FedEx Field Stadium is sold out except for certain sections of Club Seats and Executive Suites.
Redskins Season Seat Holders: Redskins season seat holders have first right to seats in the new stadium. Because of a 30-year demand for tickets, season seat holders will be eligible to reserve the same number of stadium seats held at RFK and in a comparable location; or lease Club Seats, or lease Executive Suites. Please be sure to read all the information contained on the charts on the seating pages.
Redskins Waiting List: Next are those patient Redskins fans on the Washington Redskins waiting list. They will be limited to season tickets to two stadium seats, or Club Seats, or Executive Suites, if available. Please be sure to read all the information contained on the charts on the seating pages.
General Public: The general public will then be offered the opportunity to lease Club Seats or Executive Suites, if available, in the Redskins new stadium.
Stadium Amenities: For the first time, Redskin fans will enjoy culinary delights in their own large restaurants located at each endzone. What’s more, you won’t miss a second of activity on the gridiron because each restaurant has an open view to the playing field. The widest imaginable menu of foods, including a choice variety of cuisine, wines and beers that will suit the tastes of every red-blooded Redskin fan.
The main concourse, named the George Preston Marshall Concourse, will have innumerable choices of food from every imaginable land, including but not limited to: Italy, Greece, India, China, Japan, Germany and of course, down-to-earth American foods.
Restrooms galore. Sparkling, meticulously clean, and to our knowledge, more per capita than any other stadium in America. Plus, there will be more women’s restrooms than men’s; indeed rare among stadiums anywhere. And that’s the way it ought to have been from the beginning.
The Redskins Hall of Fame traces the legendary history of the Redskins from 1937 when the club moved from Boston to the present day, illustrating and bringing to life all facts and figures about Redskin greats of the past, such as Ken Houston, Len Hauss, Joe Jacoby, Bill Kilmer and many, many more; as well as mementos of the past that will conjure up fond memories of the greatest Redskin games and players. Videos of Redskin championship games and Super Bowls will be constantly on view in the Hall of Fame. And while you’re there, you’ll have the opportunity to acquire all sorts of Redskin souvenirs, each one tastefully displayed for you to make your choice.
Seating throughout the new stadium includes wider seats, hand rails on all steps, wider pedestrian ramps and easy access to the main concourse at street level. Also, more than adequate provision for handicapped fans.
For the first time fans in the first 10 to 20 rows of the Redskins new stadium will not have to stand on their seats for 3½ hours to watch the game as they did at RFK. Reason: your sight line to the field (the first row) is approximately 9 feet above the playing field -- high enough to see over the heads of cameramen, referees, officials, players and whatever -- a clear unimpeded view of the playing field. What a joy!
Second by second you can watch in living color, two giant video screens for replays and other important announcements; as well as four scoreboards. And, to lay your fears to rest, there will be no personal seat license (PSLs) and no chance of the Redskins breaking their own lease and moving to another city. The Redskins are in Hyattsville (Landover) to stay.
Directions: FedEx Field is located in the town of Landover, Maryland, inside the Washington Beltway, a scant 4.9 miles east of RFK Stadium.
The entrance and exit to the stadium have been custom designed to ease traffic flow to and from. $50 million dollars of road building and design will give new meaning to the phrase "easy come, easy go."
Coming and going will be a joy because the stadium has its own Beltway exit, a cloverleaf constructed solely for the convenience of Redskins' fans arriving at and leaving the stadium. There are also upgrades to existing exits, new commuter service roads, and shuttle service to and from the Metro system.
Once you come to the stadium, however, you may not want to go! Designed by HOK Inc., world distinguished stadium architects, and constructed by internationally famous Clark Construction Group, the stadium is a masterpiece, a stunning combination of concrete and steel with more amenities than have ever before been provided at one stadium. One of the sterling amenities of the stadium is the food service exclusively provided by Lawrence Hatch’s renowned Volume Services.
Sunday, September 14, 1997 - The Redskins' Hollywood script for opening Jack Kent Cooke Stadium called for a victory over the Cardinals in front of 80,000 screaming fans. Like all great stories, this one had its fair share of tension and uncertainty, as the 'Skins let the Cardinals take them into overtime. When Gus Frerotte hit Michael Westbrook for a 40-yard touchdown 1:36 into OT, though, the celebration and the19-13 victory were complete.
Former Redskins great Doug Williams said before the game that the new stadium would not win the game for the Redskins, only the players could win it. Well, he was right in one sense, but the noise produced by more than 80,000 Redskin faithful surely provided a huge lift. Scott Blanton gave them the first thing to yell about as his first-quarter field goal resulted in the first points ever scored at the new stadium.
