawks' new stadium, now known as Lumen Field , was built on the site and opened in 2002 . King County finally paid off the bonds used to build and repair the Kingdome in 2015, fifteen years after its demolition. In 1959, Seattle restaurateur David L. Cohn wrote a letter to the Seattle City Council suggesting the city needed a covered stadium for
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#173284840144010726-655: The Kingdome was ultimately not needed as the grandstand was completed in time for the team's first home game against the Stanford Cardinal on September 5. (Seven years later, the Seattle Seahawks would use Husky Stadium as their home field during the first half of the 1994 season while the Kingdome's ceiling was under repair. ) The Kingdome also hosted a game between the Washington State Cougars and USC Trojans on October 9, 1976. With 37,268 in attendance, USC running back Ricky Bell rushed for 346 yards and set
10899-416: The Kingdome's noisy acoustics such that the NFL enacted a rule in 1989 penalizing home teams for disruptive crowd noise when visiting teams are on offense; the rule itself is rarely enforced due to the futility of controlling such noise leaguewide. A local celebrity, sometimes a former Seahawk, raises the flag during the network television pre-game events. In 2005, the stadium gained national attention when
11072-525: The Kingdome, and were 2–1 in the postseason. The first football (and college football by extension) game played in the Kingdome occurred just after it opened in 1976, when the Washington Huskies varsity team won 10–7 against a team of Husky alumni on May 1 before 20,470 fans. The Huskies looked into temporarily renting the Kingdome for the 1987 season when the north grandstand of Husky Stadium collapsed during construction on February 25; however,
11245-535: The Kingdome, compiling an overall home record of 852–903 (.485) during their 22½-season tenure there. Besides the Mariners and Seahawks, the stadium also hosted the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven seasons. The SuperSonics, having previously played at the Seattle Center Coliseum , announced on July 29, 1977, that they intended to move into the Kingdome for
11418-518: The Kingdome; additionally, the Kingdome's surface is partly blamed for Ken Griffey Jr. 's subsequent injuries and decline in performance after the Mariners traded him to the Cincinnati Reds at the end of the 1999 season. The expansion Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) played their first game ever on August 1, 1976 , a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at
11591-571: The Mariners 9–8 in 17 innings via a three-run homer from Manny Ramirez off Bob Wells ; Paul Shuey staved off a comeback by the Mariners in the bottom of the inning to end the game the next morning after five hours and 23 minutes. The most noteworthy baseball game in the Kingdome's history took place on October 8, 1995 ; in the rubber game of the ALDS , the Mariners defeated the New York Yankees 6–5 in 11 innings in front of 57,411 raucous fans. In
11764-445: The Mariners covered seats in the upper decks in right and right-center with a tarp in order to make the stadium feel "less empty". Additionally, the Kingdome's acoustics created problems for stadium announcers, who had to deal with significant echo issues. However, when the team's fortunes began to change in the mid-1990s and they began drawing larger crowds, especially in the post-season, the noise created an electric atmosphere and gave
11937-481: The Mariners' first 18 years, their poor play (they did not have a winning season until 1991 ) combined with the Kingdome's design, led to poor attendance. Some writers and fans called it "the Tomb" (because of its gray concrete and lack of noise) and " Puget Puke." After their inaugural home opener, the Mariners didn't have another sellout for the next 1,018 home games until their 1990 home opener on April 13. At one point
12110-464: The Pilots would not survive long enough to move to their new stadium without new ownership. It was also obvious that the timetable for a new stadium would have to be significantly advanced, as Sick's Stadium was completely unsuitable even for temporary use. However, a petition by stadium opponents brought the dome project to a halt. The Pilots' ownership group ran out of money by the end of the season, and with
12283-766: The Sea Dragons, holding their first home game on February 23. The Sea Dragons played their last game at the stadium on April 23, clinching a playoff berth with a 28–9 victory over the Vegas Vipers ; the team did not survive the XFL's merger with the United States Football League to form the United Football League the following year. Lumen Field has hosted several college football games. The hometown Washington Huskies played their 2005 season opener against
12456-568: The Seahawks fans on December 2, 2013, with 137.6 decibels against the New Orleans Saints , but lost once again to Arrowhead Stadium in a Monday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots on September 29, 2014, setting the record that still stands at 142.2 decibels. The Seattle Dragons of the XFL played their only two home games at CenturyLink Field during
12629-419: The Seahawks have accumulated a home win record of 59–29, with a simultaneous road record of 33–55. When Tod Leiweke was hired as the Seahawks' new CEO in 2003, he had a large flagpole installed in the south end to fly the 12th Man Flag as a tribute to the team's fans, collectively known as the 12th man . The team had retired the number 12 in 1984 to honor its fans, who had gained notoriety for intensifying
12802-462: The Seahawks into a Super Bowl contender and that Seattle would be considered to host the championship game. The seating is expandable to 72,000 for the purpose of holding the game, but the NFL typically does not consider cities with outdoor stadiums where the average temperature in February is below 50 °F (10 °C). The number of season tickets available at Qwest was capped at 61,000 following
