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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

INVESCO Field

Empower Field at Mile High (previously known as Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Invesco Field at Mile High, and Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, New Mile High, or Mile High Stadium) is an American football stadium in Denver. Its primary tenant is the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). It opened in 2001 to replace the Broncos' original home, the old Mile High Stadium. The venue was previously home of the Denver Outlaws lacrosse team and the Colorado Rapids soccer team. It has also played host to countless concerts and served as the venue for Barack Obama's acceptance of the Democratic presidential nomination at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The stadium is nicknamed Mile High due to not only its predecessor, but due to the city's elevation of 1 mile or 5,280 feet (1,610 m) above sea level. Given the difficulty of competing at altitude, as well as the notoriously loud fans, the Broncos are known to have one of the best home field advantages in the NFL.

On March 24, 2022, a fire broke out that damaged some suites and many seats on the third level. The fire was caused by sparks from a welding torch.

Financing

Legislative effort

The Broncos' pursuit of the new stadium included a lobbying effort that included 13 lawyers and tens of thousands of dollars. This effort was directed at the passing of SB 171 which put Referendum 4A on the November 1998 ballot. SB 171 was sponsored by Representative Doug Dean (R) from Colorado Springs. Members of the state legislature claimed that this was one of the largest lobbying efforts they had seen.

In November 1998, Denver voters passed referendum 4A which was in favor of the construction of a new football stadium to replace the existing Mile High Stadium. The referendum was included on the ballots of six Colorado counties that comprise the Denver Metropolitan area. The referendum called for the extension of a tenth of a percent sales tax on transactions within the Metro area to go towards the cost of issuing a $224.9 million bond. This tax was originally established in 1990 when the Colorado Rockies sought public financing for Coors Field. Financing and construction for the stadium was monitored by the Metropolitan Football Stadium District (MFSD). The MFSD is a subdivision of the State of Colorado that, "was created for the purpose of planning, acquiring land and constructing a professional football stadium". The MFSD is also responsible for implementing the MFSD tax. The extension of the original stadium tax came into effect on January 1, 2001.

The funding deal between the Broncos and the State of Colorado called for the team to pay 25% of the estimated cost of $400 million while the state would pay the other 75% of the cost. Part of the agreement stipulated that the MFSD would collect half of the 10 year, $120 million naming rights deal with Invesco Funds Group. Upon Sports Authority’s bankruptcy, the Broncos agreed to pay the MFSD $3.6 million to assume ownership of the naming rights of the stadium.

Corporate partners

Naming rights

Invesco paid $120 million for the original naming rights in 2001, before Sports Authority secured them in August 2011.

Despite its sponsor's liquidation and closure in 2016, the Sports Authority name remained on the stadium for two years afterwards because of regulatory hurdles. The Broncos announced on January 2, 2018 that the stadium's exterior signage would be removed. The stadium took on a temporary name, Broncos Stadium at Mile High, for the remainder of 2018 - including the 2018 NFL season - and part of 2019 before a new corporate naming rights agreement with Colorado-based Empower was announced on September 4, 2019.

Concessions

Concessions are currently run by Aramark Corporation. Aramark took over concession at the beginning of the 2019 season as Empower Retirement assumed the naming rights. As part of their offerings, Aramark has partnered with several Denver restaurants to provide a more robust selection of food options. The new partners include Frank Bonanno, a Denver restaurateur known for his many popular restaurants around downtown Denver.

Improvements

On December 21, 2012, the Broncos announced a $30 million renovation project prior to the start of the 2013 season, including a new HD LED video board on the stadium's south end zone that tripled the size of the video board used in the early 2000s.

In 2013, it was revealed that a Neil Smith Kansas City Chiefs jersey was buried somewhere near the 50-yard line by a couple of out-of-state contractors during renovations, despite Smith's play on the Broncos' Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII-winning teams. The curse the contractors hoped to create did not occur as the Broncos won another Super Bowl two years later, Super Bowl 50.

In an effort to be selected as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the MFSD invested $8.3 million on stadium improvements to satisfy FIFA's requirements. Included in the improvements are the addition of LED lights as well as locker room and seating upgrades.

On December 14, 2022 the Broncos announced more than $100 million in upgrades to the stadium that would be completed during the off season and in time for the 2023 season. Upgrades include expanding the video board and an all-inclusive hospitality club on field level. In August 2023, the Broncos debuted the improvements, including the new scoreboard, measuring 225 feet (69 m) wide by 72 feet (22 m) tall, making it the fifth largest screen in any NFL stadium.

