At the NFL’s annual winter meeting held in December, NFL owners approved the Cowboys’ plan to make $295 million worth of improvements to AT&T Stadium over the coming years. Not many details have been disclosed related to the acquisition or allocation of the funds, but the official website of AT&T Stadium says that the project is being funded privately by the Jones Family.
It was previously reported that the organization might use a “visiting team share” waiver request and ask for a waiver to the NFL’s $600 million debt limit in order to cover the costs of renovating AT&T Stadium. It is unclear whether or not those specific requests were approved.
The publicly released AT&T Stadium Reinvestment Plan states, “The Jones family’s post-opening private reinvestments in AT&T Stadium will now approach $500 million over the next several years with a significant new program commencing in the spring of 2023 [and] continuing through fall of 2025.”
The projected completion date of Fall 2025 aligns with the ability to host the World Cup championship game in 2026. Although it was Dallas, not Arlington, listed as a host city, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has express interest in hosting the World Cup championship at AT&T Stadium. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to host 48 teams across three countries and at least 16 different cities with the possibility of adding up to six more. A detailed schedule has not yet been released, however, so each city may still have time to make a case for why they should host the most highly anticipated matches.
What to Expect
As for the changes to AT&T Stadium, the overall look and feel of the venue will not change, and there will be no major interruptions to planned events. It seems as though the most major visual changes will be made to suites and premium spaces.
The improvements to be made throughout the common areas of the stadium include:
- Upgrading the video board to 4K
- Refreshing all seven of the stadium’s pro shops
- Creating additional permanent concession stands and bars
- Updated finishes
- Enhanced technology displays
In the premium spaces, the key elements of this project will include:
- Additional wellness spaces within the main clubs and upper concourse
- Re-imagined suite designs including updated technology applications
- Creating an all-new look and feel of suite level corridors
So far, there is no specific mention of how tours of AT&T Stadium will be impacted although most tours already mention that tour stops and field access are based on availability. The AT&T Stadium website also says that suite and club seat holders will be contacted by their services coordinators to communicate how their experience may be impacted.