12975-446: The Seahawks specifically wanted a stiffer variation of AstroTurf. The replacement surfaces were attached together via zippers . The underlying base of the surface was asphalt , with the AstroTurf essentially consisting of a carpet on top of a pad with respective thicknesses of one-half inch and five-eights inch. Lumps, holes, and ridges were also present in the surface along with gaps within its seams. These factors combined to create
13148-423: The Seahawks' heyday, the Kingdome was known as one of the loudest stadiums in the league. Opposing teams were known to practice with jet engine sounds blaring at full blast to prepare for the painfully high decibel levels typical of Seahawks games. It was where Seahawks fans, who were long called "the 12th Man " and led the Seahawks to retire the number 12 in honor of them in 1984 , made their reputation as one of
13321-413: The Seattle area during construction. The structure responded as expected by the designers, and there was minimal damage. The project was completed on budget and a month ahead of schedule. The roof was originally painted white to aesthetically distinguish it from both T-Mobile Park and the nearby industrial area ; however, the paint gradually turned ash gray despite cleanings and repaintings, prompting
13494-605: The Sounders, Adrian Hanauer , told The Seattle Times in 2010 that replacement of the surface was a continuing conversation between the Sounders and Allen's Vulcan Inc. When the Los Angeles Galaxy traveled to Seattle in May 2012, the FieldTurf was noted as one of the reasons David Beckham and Robbie Keane were left out of the line-up. In 2014, the field was criticized during an ESPN broadcast after an Amazon corporate event involving
13667-534: The Super Bowl appearance. The ensuing waiting list was the first for the Seahawks since the early 1990s. The team's first season at their new home was in 2002 . Their first game at the new facility was a 28–10 preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts on August 11, 2002. They went on to end their first season at the new field with a 7–9 record. In the 2003 season , the team went undefeated at home and reached
13840-463: The Tacoma Dome; the game came back for one final time in 1999 before the stadium was demolished. Shortly after the Pilots' departure for Milwaukee, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington sued the American League , claiming a breach of contract . The league agreed to grant Seattle another franchise in exchange for dropping the lawsuit, and the team that would later be known as
14013-647: The Washington State Public Stadium Authority to oversee public ownership of the venue. The owner of the Seahawks, Paul Allen , formed First & Goal Inc. to develop and operate the new facilities. Allen was closely involved in the design process and emphasized the importance of an open-air venue with an intimate atmosphere. Seahawks fans at Lumen Field have twice claimed the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium, first at 136.6 decibels in 2013, followed by
14186-528: The ballot for a September vote. While it received 51.5 percent approval, it did not reach the 60 percent required to proceed; the requirement was due to a 1932 initiative that mandated a supermajority for tax levies over 40 mills . In 1967, the American League granted Seattle an expansion franchise that would be known as the Seattle Pilots . The league clearly stated Sick's Stadium was not adequate as
14359-564: The best teams in Washington and one of the best from another state in the "Best of the West" game. On September 4, 2004, Washington's Bellevue High School and California's De La Salle High School played in front of over 25,000, a state high school event attendance record. Bellevue ended De La Salle's national-record 151-game winning streak in a 39–20 win. On September 16, 2009, Bellevue defeated another highly regarded California school at Qwest Field in
14532-404: The best teams in the state. The WIAA approached the Seahawks regarding use of the stadium for their high school football state championship games after moving them out of the Tacoma Dome in 2019, but the latter declined and recommended using Husky Stadium instead, noting that they were unable to match the offer terms from UW's athletic department . The stadium features a meeting between one of
14705-473: The bond retirement and the clause expiration would have seen the proceeds go towards improvements to the stadium instead. In September 1998, First & Goal signed a 30-year stadium lease that includes options to extend for another 20. Per the agreement, the Public Stadium Authority receives $ 850,000 a year from First and Goal (adjusted for inflation), and First & Goal keeps all revenue from
14878-546: The bottom of the 11th, Martinez doubled to left , sending Joey Cora and Griffey home with the winning runs and vaulting the Mariners into the ALCS for the first time in franchise history. On May 2, 1996 , a game at the Kingdome between the Mariners and the Cleveland Indians was suspended in the bottom of the seventh inning because of a minor earthquake . The earthquake, estimated at a magnitude of 5.3 to 5.4, occurred during
15051-646: The bowl, sponsored by the Olympia Brewing Company , pitted an all-star team of Pac-10 players against a similar team from another conference. The Pac-10 went undefeated with a 27–20 victory (as the Pac-8) over the Big Ten on January 15, 1978, and a 36–23 victory over the Big Eight on January 13, 1979. During the same period, the University of Puget Sound Loggers and Pacific Lutheran University Lutes also faced off at
15224-497: The capacity of the stadium to 68,000. The 1,000 additional seats were made available to then-current season ticket holders, with remaining seats allocated to the Blue Pride waiting list for season tickets. The stadium also has additional seats that can be deployed for special events, bringing the maximum capacity to 72,000. Lumen Field underwent minor renovations in 2022 as the stadium marked its twentieth anniversary. Improvements to