Controversies

Naming rights

During construction of the new stadium, Denver mayor, Wellington Webb opposed the sale of the stadium's naming rights. At this time, the potential partners were AT&T, Janus Capital, and Invesco Funds Group. A group called Friends of Mile High created a poll asking whether fans preferred the old name or would be fine with a corporate sponsor. The poll found that 70% of respondents preferred to keep the name as Mile High despite a potential loss of $89 million in revenue for the state.

Many fans opposed a corporate name and wished to retain the previous venue's name, "Mile High Stadium." The Denver Post initially refused to use the Invesco label and referred to it as Mile High Stadium for several years before changing its policy and adding Invesco to articles.

On August 16, 2011, the Metropolitan Stadium District announced Invesco would immediately transfer the naming rights to Englewood-based Sports Authority in a 25-year agreement worth $6 million per year. In August 2016, the Denver Broncos paid $3,601,890 to the Metropolitan Football Stadium District to purchase the naming rights to the stadium. As the naming rights change began to occur, the MFSD sought permission to install larger signs on the newly named stadium. Residents of the neighborhood sought to block the installation of new signs in an effort to keep light pollution down. Neighborhood complaints included concerns about light pollution as well as the aesthetic value of the Sports Authority sign that the MFSD hoped to install on the stadium.

In 2016, several Colorado legislators attempted to pass a bill in the Colorado State Legislature that would require the "Mile High" moniker regardless of any naming rights deal, citing the large public contribution to the stadium's construction; the bill failed to pass out of a Senate Committee in May 2016.

A comparison of the actual loss and the budgeted loss for the Metropolitan Football Stadium District for the years 2014 to 2018.

Many citizens of the surrounding neighborhoods have expressed discontent with the impact of the stadium on their environment. Residents have complained about the increased traffic and frequent public urination by intoxicated fans on game days.

Financing

A 2016 study by the Brookings Institution has found that the federal government lost out on significant tax revenue in their deal with the Broncos to pay for the stadium. The study of 36 professional football stadiums found that the tax-exempt municipal bonds caused $49 million in lost tax revenue for the federal government. Additionally, the income tax break that bond holders could claim cost the government an additional $5 million.

Usage

Playing surface for a Denver Broncos game

The stadium is used primarily for American football games. It is the home field for Denver's National Football League team, the Denver Broncos. The stadium previously hosted one of the city's Major League Lacrosse teams, the Denver Outlaws. In college football, it has hosted the rivalry game between the Colorado State University Rams and the University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes. It is also used for the CHSAA class 4A and 5A Colorado high school football state championship games, and has been used for the CBA Marching Band Finals.

In addition, it has been used for a Drum Corps International (DCI) Championship in 2004 and the annual Drums Along the Rockies competition. It is also used for concerts, music festivals and other events, and was home to the city's Major League Soccer franchise, the Colorado Rapids, before that team built and moved into Dick's Sporting Goods Park in suburban Commerce City.

On June 23, 2018, England played New Zealand in a rugby league match at the stadium. England won the match 36-18.

Location

The construction of the stadium marked the completion of a six-year sporting venue upgrade program in Denver, including the construction of Coors Field and of Pepsi Center. As with the other venues, the stadium was constructed to be easily accessible. It sits along Interstate 25 near the Colfax Avenue and 17th Avenue exits. It is also bordered by Federal Boulevard, a major Denver thoroughfare, on the west side. A dedicated light rail station also serves the stadium. The stadium is located in the Sun Valley neighborhood.

Stadium culture and traditions

A home game tradition (carried over from the original Mile High Stadium) is the "Incomplete Chant." At Broncos home games, when the opposing team throws an incomplete pass, the stadium announcer will state "Pass thrown by [the opposing quarterback] intended for [the opposing intended receiver] is..." at which time the fans complete the sentence by shouting "IN-COM-PLETE!!". The Broncos filed to register a trademark for the chant in 2020. In a tradition carried over from Mile High Stadium, the stadium's public-address announcer will give the final official attendance for the game, including the number of unused tickets; in response, Broncos fans "boo" the no-shows. During the stadium's first years, in another tradition that was carried over from Mile High, Broncos fans on one side of the stadium would chant "Go" and fans on the other side would respond "Broncos," back and forth chanting for several minutes. That tradition has since died out. Another long-term tradition is famed rowdiness of fans seated in the "South Stands," although this tradition has diminished significantly as well. Finally, especially in the upper two decks, the fans create their own 'Mile High Thunder' (and warm themselves) by stamping their feet on the stadium's floors. The old Mile High Stadium was built with bare metal, and the 'Thunder' reverberated readily. The new stadium was built with steel floors to preserve this unique acoustic feature.

