Last updated on October 30th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
MetLife Stadium, out in the Meadowlands Sports Complex, is the NFL home to the New York Jets and New York Giants. Both teams play their NFL home games at the venue, so the stadium has to update the end zone and logo to accommodate both teams on game days. The NFL stadium opened up on April 10, 2010, and replaced Giants Stadium for both teams.
When both teams play against each other during the regular season, one team is the home team, while the other is the away. That means that the away team has to use the visiting locker, which is always interesting. The first time this matchup took place was in 1970, and there have been a total of 14 meetings as of 2020. As of 2020, the Giants hold an 8-6 advantage in wins over the Jets when they play each other. When both teams don’t play each other, the grounds crew makes sure that a Giants Game or Jets Game feels properly decorated for their fanbase. The changes to the stadium take about 12 hours to change from one team to another.
Where is Rutherford, New Jersey?
MetLife Stadium sits out in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is eleven miles from NYC. Before MetLife Stadium, the Jets and Giants played at their old venue, Giants Stadium. Giants Stadium sat in the same parking lot like the new football venue. The exact address of the new NFL Stadium is 1 Metlife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford, NJ 07073.
Did the Teams Always Play in New Jersey?
The NFL teams played games in New York City before moving to New Jersey. The New York Giants had home games at the Polo Grounds, Old Yankee Stadium, and Shea Stadium. Those three venues were all in different parts of NYC, but they were all made for baseball. For a brief time, they had football games at Yale Bowl, which is out in Connecticut.
For the New York Jets, they had football games at the Polo Grounds and Shea Stadium before moving to New Jersey.
Why Do the Jets and Giants Share a Stadium in New Jersey?
The New York Giants left NYC for New Jersey in 1976. Their new stadium at the time, Giants Stadium, was owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. The very first NFL game at Giants Stadium was against the Dallas Cowboys, which the Giants lost 24-14.
Eight years after the New York Giants left NYC for New Jersey, the Jets moved into Giants Stadium as well. Their lease at Shea Stadium was coming to an end, so the owner was looking to have an authentic football venue for the Jets team to use. After contract negotiations fell apart in New York City for a football stadium, the Jets went over to New Jersey and used Giants Stadium.
Do the Jets or Giants Plan to Go Back to New York?
Before the opening of Giants Stadium in 2010, the New York Jets were trying to move to the West Side of Manhattan and build their own venue. The deal fell through when NYC lost the Olympic bid, so the Jets went to MetLife Stadium with the Giants.
However, with NYCFC (an MLS team) building their soccer stadium next to Citi Field in Queens, there have been rumors that the Jets may move back to New York City one day. You can read a bit about these rumors with this link.
Is there Any Football Team that Plays in New York Today?
The Buffalo Bills are the only National Football League team that plays in New York. The Bills play their home games in Buffalo, New York, which is in the north western part of New York. The distance from Buffalo to NYC is over 373 miles, so fanbases are separated by actual distance. Bills fans live closer to Buffalo and upstate New York, unlike the Jets and Giants fans living closer to NYC. The above picture is from a fan illustrating how the Jets play in New Jersey, so it is a fun rivalry.
How Do New Yorkers Decide Between the Jets and Giants?
With both NFL teams sharing the same stadium, many wonder how New Yorkers decide between the two football groups. The general rule is that Jets fans live out in Long Island while elsewhere roots for the Giants. New York Yankee fans typically root for the Giants while Mets fans root for the Jets. Since the Giants had games at the Old Yankee Stadium and Jets had games at Shea Stadium, their baseball fans root for the previous tenant.
Greg Kristan, owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC and TM Blast, LLC, brings his extensive experience visiting over half of the MLB ballparks, along with numerous MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL venues, to provide in-depth coverage on the bag policy, food options, and parking. He has also been interviewed about his experiences on several sports podcasts.