15397-467: The ceremony went on as planned; David's son, then-seven-year-old Cory Segui, threw the last pitch to Bob Stinson , who was the Mariners' catcher in their first game. In 1989 , Griffey Jr. hit a home run in his first-ever plate appearance at the Kingdome on April 10. On June 27, 1999 , Griffey Jr. hit the last home run ever at the Kingdome against the Texas Rangers . The Mariners played 1,755 games at
15570-410: The city in southeastern Washington); a nearly $ 100,000 Daktronics out-of-town scoreboard was later installed on it in 1990. In 1990 and 1991 , the moving of home plate closer to the backstop, the addition of box seats down the third base line and the removal of a few rows of seats in left field reduced foul territory and made the outfield dimensions longer and asymmetrical. In its early years,
15743-558: The city's SoDo neighborhood, it is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), and Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Originally called Seahawks Stadium , it was renamed Qwest Field in June 2004 when telecommunications carrier Qwest acquired the naming rights. The stadium became known as CenturyLink Field following Qwest's June 2011 acquisition by CenturyLink and
15916-435: The collapse of ceiling tiles onto the seating area before a scheduled Mariners game in 1994. As a result, public funding packages for new, purpose-built stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks were respectively approved in 1995 and 1997. The Mariners moved to Safeco Field, now known as T-Mobile Park , midway through the 1999 season, and the Seahawks temporarily moved to Husky Stadium after the 1999 season . On March 26, 2000,
16089-465: The council unanimously voted on August 29 to spend $ 1.5 million on improvements to the Kingdome in preparation for the team; the team would pay the same amount over the first seven years as part of the agreement. Additional terms of the agreement had the SuperSonics pay the county 10 percent of ticket sale proceeds (not including admissions taxes) and $ 2,539 in personnel costs per game; the county additionally kept all game concession and parking revenue. On
16262-487: The domed stadium continued despite the lack of a major league sports team to occupy it. In May 1970 voters rejected the proposal to build the stadium at Seattle Center. From 1970 to 1972, the commission studied the feasibility and economic impact of building the stadium on King Street adjacent to Pioneer Square and the International District —a site that ranked at the bottom when the commission originally narrowed
16435-542: The early stages of the stadium's design. The lack of a retractable roof made it open to the elements, provided better views, and reduced the total cost of the project. The roof, at 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m ), covers 70% of the seats but leaves the field open. The roof spans 720 ft (220 m) between concrete pylon supports at the north and south ends of the stadium. Its two expansive sections are held from below by trusses . From above, two arches with additional supports rise 200 ft (61 m) over
16608-425: The eight-section stadium. The site of Lumen Field is the smallest of those developed for new NFL stadiums , at 30 acres (12 ha). The upper levels were cantilevered over the lower sections to fit within the limited space. Along with the angle of seats and the placement of the lower sections closer to the field, this provided a better view of the field than typically seen throughout the country and allowed for
16781-474: The event, together with BC Place in Vancouver . Seattle had two venues—Lumen Field and Husky Stadium—among 58 facilities considered in the unsuccessful United States bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup . When discussing Seattle as a candidate, Sunil Gulati of the U.S. Soccer Federation called Lumen Field (then Qwest Field) "a world-class facility". Seattle finally hosted a World Cup qualifier on June 11, 2013;
16954-449: The facilities. Furthermore, a clause in the referendum required Allen or his estate to give the Public Stadium Authority 10% of the proceeds from the sale of a majority or all of their interest in the Seahawks if they had done so before or on the 25th anniversary of the first bond sale. The proceeds would have been reserved for the state's public schools had a sale of the team occurred before the bonds were fully paid off; any sale in between
17127-464: The facility regularly as their home field in 2003. Although team management was concerned with the high rent and the underused seating capacity , they were drawn by the sponsorship opportunities and location. The Sounders increased their average attendance from 2,583 at Seattle's Memorial Stadium in 2002 to 3,452 at the new stadium in 2003. In 2005 , the Sounders beat the Richmond Kickers 2–1 in
17300-533: The facility, costing nearly $ 1.75 million. Lumen Field is also designed for soccer. The stadium meets FIFA sight line requirements and provides separate locker rooms for soccer teams. Camera locations were chosen for optimal television coverage of the sport. Numerous exhibition games have taken place at Lumen Field, including high-profile clubs such as Manchester United , Barcelona , Celtic , Real Madrid , Chelsea , Club América and Chivas de Guadalajara . These games have proved to be highly popular, and
17473-413: The field between American football and soccer takes 14 hours in dry weather, though painting logos and other colors takes additional time. Despite various preparations, some Sounders matches—particularly in the playoffs—have had Seahawks logos and American football lines painted on the turf. Prior to the stadium opening in 2002, Allen and Bob Whitsitt said that they hoped the new stadium would help turn
17646-466: The field of possible sites in 1968. This drew sharp opposition primarily from the International District community, which feared the impact of the stadium on neighborhood businesses located east of the site. The King Street site was approved 8–1 by the county council in late 1971, and the groundbreaking ceremony in 1972 was held on November 2. Several protesters attended the ceremony, disrupted