Jimusiker@aol.com writes: Much has been said about the loss of intimacy of RFK to JKC. I'm not going down that road. The intimacy has been lost NOT by the increase of the extra 25,000 capacity, but by the inability to go from section to section on the field.
Now one is obliged to leave the field of play and traverse the stadium on the concourses. In this design a HUGE part of the "community" feel has been lost. The constant parade of Redskins fans, the end-of-game march of the "U-crew," the comfortable exchange among familiar fans of many years upon recognition, the spectacle of people watching - all are lost at JKC.
Working in the construction industry, I understand compromises that may have been made in the interests of schedule. My hope is that having admirably met the target of having a venue for the 1st season, these fundamental defects in the stadium design can be fixed.
It would pain me to learn that in truth this lack of section-to-section mobility is an overt crowd management strategy foisted on us by academic researchers feeding into major A/E firms. In my mind this shortcoming is THE major shortcoming of JKC, and is fixable at acceptably low cost. PLEASE consider fixing this MAJOR FLAW of JKC. I won't commit to being a "happy customer" on account of $5 Busweisers, but I'd sing JKC's praises if this
major fault could be corrected.
NAMING RIGHTS COULD BE SOLD BY NEW REDSKINS OWNER
May 27, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Having just paid $800 million for the Washington Redskins and their stadium, new owner Daniel Snyder says he might sell naming rights to the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. The stadium was named after the team's former owner. The sale was approved by the NFL this week.
Snyder says he doubts a naming rights sale would be completed by this fall, but that selling rights is a possibility.
REDSKINS TO SPEND $15 MILLION TO UPGRADE STADIUM'S FITS AND FINISHES
July 29, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Washington Redskins have begun a $15 million program to upgrade Jack Kent Cooke Stadium before this season begins this year. The work on the two-year-old venue is primarily to make fans more comfortable and improve operations.
Metal pipes will be replaced with glass to improve sight lines, shields will be mounted to deflect wind and windows in the 1,506-seat loge section will be removed. In-seat wait service will also be added to the club level. The sound system will be upgraded this year and new additional Jumbotron screens will be added for the 2000 season at a cost of $11 million.
August 5, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Could there be a new name in the works for the Redskins' Jack Kent Cooke Stadium? The Washington Post says new team stationary refers to the team's home as Redskins Stadium. The stadium was named for the team's founder, but new owner Daniel Snyder has indicated that the sale of naming rights is not out of the question. Snyder also indicated that Cooke's name would still be associated with the venue even if rights were sold.
REDSKINS PROMISE $35 MILLION TO HELP SOLVE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
September 16, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Washington Redskins have pledged $35 million to build new parking spaces that will help ease traffic congestion during games. The team hopes to buy land adjacent to the stadium to make room for 7,000 new spaces. The stadium now has 22,000 stalls sought by 30,000 motorists that recently attended a game. The congestion backed traffic up for more than 20 miles and lasted for nearly three hours after the game.
The team will also work with local police on coming up with new ways to handle the traffic and possibly use space available at the nearby US Airways Arena. The new spaces won't be available for this season.
Fewer fans than expected are using mass transit to get to the game. The Redskins originally estimated 8% would use the service and the actual number is closer to 7%.
REDSKINS HOPE TO USE US AIRWAYS ARENA FOR GAME PARKING
September 30, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Washington Redskins will use spaces at the nearby US Airways
Arena to handle parking and avoid the traffic gridlock has occurred during
the Sept. 12 home game with the Dallas Cowboys. Shuttle buses will be used
to move fans between the parking area and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. Those
with parking permits - primarily club seat and suite ticket holders - will
park adjacent to the stadium. Parking at US Airways Arena will cost $15,
but the bus rides will be free.
REDSKINS CLOSE TO NAMING RIGHTS DEAL
October 28, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Washington Redskins are reportedly close to signing a $200 million, 27-year deal with Federal Express to rename the team's stadium. Sources have told the
Washington Post that both sides have reviewed contracts and could make a final agreement within a week. If completed, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium would be renamed
FedEx Field.
The stadium had been named for the team's previous owner, but was quietly changed last summer when Daniel Snyder bought the team for $800 million. At the time,
Snyder acknowledged that naming rights could be sold. Cooke's name was later dropped from the team's letterhead and the venue was referred to as Redskins Stadium.
The money is expected to be applied to the team's debt. Snyder acquired $155 million in stadium debt when he purchased the team plus $340 million in loans.
