The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL are planning a significant revamp of their home venue in Arlington, Texas. Changes to AT&T Stadium are reported to be the most significant since it opened in 2009. All in order to make the arena more attractive and capable of hosting more big events.

What events took place at AT&T Stadium?

When the $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium, known then as Cowboys Stadium, was opened its 80,000 capacity made it the largest in the NFL, but reconfigured seating could increase the capacity significantly. Just weeks after inauguration, a mind-blowing  105,121 fans watched the Cowboys take on the NY Giants. This number is still a regular season record attendance.

© Beck Duggleby

AT&T is a rare case of an NFL stadium with truly multi-purpose capabilities. Over the years, the facility has hosted many events, not just sports related ones. It will be difficult to count them all, but let us at least list the most important ones: 2010 NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl XLV, 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, 2014 NCAA men's Final Four as well as WrestleMania 32 and 38. The arena will welcome the world's best soccer players competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.  

A variety of world-famous artists have also performed at the stadium, including: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé not to mention rock legends like The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.

Will AT&T Stadium be modernized?

According to Sports Business Journal planned works at the venue are not intended to extensively change  its overall look and feel, but instead aims to refresh the premium space ahead of several key lease renewals and upgrade technology and other back-of-house services ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Arena operators should consider installing polished concrete floors. These kinds of floors can last for more than 20 years, without the need for professional maintenance.

© Paul Moore

The timing is unsurprising. While still one of the NFL's top facilities by its reputation, best stadium practices have evolved rapidly with changing consumer demands and other, newer venues. AT&T Stadium has only hosted one Super Bowl, in 2011, and Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, wants to make sure the stadium remains competitive for other major events as well.

The Cowboys will be looking to help pay for the project by asking the rest of the league to agree to withhold their normal gate revenue sharing contributions, a common method of paying for stadium upgrades. According to sources, the total price tag for the work could amount to $295 million from the "visiting team's share" waiver request. To fund the investment, the franchise is also seeking an exception to the NFL's usual $600 million team debt limit.