17819-409: The field. Post-tensioned cables were used to achieve its final shape and positioning. To minimize damage in the event of an earthquake, the roof has a friction pendulum damper system. This disconnects the roof from the support pylons so that it can move independently of the structure. The technology had never been applied to a large-scale roof before Lumen Field. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck
17992-479: The field. This noise possibly contributes to increased false start penalties since opposing offenses can miss audibles and the snap count , as well as delay of game penalties due to the reduced efficiency of communicating plays to the offense. From 2002 through 2012, there have been 143 false-start penalties on visiting teams in Seattle, second only to the Minnesota Vikings. During that same time period,
18165-417: The first sell-out of 66,772 fans at the stadium was a soccer match between Manchester United and Celtic. National teams such as Brazil , Venezuela , Mexico , and China have played exhibition games at the stadium. The artificial turf has been temporarily overlaid with grass for international matches. Seattle was the site of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B opening round between the national teams of
18338-454: The first stadium in the NFL to install a FieldTurf artificial field . The surface is made of plastic fibers rooted in a mixture of ground rubber and sand. The field was replaced in early 2008 after tests showed that compression of sand and rubber increased the risk of player injuries. For the second installation, FieldTurf won the bid over Polytan . For the replacement surface, a one-inch (two and one-half centimeters) poured rubber foundation
18511-411: The floor of the arena as well as additional scoreboards and a new basketball court. The center circle of the court was positioned over first base, with the court itself laid parallel and adjacent to the right-field seats; the portable seats were positioned across the court with one end hovering over home plate. The first SuperSonics game in the Kingdome under the agreement was an exhibition game versus
18684-488: The game in reference to the stadium's importance to the franchise. Under Pete Carroll , the Seahawks were undefeated at home during the 2012 season . Season tickets for 2013 sold-out with a franchise-record 98% renewal rate. Through the 2018 season , the Seahawks compiled a regular season record of 95–41 at the stadium. Lumen Field often sells out for Seahawks games; although the team struggled to sell out games (with two resulting blackouts ) in its inaugural season at
18857-576: The game. Skyline went on to shut out Jesuit 17–0 during that year's Emerald City Classic. Within Lumen Field, a large art piece called The State of Football pays tribute to high school football in the state of Washington. The piece features a depiction of Washington and holds replica football helmets from every high school football team in the state. The installation is part of the Stadium Art Program commissioned through First & Goal's lease of
19030-422: The grounds of Seattle Center , site of the 1962 World's Fair . Community members decried the idea, claiming the committee was influenced by special interest groups. The Pilots began play as planned in 1969 , but Sick's Stadium proved to be a problematic venue for fans, media, and visiting players alike. The Pilots only drew 677,000 fans that season, not nearly enough to break even. It soon became apparent that
19203-755: The home of the Sounders and Seahawks. The Mariners moved in the following year , and the SuperSonics moved in the year after that , only to move back to the Seattle Center Coliseum in 1985. The stadium hosted several major sports events, including the Soccer Bowl in August 1976 , the Pro Bowl in January 1977 , the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July 1979 , the NBA All-Star Game in 1987 , and
19376-412: The home team a distinct advantage similar to the effect on football games. The average attendance of 22,064 in 1995 was the lowest in three years with the removal of nine home games for the season, but when put in perspective, it was still higher compared to any of the Mariners' first 14 seasons. Despite its cavernous interior, the Kingdome's field dimensions were relatively small. It had a reputation as
19549-427: The impact on the public, and the company created a $ 6 million mitigation fund for nearby neighborhoods. In accordance with a program established by the building team, contracts totaling $ 81 million were awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses . Union apprentices made up 19% of the workforce through another program with local trade unions. Construction of the new exhibition center and parking garage
19722-421: The importance of playing their games without the other team's painted lines on the field. Around 2003, at the Seahawks' request, local company EcoChemical developed for the field a new kind of paint that is "designed to fail". The new paint is relatively easy to remove with a power washer and a special chemical solution, a process that the company describes as environmentally friendly. With the new paint, converting
19895-427: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CLF&oldid=1184171413 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages CenturyLink Field Lumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle , Washington, United States. Located in
20068-419: The intimate environment of a dedicated arena; furthermore, fans were displeased about the poor sight lines and cold temperatures in the Kingdome. All these factors, plus dwindling attendance due to poor team performance towards the end of their tenancy at the Kingdome, led SuperSonics general manager Zollie Volchok to sign a 10-year contract with the city of Seattle in 1983, agreeing to have the team move back to