The stadium also continued the tradition of displaying Bucky the Bronco, a 30-foot (9.1 m) high replica of Roy Rogers horse, Trigger, on top of the main scoreboard.

The stadium has sold out every Denver Broncos' home game since its inception in 2001, extending the "sold-out" streak that began during the team's tenure at Mile High Stadium, where every home game had been sold out since 1970 (though due to NFL policy, local TV broadcasts of sold-out games did not start until 1973).

Notable events

NFL events

Interior view during the 2013 AFC Championship game

On September 10, 2001, the stadium hosted its first regular season NFL game, in which the Broncos defeated the New York Giants 31–20. In a pre-game ceremony, Broncos legends John Elway, Steve Atwater, Randy Gradishar, Haven Moses, Billy Thompson, Floyd Little, Dennis Smith, and Karl Mecklenburg helped to "Move the Thunder" from the old Mile High Stadium to the new home of the Broncos. As this inaugural game happened to fall on the day before 9/11, it has been referenced by survivor Pasquale Buzzelli in an interview with Joe Budden.

The stadium has hosted several NFL playoff games. It hosted the 2005 AFC Divisional playoff game, in which Denver defeated the New England Patriots 27–13. The following week, it hosted the AFC Championship Game, which the Broncos lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34–17. On January 8, 2012, the stadium hosted its third NFL playoff game, an AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Steelers. The Broncos won in overtime, 29–23. On January 12, 2013, the stadium hosted its fourth NFL playoff game, an AFC Divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos lost to the Ravens 38–35 in double overtime.

On October 29, 2007, a record crowd of 77,160 watched the Broncos lose to the Green Bay Packers 19–13 on Monday Night Football on the first play from scrimmage in overtime.

On November 26, 2009, it hosted its first Thanksgiving game, when the Broncos took on the Giants. The game was televised on NFL Network, which the Broncos won by a final score of 26–6.

On January 19, 2014, the Broncos defeated the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, 26–16 in front of 77,110 fans in attendance, advancing to their first Super Bowl since they began play in the new stadium.

On January 17, 2016, the Broncos defeated the Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoffs, 23–16 in front of 77,100, advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the 10th time in franchise history.

On January 24, 2016, the Broncos defeated the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, 20–18 in front of 77,100, advancing to Super Bowl 50, which they won two weeks later.

Soccer

On July 26, 2014, Sports Authority Field at Mile High hosted a soccer match between Manchester United and A.S. Roma which was part of the 2014 International Champions Cup and Manchester United won the match 3-2.

Date Winning Team Result Losing Team Tournament Spectators
April 3, 2002  United States 1–0  Mexico International Friendly 48,476
June 1, 2011  Mexico 3–0  New Zealand 45,401
July 14, 2013  Panama 0–0  Canada 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup 30,000
 Mexico 3–1  Martinique
July 26, 2014 England Manchester United 3–2 Italy A.S. Roma 2014 International Champions Cup 54,116
July 13, 2017  El Salvador 2–0  Curaçao 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup 49,121
 Mexico 0–0  Jamaica
June 19, 2019  Martinique 3–0  Cuba 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup 52,874
 Mexico 3–1  Canada
June 3, 2021  United States 1–0  Honduras 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals 34,451
 Mexico 0–0
(5–4) pen.)
 Costa Rica
June 6, 2021  Honduras 2–2
(5–4) pen.)
 Costa Rica 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals 37,648
 United States 3–2
(a.e.t.)
 Mexico 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final
June 5, 2024  Uruguay 4–0  Mexico International Friendly 57,852

Rugby league

The stadium hosted an international rugby league match between New Zealand and England on June 23, 2018.

Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Competition Attendance
June 23, 2018  England 36–18  New Zealand International Friendly 19,320

Concerts

The stadium has held several notable concerts.