POLITICS BEHIND FEDEX PLAN TO NAME REDSKINS STADIUM
November 4, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Political observers are telling the Washington Times that the rumored deal between Federal Express and the Redskins to name the NFL stadium could be an important
lobbying effort by the shipping company. FedEx is reportedly in negotiations to pay $205 million for naming rights to the venue and by placing its naming on the stadium, it
would gain a high profile among political decision makers.
FedEx's political action committee spent $2.2 million in contributions during the 1998 elections and ranks No. 3 among donors by the Center for Responsive Politics. In
1996, Federal Express contributions equaled half of the total spent by the passenger airline industry.
Image of FedEx Field by Cory Suppes of Ballparks.com
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| FedEx Field Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 4.5 |
| Concessions | | 3 |
| Scoreboard | | 5 |
| Ushers | | 3 |
| Fan Support | | 8 |
| Location | | 4 |
| Banners/History | | 8 |
| Entertainment | | 7.5 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 5.5 |
| Bonus: Tailgate Scene | | 1 |
| Bonus: Marching Band | | 2 |
| Bonus: Fight Song | | 1 |
| Bonus: Ring of Honor | | 1 |
| Total Score |  | 53.5 |
October 28, 2001 - Fedex Field, originally named "Jack Kent Cooke Stadium", opened in 1997 and is the third home for this long and storied franchise in the D.C. area, after having played in Griffith Stadium and then RFK Stadium. Located in Landover, Maryland close to the "Cap Center", this stadium is just a few miles from their former venue and only about 8 miles from downtown Washington and the seat of our federal government.
Getting to the Stadium
Located off I-95, getting to the stadium by car is the major option for fans attending the game. The stadium is nestled in a wooded, suburban setting, and is surrounded by office parks and gated, residential subdivisions nearby, but the wooded layout is such that offsite parking is not an option. With the entire stadium sold out by subscription, the Redskins sell all their parking around the stadium on a season ticket basis, so the only cash parking for folks like us is at the Cap Center parking lot, and then a mile and a half hike or a shuttle ride. Our hotel was only a 25 minute walk away, so being a nice crisp day we hoofed it over and saved the $15 parking fee and the traffic jams after the game.
With no neighborhood ambience and massive surface lots, FedEx Field is perfectly suited for tailgating, and as we approached the stadium grounds, lots of tailgating is what we saw. But something was amiss.... where were the plumes of smoke and the smell of charcoal? The footballs being tossed around? Guys in sweats and old clothes playing pickup games? The tailgate scene here smacked of something surrealistic... choice of Merlot or fine Chardonnays ... pate and quiche on the menu...Well coiffed gentlemen in pressed, pleated slacks, chatting on their cell phones or tapping on their palm pilots. OK... maybe we are exaggerating a bit here for emphasis, but trust us when we tell you that we would have to look long and hard to find a good old fashioned bratwurst and an Old Milwaukee here. Here at FedEx Field... NFL football has gone corporate, and the pregame experience was our first taste of what we were to find once inside.
Outside the Venue
With the naming rights bought by Federal Express, the purple/orange/green corporate colors decorate the outside of the stadium, and these colors ring the entire top of the stadium. Walking around the stadium we saw quite a few hospitality tents offering pre game parties for corporate clients, and the "Redskins Marching Band" could be found outside providing pregame entertainment. The band was very nice!
The Concourses
Once in the building, the first thing that caught our eye was that each of the concourses was named, and featured an historical exhibit on the honoree. The lower concourse is named the "George Preston Marshall" level, the club concourse the "Joe Gibbs" level, and the upper concourse the "Pete Rozelle" level. While concourses here are brightly lit and wide, they are pretty ordinary. Concession marquees are poorly labeled, and bear corporate ad panels that have no connection to the food being sold. The main merchandise store is called the "Redskins Hall of Fame" store and is on the main level - lots of cool stuff but really pricey, even by major league standards. There is but one escalator tower to take you to the upper deck, and that is on the southwest side of the stadium. There are two sets of escalators inside the concourse for club/suite ticket holders. We should also mention that in the lower level end zone concourses are two bars in the center, with plenty of monitors showing NFL Sunday Ticket action from other games.
Premium Seating
The club level seats here ring the entire building, and are completely open air with no weather protection. There are also two levels of suites ringing the building. Interestingly, the upper suites in each end zone have open air seating as well. Club level amenities include several food courts, a sports bar, a patio bar and a humidor room/cigar bar.