20241-476: The issue of $ 40 million in bonds to fund construction of the "King County Multipurpose Domed Stadium" with 62 percent in favor; it was part of the Forward Thrust group of bond propositions that, among other items, had a regional rapid transit system rejected. That year, a committee considered over 100 sites throughout Seattle and King County for the stadium; they unanimously decided the best site would be on
20414-422: The lines, the distance was also listed in fathoms (52.7 fm), presumably to maintain a nautical theme in line with the team name; however, this practice was ditched after the 1980 season . Like the Kingdome's contemporaries, the bullpens were located in foul territory adjacent to the baselines and the stands. The longest game in the Kingdome took place on July 30, 1998 , when the Cleveland Indians defeated
20587-466: The local economy. Qwest Field hosted the second and final Seattle Bowl in late 2002 , in which Wake Forest beat Oregon 38–17. The inaugural Seattle Bowl was played a year earlier at Safeco Field, but the game was discontinued when organizers could not secure financing before 2003. Later attempts to revive the Seattle Bowl were unsuccessful. The Seattle Sports Commission led a push in 2008 for
20760-477: The mining of iron ore in the United States Clifton Forge (Amtrak station) 's station code The Congressional Leadership Fund , dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives Conservation Law Foundation , a legal environmental advocacy organization Common Log Format - A standardized text file format usually associated with web server logs Common Look and Feel ,
20933-414: The most ravenous fan bases in the NFL, a reputation that has carried over to what is now Lumen Field. The Kingdome's reputation contributed to the NFL's 1989 vote in favor of enacting a rule penalizing home teams for excessive crowd noise; it was especially loathed by Seahawks fans during preseason games, with fan displeasure throughout the league leading commissioner Pete Rozelle to soften enforcement of
21106-589: The new stadium; the team was later named the Seattle Seahawks . Construction lasted another two years, and the stadium held an opening ceremony on March 27, 1976. It hosted its first professional sporting event two weeks later on April 9, an exhibition soccer game between the Seattle Sounders and New York Cosmos of the NASL . It set a record for the largest soccer audience in North America at 58,120. The stadium
21279-622: The number of available season tickets was increased to 62,000. The largest crowd to attend a Seahawks game at Lumen Field was 69,190, against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 20, 2016. Lumen Field has earned a reputation as one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. It was, at one point in time, in the Guinness World Record books for being the loudest stadium in the world. The seating decks and partial roof, both trap and amplify exceptional amounts of noise and reflect it back onto
21452-479: The outfield was symmetrical with a uniform wall height: deep in center, and short elsewhere. For the All-Star Game in 1979, center field was 410 feet (120 m), power alleys were 357 feet (109 m), and the foul lines were 316 feet (96 m); the unpadded wall was green with a top yellow stripe, approximately twelve feet (3.7 m) in height and did not have the power alley distances listed on it. Down
21625-405: The playoffs. It was the first time the franchise had won 10 games in a single season in 17 years. The Seahawks again reached the postseason during the 2004 season and played their first playoff game at Qwest Field on January 8, 2005. In that game, they lost to the St. Louis Rams who had already defeated them twice that season. The following season , the Seahawks went undefeated at home for
21798-510: The previous season . At the time, the Kingdome was known in the NBA for being the noisiest arena for basketball and for having the largest crowds, with stadium vendor Bill Scott ( a.k.a. Bill the Beerman) taking the duties as cheerleader. In the 1979–80 season , the SuperSonics set an NBA record average attendance of 21,725 fans per game (since broken). The SuperSonics set the NBA single-game playoff attendance record at 39,457 during Game 4 of
21971-423: The qualifier, which was the city's second overall and the first since 1976, saw the United States defeat Panama 2–0 in front of a raucous crowd of 40,847. The combined Canada–Mexico–United States won the right to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 2018 vote by FIFA; Lumen Field was one of the 23 finalist venues named by the organizing committee. Lumen Field was subsequently announced in June 2022 as one of
22144-402: The referendum created a public–private partnership. The Washington State Public Stadium Authority was created to oversee public ownership of the stadium, exhibition center, and parking garage complex. Allen purchased the Seahawks and formed First & Goal Inc. to build and operate the facility. The budget for the project was $ 430 million. Of this cost, $ 44 million was allotted to build
22317-576: The requirements of a 2 Star field after testing. A new turf field, using the FieldTurf Revolution 360, was installed in February 2016 ahead of the 2016 Sounders season . There have been various opinions regarding both the artificial surface and temporary grass surfaces used for soccer matches. After the Brazilian national team defeated Canada's side 3–2 in 2008, Brazil's coach commented that one reason for his team's unexpectedly poor performance
22490-478: The rule before the start of the regular season. Raucous Seahawk fans at the Kingdome were also some of the earliest performers of The Wave . The city of Seattle made numerous bids to host the Super Bowl during the Seahawks' tenure at the Kingdome. However, despite five bids over 12 years, the Kingdome was never awarded the opportunity to host a Super Bowl; its closest chance was in 1989 for Super Bowl XXVI , which
