Lincoln Financial Field Timeline
Feb. 2, 1999 The state of Pennsylvania approves their portion of the stadium funding
Oct. 5, 2000 Eagles officially unveil plans to build a new football stadium in the city of Philadelphia. Presented a rendering of the new stadium to
the public
Dec. 9, 2000 The city of Philadelphia and the Eagles agree on a deal to construct a new stadium. The city’s portion of the funding is approved
April 3, 2001 Existing warehouse demolition at the site of the new stadium begins
May 7, 2001 Excavation begins for a new stadium
May 30, 2001 Pile driving begins
June 7, 2001 Official groundbreaking takes place
July 16, 2001 Pouring of concrete foundations begin
Oct. 15, 2001 Structural steel erection begins
March 21, 2002 The installation of precast concrete, the forms on which seats will eventually rest, begins
June 3, 2002 Eagles announce Lincoln Financial Group as stadium naming rights partner
June 30, 2002 Structural steel is completed
July 30, 2002 Pre-cast concrete seating is completed
Aug. 15, 2002 Seat installation begins
Nov. 26, 2002 Grass field is installed
Dec. 15, 2002 Roof completed and the building is enclosed
May 19-20, 2003 With the NFL owners' spring meetings held in Philadelphia, the Eagles host owners, head coaches, and executives at Lincoln
Financial Field
Aug. 3, 2003 Lincoln Financial Field hosts its first ticketed event, a soccer match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona
Aug. 22, 2003 The Eagles host the New England Patriots in the first football game at Lincoln Financial Field
Sept. 8, 2003 The Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off on Monday Night Football in the “Inaugural Game” at Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field, familiarly known as The Linc, is the home stadium of the National
Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 (69,032 with
Standing Room Only tickets). The stadium was named in June 2002 when Lincoln
Financial Group paid $139.6 million for naming rights over the next 21 years. The Eagles
sold Stadium Builder Licenses to their fans in order to finance some of the construction
cost of the stadium. It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th
and 10th Streets, closer to the area's stretch of Interstate 95 than to Pattison.
The stadium replaced the old Veterans Stadium after over two years of construction.
While its total capacity barely changed, the new stadium contained double the amount of
luxury and wheelchair-accessible seats, along with the newer, more modern services. Like
the Vet, Lincoln Financial Field had a jail inside the stadium, that contained four cells.
However, this jail was done away within two years as the level of unruly behavior had
dropped considerably from the worst days of the Vet. The Linc also plays hosts to several
soccer games each year, and in the past two years it has played host to the NCAA
lacrosse national championship.
The stadium opened on August 3, 2003 with a preseason friendly match between
European soccer giants Manchester United and FC Barcelona. Some matches in the FIFA
Women's World Cup for soccer were also played there in 2003. Bruce Springsteen
performed three sold-out concerts there in 2003. Also, the NCAA Men's Lacrosse
Championship in 2005 and 2006 were held there. The Army-Navy football game is also
played at the stadium, and the stadium is scheduled to host more in the future.
Temple University's Division I-A college football team also plays their home games at
Lincoln Financial Field, paying the Eagles $6 million a year to do so.
