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The RCA Dome, originally named the Hoosier Dome, was a domed stadium located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1983-2006). It was completed in 1983 at a cost of $28 million as part of the Indiana Convention Center, with the costs split evenly between private and public money. It was finished in 1984, nearly a year before the Colts relocated to Indianapolis from Baltimore, Maryland. It was similar in design and appearance to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis and BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, owing in great part to the involvement of engineers David Geiger and Walter Bird, pioneers in air-supported roofs. The stadium was originally named the Hoosier Dome until 1994 when RCA paid $10 million for the naming rights for 10 years, with two five-year options to RCA at a cost of $3.5 million if invoked. The stadium seated 57,900 for football. Modifications were made to the stadium in 2001 to expand the suites and add club seating. Before that, the maximum seating for a football crowd was 58,272. The dome was officially dedicated on September 8, 1984, as a sellout crowd watched the Purdue Boilermakers defeat the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Basketball was also played at the RCA Dome. The first game played there was an exhibition game in 1984 between an NBA All-Star team led by home-state hero Larry Bird and the United States Olympic Men's Basketball team, coached by Bob Knight, who was at the time the coach of Indiana University. The dome also served as the site of the NBA All-Star Game in February 1985, where a record NBA crowd of 43,146 saw the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 140–129. Since then it hosted many NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games, including four Final Fours (1991, 1997, 2000, 2006). The NCAA, whose headquarters are in Indianapolis, has committed to holding the Final Four in Indianapolis once every five years. The RCA Dome hosted its only Women's Final Four in 2005. The closing ceremony and the gymnastics and handball events of the 1987 Pan American Games were held in the Hoosier Dome. In addition, it hosted 1990 General Conference Sessions of Seventh-day Adventists, the World Gymnastics Championships in 1991, WrestleMania VIII in 1992, the Indiana High School Athletic Association's annual boys and girls championships, and served as one of two sites for the FIBA Men's World Basketball Championship Tournament in 2002, sharing the honors with Conseco Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers. Additionally, the RCA Dome served as the site of the Indiana State School Music Association State Marching Band Competition, the Bands of America Grand Nationals, and the Drum Corps International Midwestern Regional, along with the NFL Scouting Combine in February of each year. It also hosted a PBR Built Ford Tough Series bull riding event in 2004. The football playing surface was originally AstroTurf; it was replaced with FieldTurf in May 2002. The RCA Dome completed major renovations for the 1999 Indianapolis Colts' football season. Approximately $23.7 million was spent to update the luxury suites, add five super suites, construct two club lounges with exclusive club seating areas, and relocate the press box to the upper level. The super suites are now in the former location of the press box. The stadium also added an entrance from the south parking lots. This entrance features four high-speed large capacity elevators that increase the ease of accessibility into the stadium. The luxury suites took on a complete new look with expanded seating capacities, retractable glass opening to the field and a new interior décor. Improvements included maple veneer cabinetry with granite countertops, elegant furniture, and upgraded wall coverings. The expanded suites accommodate approximately 50% more guests per suite. A more exclusive atmosphere was established on suite level with a change in design separating suite seating from the lower level seating area. Upscale restrooms for the Suite Level are located at each quadrant. The Club Lounges built during these renovations were a new addition to the RCA Dome. The lounges are located on the north and south sides of the field under the 50-yard line seating area and service 4,228 club seat holders. Both lounges have a 60-foot bar, video walls, and numerous 27" television monitors. Dining options range from full service banquet to typical football fare. Upscale concession stands and themed action stations offer sixteen points of sale in each lounge. With over 14, 000 square feet, the South Club Lounge accommodates buffet seating for 180 and features a glass wall giving the opportunity to view NFL players coming to and from the locker rooms. At over 16,000 square feet, the North Club Lounge has a capacity for 230 in the buffet area. The North Club Lounge also has direct access into the convention center. Club seats and club lounges offer an upgraded and exclusive atmosphere.
The press box is now located at the top of the upper level and has a
seating capacity for 170 members of the writing press. The RCA Dome was demolished in December 2008 as part of a project to expand the attached convention center. The roof was made up of teflon-coated fiberglass and weighed 257 tons, which was held up by the air pressure inside the building. The ceiling was 193 feet (59 m) high, though the height varied up to five feet as the materials expanded and contracted with the weather. As was the case with other domes of this style (the Metrodome, BC Place, the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York and the Pontiac Silverdome in the Detroit, Michigan suburb of Pontiac) there were warning signs posted cautioning patrons of the high winds at the doors when exiting. On March 24, 2008, the roof of the Dome was deflated. [4] On December 30, 2008 at 9:36pm, after the removal of the roof, the RCA Dome was imploded[5] at a cost of $3,500,000. The stadium was replaced by a new retractable-roof stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, in time for the 2007 NFL season. The RCA Dome will be replaced by additional space for the adjacent Indiana Convention Center. The new convention space will eventually connect to Lucas Oil Stadium in much the same way that the existing Indiana Convention Center had been connected to the RCA Dome (although the new connecting walkway will pass under a railroad track).
2005 FULL SEASON TICKETS The Full Season Ticket package is your reserved seat to all 10 home games this season. As a season ticket holder you will automatically have the option to renew your same seats for all home playoff games. Prices for available full season tickets are $550, $490, and $390.
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