22663-472: The sack of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the first quarter. Fans then broke their new record during the third quarter of the same game when a level of 136.6 decibels was achieved during a goal line stand by the Seahawks defense. The record was broken by the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2013, with a sound pressure level of 137.57 decibels. The record was later regained by
22836-423: The same day as the agreement signing, longtime Kingdome critic Frank Ruano filed a referendum petition in an attempt to halt the move, but he announced on September 17 that he would withdraw support from the petition for lack of support. While the SuperSonics had played a few games at the Kingdome over the previous two seasons, their full-time tenancy required the addition of 5,000 portable stadium seats added onto
23009-529: The second time in three years and won their first-ever NFC Championship , but lost in Super Bowl XL . Between 2002 and 2005, the Seahawks won 24 of their 32 regular season games at the stadium. In 2006 , the Seahawks had a 9–7 record and hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round of the playoffs. The Seahawks trailed 20–13 with less than 7 minutes remaining but came back to win 21–20. In 2007 ,
23182-461: The short-lived league's 2020 season. The team was among seven in the XFL to share its stadium with NFL teams and drew a league-record 29,172 fans at the home opener on February 15, 2020. The second game had 22,060 in attendance, with the team among the highest-drawing in the XFL before the league suspended operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . The team resumed play in 2023 at Lumen Field as
23355-506: The size of the pre-existing ones. A 1,800-square-foot (170 m ) pregame hospitality area adjacent to the home team's locker room was then opened for the 2023 Seahawks season; named the Tunnel Club, it allows spectators to view players walking between the locker room and the field. Additional planned renovations include the creation of two standing room open-air decks. In October 2023, the stadium's gates and concourses were renamed under
23528-408: The soft soil, the complex sits on over 2,200 pilings driven 50 to 70 ft (15 to 21 m) below the ground to form what is essentially a pier for the foundation. Eight individually connected sections were built to account for the soil concerns, temperature effects, and the potential for earthquakes. The adjoining exhibition center and parking garage are separate structures and are not part of
23701-419: The speakers, and at one point threw mud balls at them. In bidding for construction of the stadium, which had separate offers for the dome and the rest of the stadium, Donald M. Drake Construction Company of Portland, Oregon , was the winning contractor for both with respective bids of $ 28.9 million and $ 5.9 million. Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Company was the only other bidder, offering $ 30.57 million for
23874-419: The stadium and $ 5.8 million for the roof; the latter came with the caveat of the company using its own design consultant. To help alleviate tension between the International District community and county officials, Drake emphasized the hiring of minorities, with minorities eventually representing 13 percent of the workers at the site; a community center and a shelter were also built in the neighborhood. However,
24047-409: The stadium and parking garage. The company receives 80% of the revenue from the exhibition center while the other 20 percent is allotted to a state education fund. First & Goal is responsible for all operating and maintenance costs, expected to be $ 6 million a year, and must keep the facility in "first-class" condition. Other details of the lease include the availability of affordable seats,
24220-514: The stadium made before the start of the 2022 Seahawks season include the conversion of an unused 6,300-square-foot (590 m ) space below the Hawks' Nest into a food and beverage area, the addition of an open cashierless concession area on the concourse behind the Toyota Fan Deck, and the replacement of a pair of video display boards at the north end of the stadium with Diamond Vision boards from Mitsubishi Electric that were more than double
24393-471: The stadium plans in limbo, the team was forced to declare bankruptcy . Despite efforts by Seattle-area businessmen to buy the team as well as an attempt to keep the team in Seattle through the court system, the Pilots were sold to Milwaukee businessman Bud Selig , who relocated the team to Milwaukee and renamed it the Milwaukee Brewers a week before the start of the 1970 season . The push to build
24566-450: The stadium regularly for home games in 2003. The MLS expansion team, Seattle Sounders FC, began its inaugural season in 2009 at the stadium. Lumen Field was the site of the MLS Cup in 2009 and 2019 ; the latter set a new attendance record for the stadium with 69,274 spectators. The venue also hosted the 2010 and 2011 tournament finals for the U.S. Open Cup as well as the second leg of
24739-402: The stadium that visually complements the Seattle skyline . The tower features a vertically oriented scoreboard which is the first of its kind in the NFL. At the base is bleacher seating for 3,000 called the "Hawks' Nest". Another addition not previously seen in the NFL are field-level luxury suites located directly behind the north end zone. Allen rejected plans for a retractable roof during
24912-679: The stadium will be temporarily renamed to "Seattle Stadium" in accordance with FIFA's policy on corporate sponsored names. The first sporting event at the stadium was a double-header on July 28, 2002, that included both the Sounders Select Women and the men's Seattle Sounders of the USL team. The women defeated the Vancouver Breakers 4–3, while the men beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 4–1 in front of 25,515 people. The USL team began using
25085-429: The stadium would blend with the older buildings in neighboring Pioneer Square. To reduce costs, the exterior was not completed with brick or ornate steel work. In 2015, the stadium was expanded with the addition of the Toyota Fan Deck on 5,775 square feet (536.5 m ) of space at its southern end; privately funded by the Seahawks, it consisted of a new 12 Flag raising platform flanked by two 500-seat sections, pushing
