The Clink | |
View across CenturyLink Field in April 2005.
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Former names | Seahawks Stadium (2002–2004) Qwest Field (2004–2011) |
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Address | 800 Occidental Ave S |
Location | Seattle, Washington |
Coordinates | 47°35′43″N 122°19′54″W / 47.5952°N 122.3316°WCoordinates: 47°35′43″N 122°19′54″W / 47.5952°N 122.3316°W |
Public transit | Stadium station |
Parking |
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Operator | First & Goal Inc. |
Executive suites | 111 |
Capacity | 69,000 (NFL) Expandable to 72,000 (for special events) 39,419 (MLS) Expandable to 69,000 (for special events) |
Record attendance | Football: 69,055 (November 29, 2015 vs Pittsburgh Steelers) Soccer: 67,385 (August 25, 2013 vs Portland Timbers) |
Field size |
American football: 120 yd × 53.3 yd (109.7 m × 48.8 m) Soccer: 116 yd × 75 yd (106.07 m × 68.58 m) |
Surface | FieldTurf Revolution 360 |
Scoreboard | 84 ft × 24 ft (26 m × 7.3 m) 44 ft × 50 ft (13 m × 15 m) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | September 1998 (complex) |
Opened | July 28, 2002 |
Construction cost | US$ 430 million (entire complex) ($573 million in 2017 dollars) |
Architect |
Ellerbe Becket LMN Architects Streeter & Associates |
Structural engineer | Magnusson Klemencic Associates |
Services engineer | McKinstry/Cochran |
General contractor | Turner Construction Company |
Tenants | |
Seattle Seahawks (NFL) (2002–present) Seattle Sounders (USL 1) (2003–2007) Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) (2009–present) Washington Huskies (NCAA) (2011–2012) |
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally called Seahawks Stadium, it became Qwest Field on June 23, 2004, when telecommunications carrier Qwest acquired the naming rights. It received its current name in June 2011 after Qwest's acquisition by CenturyLink. It is a modern facility with views of the Downtown Seattle skyline and can seat 69,000 people. The complex also includes the Event Center with the WaMu Theater, a parking garage, and a public plaza. The venue hosts concerts, trade shows, and consumer shows along with sporting events. Located within a mile (1.6 km) of Downtown Seattle, the stadium is accessible by multiple freeways and forms of mass transit.
The stadium was built between 2000 and 2002 on the site of the Kingdome after voters approved funding for the construction in a statewide election held on June 17, 1997. This vote created the Washington State Public Stadium Authority to oversee public ownership of the venue. The owner of the Seahawks, Paul Allen, formed First & Goal Inc. to develop and operate the new facilities. Allen was closely involved in the design process and emphasized the importance of an open-air venue with an intimate atmosphere.
The crowd at CenturyLink Field is notoriously loud during Seahawks games. It has twice held the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium, first at 136.6 decibels in 2013, followed by a measurement of 137.6 decibels in 2014. The noise has contributed to the team's home field advantage with an increase in false start (movement by an offensive player prior to the play) and delay of game (failure of the offense to snap the ball prior to the play clock expiring) penalties against visiting teams. The stadium was the first in the NFL to implement a FieldTurf artificial field. Numerous college and high school American football games have also been played at the stadium.