The Seating Bowl
This is one BIG stadium -- well over 80,000 seats broken into three levels. The lower and upper level seats are colored wine red, and the center club level seats are done in yellow... Redskins colors. Terrific, right? BUT! Then add the orange/purple/green Fedex colors, ringing the top of the seating bowl, and you have a hideous mess of mismatched design. At each endzone at the club level are jumbotron and companion dot matrix boards which are somewhat small compared to the giant video boards going up in the newer venues elsewhere. We do, however, like the placement of the main scoreboards in this location rather than high atop the seating bowls, as this brings this vital component of the game experience closer to the action and the fans. Along the sidelines on the club level balcony are synchronized ad panels, and in each of the four corners on the upper balcony are digital LED boards, which were used primarily for out of town scores.
Concessions
We looked long and hard for something notable here, but came up with the standard ballpark dreck and that's it. Again the eye-popping prices - $5 for a hot dog, $6 for fries, $7 for a beer. Owner Dan Snyder is sucking on his one billion dollar lemon, and somebody has to pay for this... guess it has to be these poor sap Redskins fans.
Banners/Retired Numbers
The Redskins proudly display their championship flags high above the north endzone, and their two division titles won at this venue are hung on the suite balcony just below. Very impressive is the Redskins ring of fame - with almost 40 names of Redskins greats - players, coaches and ownership/management, displayed on the upper level balcony all the way around the seating bowl. Done VERY nicely!
Touchdowns/Extra Points/Fumbles
Extra Point The Redskins have sold out the ENTIRE building to season ticket holders. They heavily promote the "season ticket waiting list" to replenish fans who may drop out, and keep the perceived demand for tickets high.
Touchdown (or should we say "SACK") --- #78 Bruce Smith, one of the greatest players ever to wear a Buffalo Bills uniform, is here in Washington, still wreaking havoc in the backfield. Yes he is a fan favorite here in D.C., and we were proud to join in with the trademark "BRUUUUUUUUUCE" chant for one of OUR all time revered players!
Fumble to the folks operating the out of town scoreboard, who transposed the scores on a couple of occasions.... yes they did show "Buffalo 10, San Diego 0 in the 1st quarter", until they added "Touchdown by F. Jones", we thought WE had the lead. Ugghhhh! For the prices you folks charge for tickets, please GET IT RIGHT!
Touchdown "The Washington Redskins Marching Band". They sit directly beneath the south end zone scoreboard, and entertain during TV breaks, giving a college football feel to the experience. The Redskins signature fight song, "Hail to the Redskins" is performed after each score.
Extra Point on the plaza is an enclosed beer garden offering post game music and entertainment under the theme "The Fifth Quarter". Given the lack of post game destinations adjacent to the stadium, this is kind of the thing to do here.
Fumble Next door is the Cap Center, now named US Airways Arena, which has been totally neglected and is one run down and shabby venue. Overgrown landscaping, dilapidated signage, broken windows. Yet they still USE this place. What a disgrace!!!
Extra Point Hail to the Redskins! Hail Victory! What do you get when you mix an NFL team off to a miserable 1-5 start and a home game attended by the roadtrippers??? Simple, a 2-5 club that is transformed in the presence of the mysterious USRT karma. Two in a row and 5 of the last 6 for the hometown club while in our presence!!!
Special Thanks!
To Mike Houck of Atlanta, Georgia, Redskins fan and season ticket holder who flies in for most of the games. Mike made his precious seats available to us, at face value, no less! Thanks Mike - great seats and you are enshrined in the Ultimate Sports Road Trip Hall of Fame!
Summary
When we visit new venues we are often greeted by fans who speak of great pride of their new digs... here it was just the opposite. Almost all the people we spoke to yearned for "the good old days" at RFK - small, cramped and intimate, yet apparently an intense and raucous atmosphere that has been difficult to duplicate here at FedEx. Granted the Redskins are in the midst of a pretty bad year when expectations were running high, but we were really appalled at the late arriving crowd, the lack of electricity in the building and the "tea and crumpets" fans sitting on their hands, politely applauding and generally keeping the decibel level low despite the presence of their hated rivals - the New York Giants. Add the fact that the home team thumped the favored Giants, and we were left wondering, "just what is going on here!?". To summarize - a so-so stadium built in an era when much glitzier and showier stadiums are opening elsewhere, a hometown crowd which is too corporate, too club seat, too wine and cheese, and those God-awful FedEx colors! Hey Washington --- paint your faces red and yellow, chug a few beers, grill some jumbo burgers at your tailgate and pile them high with condiments, and then walk into your stadium and scream your guts out for your beloved 'Skins, and you will earn our praise.