25258-433: The stadium would feature a natural grass surface, but FieldTurf was not an option when the stadium was originally presented to voters according to the Public Stadium Authority. Seahawks management reconsidered the playing surface after the Seahawks played on FieldTurf at Husky Stadium during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Artificial turf was installed because it was easier to maintain than natural grass. The potential damage to
25431-459: The stadium's construction encountered numerous issues; in January 1973, six support beams for the roof were toppled as one or two of them buckled, bringing down the others in a domino effect . By January 1974, the stadium reached 50 percent completion; only reaching 60 percent completion in July, it was clear that Drake would not reach the December deadline at that point. It was also apparent that Drake
25604-471: The stadium's proximity to Puget Sound and the open north end create winds that are challenging to gauge. Former Seahawks kicker Josh Brown adjusted to the winds, and he believed the moisture in the air caused trouble for others. On September 15, 2013, Seattle Seahawks fans successfully broke the Guinness World Records for the loudest stadium in the world. The 131.9-decibel record occurred during
25777-416: The stadium, including the 2011 and 2024 Apple Cups and all Washington Huskies home games during the renovation of Husky Stadium in 2012. The XFL 's Seattle Dragons began playing at Lumen Field in 2020 and returned in 2023 as the Sea Dragons. Lumen Field is also designed for soccer. The first sporting event held included a United Soccer Leagues (USL) Seattle Sounders match. The USL team began using
25950-433: The stadium, it has sold out every game after the 2003 home opener, with 146 consecutive games sold out through the 2019 season. Despite dismal on-field performances in 2008 and 2009 , the team maintained its base of season ticket holders; Before the 2008 season, the 14,000 single game tickets not already allotted sold out less than 15 minutes after they became available. After going 9–23 over two seasons in 2008 and 2009,
26123-442: The team began to decline in performance; after winning the AFC West that year, it suffered a franchise-worst 2–14 record in 1992 . Season ticket sales, which had reached 62,000 that year with a waiting list of 30,000, gradually decreased to 46,000 in 1995 , with the team averaging 46,218 in attendance over five games at the Kingdome in 1994 ; as a result, the Seahawks began failing to sell out games, resulting in their blackout in
26296-414: The team if a new stadium could be built and said that the team could not be profitable until they left the Kingdome. He asked the state legislature to hold a special statewide referendum on a proposal to finance a new stadium. Allen also agreed to cover any cost overruns. With Allen agreeing to pay the $ 4 million cost, the legislature agreed. The vote was scheduled to be held in June 1997 but in May
26469-470: The team won seven of their eight home games and clinched their fourth consecutive division title. Qwest Field was again the site for their wild card game, and they defeated the Washington Redskins 35–14. In 2008 , the Seahawks went 4–12 and had only two home wins. Holmgren left the organization after the season. When he was interviewed about memorable moments and the fans, he said that Qwest Field
26642-496: The title games were moved to the Tacoma Dome in nearby Tacoma in 1995. The Seattle and Tacoma Police Departments played a yearly game named the Bacon Bowl to raise money for charity from 1980 to 2005; the Kingdome hosted it from the beginning until 1982, then had a one-off in 1985 during a nine-year span in which the Tacoma Dome hosted the rest of the games. The Kingdome hosted the game again from 1992 to 1994 before it returned to
26815-432: The upper deck as far as 617 feet (188 m) from home plate. Part of the problem was that the Kingdome was not a multipurpose stadium in the truest sense. Instead, it was built as a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. For instance, most fans in the outfield seats on the 300 level were unable to see parts of right and center field; these areas were not part of the football playing field. For most of
26988-436: The visiting New York Giants committed 11 false start penalties. Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren attributed the penalties to the enthusiasm and noise from the crowd. He dedicated the ball used to make the game-winning field goal to the fans, and it is now displayed at the stadium. The Giants' general manager, Ernie Accorsi , asked an NFL senior vice president whether the Seahawks had broadcast artificial crowd noise over
27161-594: The western side of the state. In April 2009, it was proposed that the annual Apple Cup between the Seattle-based Huskies and the Pullman-based Cougars be hosted at CenturyLink Field for six years beginning in 2010. The two programs could not reach an agreement on how to divide tickets. Pullman's business community had expressed concerns that playing the game away from the Palouse would be detrimental to
27334-439: Was "a remarkable place to compete in and to play professional football". He called a game at the stadium "an experience". In 2010 , the Seahawks were the first NFL team with a losing record ever to win a division title in a season not shortened by a strike. Seattle earned its fifth consecutive home playoff victory with a 41–36 win over the New Orleans Saints . "God bless the voters," defensive tackle Craig Terrill said after
27507-445: Was $ 50,000 for the day. The stadium subsequently hosted a game on September 11, 2010, between Eastern and Central; coined the "Battle of the Sound", the game saw Eastern prevail over Central 35–32. Lumen Field has been used for high school football . The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) puts on the annual Emerald City Kickoff Classic at the stadium. The event is a season-opening series of games between some of