Date Artist Opening act(s) Tour / Concert name Attendance Revenue Notes
August 11, 2001 Eagles An Evening With the Eagles 54,217 / 54,217 $4,837,465 The first concert at the stadium.
August 1, 2003 Metallica Limp Bizkit
Linkin Park
Deftones
Mudvayne
Summer Sanitarium Tour
September 25, 2003 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band The Rising Tour 35,679 / 37,500 $2,442,072
May 21, 2011 U2 The Fray U2 360° Tour 77,918 / 77,918 $6,663,410 The show was originally to be held on June 12, 2010, but was postponed due to Bono's emergency back surgery.
July 21, 2012 Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Jake Owen
Brothers of the Sun Tour 50,020 / 50,020 $4,401,805
July 20, 2013 Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Eli Young Band
Kacey Musgraves
No Shoes Nation Tour 47,895 / 49,103 $3,349,330
June 6, 2015 Luke Bryan Florida Georgia Line
Randy Houser
Thomas Rhett
Dustin Lynch
DJ Rock
Kick the Dust Up Tour 50,539 / 50,539 $3,642,005
August 8, 2015 Kenny Chesney
Jason Aldean
Brantley Gilbert
Cole Swindell
Old Dominion
The Big Revival Tour
Burn It Down Tour
54,674 / 54,674 $5,279,591
June 7, 2017 Metallica Avenged Sevenfold
Volbeat
WorldWired Tour 51,955 / 57,027 $6,299,803
August 2, 2017 Guns N' Roses Sturgill Simpson Not in This Lifetime... Tour 41,445 / 44,806 $3,846,068
May 25, 2018 Taylor Swift Camila Cabello
Charli XCX
Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour 57,140 / 57,140 $7,926,366 Swift became the first ever female artist to have a concert at the stadium.
June 30, 2018 Kenny Chesney Thomas Rhett
Old Dominion
Brandon Lay
Trip Around The Sun Tour 51,553 / 53,983 $4,442,006
August 4, 2018 Luke Bryan Sam Hunt
Jon Pardi
Morgan Wallen
What Makes You Country Tour 51,756 / 60,328 $3,759,849
June 8, 2019 Garth Brooks Joe Nichols The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour 84,000 / 84,000 $6,774,510
August 10, 2019 The Rolling Stones Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats No Filter Tour 58,846 / 58,846 $13,494,183 This concert was originally scheduled to take place on May 26, 2019, but was postponed due to Mick Jagger recovering from a heart procedure.
July 23, 2022 Red Hot Chili Peppers Haim
Thundercat
2022 Global Stadium Tour 49,617 / 49,617 $6,748,875
July 30, 2022 Kenny Chesney Dan + Shay Old Dominion Carly Pearce Here and Now Tour
August 18, 2022 The Weeknd Kaytranada
Mike Dean
After Hours til Dawn Stadium Tour TBA TBA
June 17, 2023 Illenium Blanke
William Black
Trilogy: Colorado 47,000 $3,900,000 Largest EDM headliner event in US history.
June 24, 2023 George Strait Chris Stapleton
Little Big Town
59,663 / 59,663 $16,652,960 2nd highest grossing concert in history as of August 2023.
July 14, 2023 Taylor Swift MUNA
Gracie Abrams
The Eras Tour First act in history to sell out two shows on a single tour.
July 15, 2023
August 19, 2023 Ed Sheeran Khalid
Cat Burns
+–=÷× Tour 85,233 / 85,233 $8,560,475 Holds record for largest crowd. Also, the show ended just after midnight the next day because of a weather delay.
June 14, 2024 Zach Bryan
June 15, 2024
June 20, 2024 The Rolling Stones Widespread Panic Hackney Diamonds Tour
June 27, 2024 Morgan Wallen Jon Pardi
Nate Smith
Bryan Martin
One Night At A Time World Tour
June 28, 2024
July 27, 2024 Kenny Chesney
Zac Brown Band
Megan Moroney
Uncle Kracker
Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour
August 3, 2024 Foo Fighters Pretenders
Mammoth WVH
Everything or Nothing at All Tour
June 10, 2025 Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour
June 27, 2025 Metallica Limp Bizkit
Ice Nine Kills
M72 World Tour
June 29, 2025 Pantera
Suicidal Tendencies

Other notable events

The main entrance of the stadium, when it was known as Invesco Field at Mile High
The south end zone as it looked during the final day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention
Satellite view of stadium
Detailed view of seats colored to form the Denver Broncos logo.

The stadium has hosted other sports events. The first football game held (college, on September 1, 2001; attendance 75,022) was the Rocky Mountain Showdown, when the University of Colorado Buffaloes defeated the Colorado State University Rams 41–14. On July 2, 2005, it hosted the 2005 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game. In 2006, Major League Lacrosse placed the expansion Outlaws in Denver.

In August 1977, 1978 and 2004, it hosted the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships, and every July hosts Drums Along the Rockies, which is a major competition in the annual DCI summer tour. Drums Along the Rockies is the longest-running event held at any Mile High named stadium, from 1963 through 2019. Although canceled in 2020 due to the COVID Pandemic, the event returned in 2021.

