RCA Dome
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| Former names | Hoosier Dome (1983–1994) |
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| Location | 100 South Capitol Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana 46225 |
| Coordinates | 39°45′49″N 86°9′48″W / 39.76361°N 86.16333°W |
| Owner | Capital Improvement Board |
| Operator | Capital Improvement Board |
| Executive suites | 104 |
| Capacity | 60,127 (1984–1991) 60,129 (1992–1995) 60,272 (1996–1999) 56,127 (2000–2002) 55,506 (2003–2005) 55,531 (2006–2007) |
| Surface |
AstroTurf (1984–2004) FieldTurf (2005–2008) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 27, 1982 |
| Opened | August 5, 1984 |
| Closed | February 26, 2008 |
| Demolished | December 20, 2008 by implosion |
| Construction cost | US$77.5 million |
| Architect | HNTB |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols |
| Tenants | |
| Indianapolis Colts (NFL) (1984–2007) | |
The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984–2007).
It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention Center, with the costs split between private and public money. The largest crowd to attend an event at the dome was 62,167 for WrestleMania VIII in 1992. It was demolished in December 2008, as part of a project to expand the attached convention center.
The dome itself was made up of teflon-coated fiberglass and weighed 257 short tons (229 long tons; 233 t), 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 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, BC Place, the Carrier Dome, and the Silverdome) there were warning signs posted cautioning patrons of the high winds at the doors when exiting.
The domed stadium was similar in design and appearance to the Metrodome and the previous BC Place roof, 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 5-year options to RCA at a cost of $3.5 million if invoked. The stadium seated 56,127 for football, the smallest in the NFL. Modifications were made to the stadium in 1999 to expand the suites and add club seating. Before that, the maximum seating for a football crowd was 60,272. The Dome was officially dedicated on August 11, 1984, as a sellout crowd watched the Indianapolis Colts defeat the NY Giants in an NFL preseason game. The Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears played a preseason game at the Hoosier Dome on August 26, 1984. The game had been scheduled prior to the Colts moving to Indianapolis. The stadium also hosted high-school football games.
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