The name of the Denver Broncos stadium is Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Up until the fall of 2011, it was called Invesco Field at Mile High. But those of us who are long time Bronco fans will always simply call it, Mile High.
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The stadium opened with a concert by the Eagles in the summer of 2001. While some claim that the first football game played there was the Rocky Mountain Showdown, (the annual University of Colorado/Colorado State intrastate rivalry game), the first football game was actually a preseason game between the Broncos and New Orleans Saints on August 25th, 2011. I know because I was there. Who won you ask? I don't remember that because it was a preseason, and because I had six beers.
The first college football game played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High took place on September 1, 2001, when the aforementioned C.U. Buffs put a beat-down on the CSU Rams. The first regular season football game played at the Denver Broncos Stadium was a Monday Night matchup between the Broncos and New York Giants, in which the Denver beat New York 31 to 20. The game was the night of September 10, 2011, just hours before the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
(Here's video played before Bronco home games).
The Denver Broncos stadium has a seating capacity of 76,125, although that number has been exceeded a number of times during concerts in which the capacity is expanded due to concert goers being allowed on the field. The Broncos have sold out every home game since joining the NFL in 1970, a streak that will reach 43 years straight with the 2012 season.
Some of the stadium's unique features include the famous “Bucky,” the oft-photographed white horse atop the stadium. Bucky is the same white horse that stood atop the old Mile High Stadium, and is actually a model of Roy Rodgers’ famous horse, Trigger. He is 1,600 pounds and 27 feet tall. Meanwhile, beneath Bucky, there is a gorgeous, Italian-made statue of five large horses (in stride) running along a riverside. This beautiful sculpture greets fans as they enter the gates along the south side of the stadium.
Sports Authority Field has natural grass - Kentucky bluegrass in fact, and boasts three large tv screens. They may not be the monster-sized video screens at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, but there are two large screens on the north end of the stadium, and an impressive 96 foot by 27 foot television screen above the south stands.
The biggest, and most prominent tenant of the Denver Broncos stadium is, of course, the Denver Broncos. However, the stadium plays hosts to a variety of other teams and entertainers.
In addition to the Univeristy of Colorado Buffaloes and CSU Rams game each fall, Sports Authority Field at Mile High is the home of the Colorado Outlaws professional lacrosse team. The Colorado Rapids mens professional soccer team used to play at the then-named Invesco Field at Mile High, but they have since moved their home games to the more intimate Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (yes, that's its real name), in Commerce City, just north of Denver. Some of the Colorado state high school football championships are held at Sports Authority Field also.
Besides sports, the Denver Broncos stadium has hosted the "Drums Along the Rockies," performances, a Warped tour, and most recently, the Brothers in the Sun tour featuring Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw.
The stadium also hosts conferences, meetings, and other special events, including weddings (why didn't I think of that for my wedding. Sigh.) You can even rent a portion of the stadium yourself, from the conference rooms, to the club level, to the entire stadium, but it’s a little more expensive than the shelter at your local park. Still it’s a wonderful setting and environment, as was once voted the best meeting space in Denver by the Colorado Meetings and Events magazine.
Another highly visible feature of the stadium is the blue Broncos Ring of Fame that circles an upper deck. It's a list of distinguished former Denver Bronco players. Their names are in bold print, along with their jersey number and years in uniform. Denver Broncos ring of fame inductees include such former standouts as Tom Jackson, Billy Thompson, Randy Gradishar, Terrell Davis, and Shannon Sharpe. Depending on the number of votes he receives, it is expected that former quarterback John Elway may one day have a shot at making the ring of fame. Just kidding, he made it the year he retired, 1999.
(Shannon Sharpe quietly arrives for his Ring of Fame induction ceremony.)
In its short history, the Denver Broncos stadium has hosted a variety of famous acts and entertainers, including Metallica, the Eagles, Kenny Chesney, U2. It also was home of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, in which an inexperienced four year junior senator with no real world experience made numerous promises which he failed to keep. 84,000 idiots attended the nominating speech, (85,000 including the press), moronically shouting “Yes We Can!” the entire time – just like sheep, only less intelligent. The nation’s unemployment rate, however, failed to listen to the junior senator or the sheep, as it has remained over 8% for over 40 straight months – the longest period of economic stagnation since the Great Depression.
So where were we? Oh that’s right, the Denver Broncos stadium. More famously, and more importantly, Invesco Field at Mile High was the scene of the thrilling Broncos’ victory over the Pittsburg Steelers in the 2011 playoffs, in which Tim Tebow threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to advance Denver in the playoffs. It was the very first NFL playoff game played under the league's new stupid and complicated overtime rules.
Now here are some general Question and Answers about Sports Authority Field at Mile High:
What is the Denver Broncos stadium address?
1701 Bryant Street
Denver, CO. 80204
Phone: (720) 258-3000
Are there tours of the Denver Broncos Stadium?
Absolutely. You can tour the Denver Broncos stadium Tuesdays through Saturdays, unless there is a special event occurring on one of those days. Tours are organized through the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame at the entrance to the stadium, and take place at the top of the hour, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m.
The cost to tour the Denver Broncos stadium is nine dollars for adults, and seven bucks for kids. To make sure the tours are operating on the day you plan to visit, you may want to call Hall of Fame Museum ahead of time at (720) 258-3888.
When is the Denver Broncos Stadium Ticket Office Open?
The Denver Broncos ticket office is open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. They are also open on game day for will call pick-up tickets and such.