27680-470: Was a 91-yard touchdown and the other was a historic plowing into Seahawks high-profile rookie linebacker Brian "The Boz" Bosworth . The Seahawks regularly sold out games at the Kingdome from its inception and throughout the 1980s; 117 consecutive regular-season home games were sold out between 1979 and 1993 . However, after Ken Behring took over ownership of the team from the Nordstrom family in 1988 ,
27853-402: Was added to prevent the compression from reoccurring. Under the naming rights agreement, Qwest paid $ 500,000 for the installation and First & Goal paid the remaining amount, which was undisclosed. By 2010 the FieldTurf's quality had decreased with the blades becoming matted down. It also failed FIFA's quality testing to be ranked 2 Star. A new FieldTurf surface was laid down in 2012 and it met
28026-579: Was awarded to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis , Minnesota . In its 1982 bid for Super Bowl XIX , the Seattle City Council voted to give tax exemptions to the NFL if the league selected the Kingdome to host the game. The Seahawks played their final game at the Kingdome on January 9, 2000 , suffering a first-round playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins in their first playoff appearance since
28199-587: Was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) and the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB); it was also home to the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) (from 1978 to 1985) and additionally served as both the home outdoor and indoor venue for the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The Kingdome measured 660 feet (200 m) wide from its inside walls. The idea of constructing
28372-432: Was close in Seattle, but it received 60% approval in Seattle's northern and eastern suburbs. The public funding was unpopular farther away in the eastern portion of the state. In October, a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled that the legislature acted properly and in the public's interest, and he dismissed the pending lawsuit. The Washington Supreme Court upheld the decision that December. Voter approval of
28545-421: Was closely involved during the design process. While growing up he attended games at the University of Washington 's (UW) outdoor Husky Stadium . His goal was to create a similar experience and atmosphere at the new venue. The exhibition center portion of the project was designed over a period of 14 months by LMN Architects while First & Goal managed the construction. Town meetings were held to discuss
28718-559: Was considered a must because the roof was likely to inhibit the growth of natural grass, like the Astrodome 's roof. The AstroTurf surface was first replaced in July 1983 during the MLB All-Star break; Monsanto , the then-owner of AstroTurf, won the turf replacement contract over SuperTurf (then used by the Metrodome) with a bid of $ 1.2 million. By request of the Mariners and Seahawks, it
28891-430: Was finished at $ 20 million over budget, with part of the cost overrun covered by a $ 12.8 million out-of-court settlement in 1980 between the county and Drake's liability insurers. Like virtually all other multi-purpose stadiums, the Kingdome featured AstroTurf artificial turf for its playing surface, with its baseball configuration featuring dirt sliding pits around each base. When it was constructed, artificial turf
29064-458: Was ill-prepared to work on a project with such scale, with numerous errors, delays, and short-staffing slowing down construction. Efforts to renegotiate the contract failed, and on November 22, Drake stopped work on the Kingdome. The county fired Drake on December 10, bringing in Kiewit to finish construction on the stadium. On December 5, 1974, the NFL awarded Seattle an expansion franchise to occupy
29237-584: Was nicknamed "The Clink" as a result; it received its current name in November 2020 with CenturyLink's rebrand to Lumen Technologies . It is a modern facility with views of the Downtown Seattle skyline and a seating capacity of 68,740 spectators for NFL games and 37,722 for most MLS matches. The complex also includes the Event Center which is home to the Washington Music Theater (WaMu Theater),
29410-464: Was replaced again in October and December 1990 at a cost of $ 2.56 million; the previous surface was sold off thereafter, with 25 rolls of it sold to the Tacoma Dome for $ 108,200. A strip 40 feet by 4 inches was ripped off left field near second base during a field invasion by celebrating fans after the Mariners won the AL West tiebreaker game in 1995; it was replaced before the first Mariners home game in
29583-409: Was set to commence on September 19, 1998, but prolonged lease discussions between First & Goal and the Public Stadium Authority delayed the official groundbreaking to September 28. The exhibition center opened on October 30, 1999, and subsequently hosted its first event on November 4. On March 26, 2000, to make way for the stadium, the Kingdome was demolished in the world's largest implosion of
29756-434: Was the eighth venue to host the event and had the fourth-largest attendance for an MLS Cup. The MLS Cup returned to Seattle in 2019 , with the Sounders hosting Toronto FC as the higher seed. The Sounders won in front of 69,274 spectators, setting a new record for a sporting event at Lumen Field and recording the second-highest cup attendance in league history. Seattle will host the Sounders' three group stage matches during
29929-431: Was the loosely installed grass field. The Grenada national team struggled to cope with the artificial surface during their loss at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup . In July 2009, the U.S. Soccer Federation chose D.C. United 's RFK Stadium over Qwest Field for the U.S. Open Cup . The general manager of D.C. United speculated that RFK's grass field was one of the reasons his team had a stronger bid. The general manager of
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