On August 28, 2008, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States here, moving the 2008 Democratic National Convention from Ball Arena. Approximately 84,000 people attended Obama's speech, exceeding the normal capacity of the stadium due to the placement of audience on the field.

On April 13, 2019, the stadium hosted its first AMA Supercross Championship event.

On April 27, 2019, the stadium hosted its first Monster Jam show. On April 23, 2022, it hosted another.

The stadium was a candidate venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, however it was not chosen by FIFA as one of the 16 venues to host to the tournament.

Denver Broncos Ring of Fame

The Denver Broncos Ring of Fame was created in 1984 by team owner Pat Bowlen to honor former players and administrators who played significant roles in the franchise's history. The names and years of service (and in most cases, jersey numbers) of the men inducted into the ring are displayed on the Level 5 facade of the stadium. There is no specific number of new members that may be chosen for induction in any given year; in many years, no new members were inducted.

Inducted or Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Denver Broncos Ring of Fame
No. Name Position(s) Seasons Inducted
23 Goose Gonsoulin S 1960–66 1984
87 Rich Jackson DE 1967–72 1984
44 Floyd Little RB 1967–75 1984
87 Lionel Taylor WR 1960–66 1984
Gerald Phipps Owner 1961–81 1985
12 Charley Johnson QB 1972–75 1986
70 Paul Smith DE 1968–78 1986
18 Frank Tripucka QB 1960–63 1986
36 Billy Thompson S 1969–81 1987
7 Craig Morton QB 1977–82 1988
25 Haven Moses WR 1972–81 1988
15 Jim Turner PK 1971–79 1988
53 Randy Gradishar LB 1974–83 1989
57 Tom Jackson LB 1973–86 1992
20 Louis Wright CB 1975–86 1993
7 John Elway QB
General manager
1983–98
2011–2020
1999
77 Karl Mecklenburg LB 1983–95 2001
49 Dennis Smith S 1981–94 2001
65 Gary Zimmerman OT 1993–97 2003
27 Steve Atwater S 1989–98 2005
30 Terrell Davis RB 1995–2001 2007
84 Shannon Sharpe TE 1990–99, 2002–03 2009
80 Rod Smith WR 1994–2006 2012
66 Tom Nalen C 1994–2007 2013
21 Gene Mingo RB, K, RS 1960–64 2014
Dan Reeves Head coach 1981–92 2014
80 Rick Upchurch WR, RS 1975–83 2014
Pat Bowlen Owner 1984–2019 2015
1 Jason Elam PK 1993–2007 2016
73 Simon Fletcher LB/DE 1985–95 2016
47 John Lynch S 2004–07 2016
Red Miller Head coach 1977–80 2017
24 Champ Bailey CB 2004–2013 2019
18 Peyton Manning QB 2012–15 2021

While the Ring of Fame was carried over from the old stadium to the new, the names were re-ordered to separate the inductees who served the team during the pre-Pat Bowlen (the team's owner until 2019 and founder of the Ring) era from those who served during Bowlen's ownership. One of the most noticeable changes was the move of John Elway's name to the center of the ring, located directly between the goalposts of the north end zone.

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum

The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum opened in August 2001. It is located at Gate #1 on the west side of the stadium.

2022 fire

A fire broke out on March 24, 2022, destroying several sections of third row seats and fourth-level suites, though no injuries were reported. The fire caused damage to approximately "1000 feet of seating." The cause of the fire was determined to be from a welding torch being used on an expansion joint. The fire also forced Empower Field at Mile High staff to reorganize events scheduled to take place at the stadium. The damage was said to be a "real challenge" to repair in time for the next Denver Broncos regular season, due to damage to steel risers and difficulties in procuring replacement materials.

See also

References

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  54. ^ "Drum Corps International Past Champions and Locations".
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  56. ^ "Obama Accepts Democrat Nomination". BBC News. BBC. August 29, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
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  62. ^ Powell, Erin (March 29, 2022). "Staff scramble to accommodate stadium events after Mile High fire". 9 News. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
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Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the
Denver Broncos

2001–present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the
Denver Outlaws

2006–2019
Succeeded by
Last Venue
Preceded by Home of the
Colorado Rapids

2002–2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
Drum Corps International
World Championship

2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of AFC Championship Game
2006
2014
2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by
None

CONCACAF Nations League Finals Venue

2021

Empower Field at Mile High

Succeeded by
TBD