Lincoln Financial Field


Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. It is the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. The stadium is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and South Darien streets alongside I-95. It is part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and has a seating capacity of 67,594.
The stadium opened on August 3, 2003, after two years of construction that began on May 7, 2001, replacing Veterans Stadium, which opened in 1971 and served as the home field for both the Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies through 2002 and 2003, respectively. While total seating capacity is similar to that of Veterans Stadium, the new stadium includes double the number of luxury and wheelchair-accessible seats and more modern services. The field's construction included several LED video displays and more than of LED ribbon boards.
Naming rights were sold in June 2002 to the Lincoln Financial Group, for a sum of $139.6 million over 21 years. The City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cumulatively contributed approximately $188 million in public funding to the stadium construction. Additional construction funding was raised from the sale of stadium builder's licenses, which are necessary to purchase season tickets for some of the stadium's best seating levels. The City of Philadelphia owns the stadium due to the sizable public contribution, but the Eagles lease the stadium from the city as the sole operator of the stadium, giving them full control over the stadium's operations.
The Army–Navy football game is frequently played at the stadium due to Philadelphia being located halfway between both service academies, the stadium being able to house the large crowds in attendance, and the historic nature of the city. Temple University's Division I college football team also plays their home games at Lincoln Financial Field, paying the Eagles $3 million a year to do so as of February 2020. The Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer have played exhibition games here against high-profile international clubs when their stadium Subaru Park does not provide adequate seating. The stadium also plays host to several soccer games each year and will host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It has also played host to the NCAA lacrosse national championship five times: 2005, 2006, 2013, 2019, and 2023.

Features

The design of the stadium is meant to evoke the team's namesake eagle with wing like canopies above the east and west stands and the Eagle's Nest balcony beyond the north end-zone. The team's primary eagle logo is patterned in the dark green seats of the upper deck of the east and west stands. Three open corners of the stadium provide fans with views of the Philadelphia skyline and the field. The exterior of the stadium uses a brick façade to reference the historic brick architecture present throughout Philadelphia, while the exposed steel structure evokes the city's bridges and future.
In late spring 2013, the Eagles announced that there would be some major upgrades to Lincoln Financial Field over the next two years. The total project estimate was valued at over $125 million. The upgrades included seating expansion, two new HD video boards, upgraded amenities, WiFi, and two new connecting bridges for upper levels. These upgrades were decided upon after research from season ticket holders, advisory boards, and fan focus groups. The majority of these changes, including WiFi, were completed by the 2013 home opener. The upgraded sound systems and video boards were finished for the 2014 season.

Suites and lounges

There are 172 luxury suites at Lincoln Financial Field. They range in capacity from 12 to 40 people and cost $75,000 to $300,000 per year or $20,000 for a single game rental. The suites are located in six separate areas throughout the stadium. There are 3,040 luxury suite seats in total.
There are two exclusive club lounges in the stadium. The lounge on the west side is the "Hyundai Club" and the one on the east side is the "Tork Club". Suite holders and club seat holders have access to these 2 lounges. There are a total of 10,828 club seats in the stadium. These club seats feature some unique benefits above and beyond the lounges. One major benefit is the lounges open hours before the event, in most cases 2–4 hours. The lounges also have multiple full-service bars in them. The seats in the club level are padded, and there is also a wait staff present to serve food and drinks.

Parking

There are numerous parking lots surrounding Lincoln Financial Field. The parking assignments may change depending on other activities in the area on a particular day. According to the stadium's website, all lots cost visitors $45 and $90 for an oversized vehicle. Tailgating is allowed in all lots except for T-X lots. The majority of the lots are public cash lots.

Notable events

  • August 3, 2003: Lincoln Financial Field hosted its first ticketed event, a soccer match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona
  • August 22, 2003: The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the New England Patriots in the first pre-season football game at Lincoln Financial Field, with the Patriots defeating the Eagles 24–12.
  • September 6, 2003: Lincoln Financial Field hosted its first regular-season college football game, a college matchup of local Philadelphia rivals, Villanova and Temple. Villanova prevailed 23–20 in double overtime.
  • September 8, 2003: The Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers competed on Monday Night Football in the first regular-season NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field. The game was referenced as the "Inaugural Game" at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles were shut out by a score of 17–0 in their new home by the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay wide receiver Joe Jurevicius scored the stadium's first touchdown in the third quarter.
  • September 14, 2003: Duce Staley scored the first Eagles points at the new stadium, a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of a 31–10 loss to the New England Patriots.
  • January 11, 2004: NFL Divisional Playoff game. This game is also known as "The Miracle of 4th and 26". Donovan McNabb connected on a 28-yard pass to receiver Freddie Mitchell on 4th and 26 late in the 4th quarter with the Eagles out of timeouts. This led to the game-tying field goal that sent the game into overtime. In the overtime period, Brett Favre tossed an interception to Brian Dawkins, which set up David Akers' game-deciding 37-yard field goal that sent the Eagles to their third straight NFC Championship Game.
  • May 2004: Minor modifications were made to the stadium to change capacity slightly. Some seats were removed from the club box level to increase handicap access. The temporary seats were removed in the north east end zone and a permanent structure was erected and formally named The Pepsi Zone. It is designed as a family-friendly section.
  • January 23, 2005: NFC Championship Game. Eagles advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1980.
  • April 10, 2010: The Philadelphia Union win their inaugural home opener, a 3–2 victory over D.C. United. A second match was played against FC Dallas on May 15, ending in a 1–1 tie; those games served as home games before the opening of Subaru Park June 27 against Seattle Sounders FC.
  • July 21, 2010: Philadelphia Union hosted Manchester United on their North America tour. Manchester United won, 1–0.
  • July 26, 2015: In the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, Mexico defeated Jamaica 3–1 in a nearly sold-out game with 68,930 in attendance.
  • October 31, 2015: Temple hosts Notre Dame on ESPN Saturday Night Football on ABC in primetime in front of a sold-out record crowd of 69,280. Notre Dame defeated Temple 24–20.
  • January 21, 2018: NFC Championship Game. Eagles advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in thirteen years.
  • September 6, 2018: NFL Kickoff Game. The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Atlanta Falcons in a rematch of their 2017 NFC Divisional Playoff matchup.
  • February 23, 2019: In the 2019 NHL Stadium Series, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4–3 in overtime, in front of a crowd of 69,620, the largest recorded attendance for a hockey game in Pennsylvania.
  • November 20, 2019: The Linc hosted a high school football game between the Pleasantville Greyhounds and Camden Panthers in a resumption of a game that was interrupted on November 15 due to a shooting that left one dead.
  • January 29, 2023: NFC Championship Game. The Eagles won in dominant fashion against the 49ers to advance to Super Bowl LVII.
  • April 6–7, 2024: WWE held their 40th annual WrestleMania, the largest annual pro-wrestling event, at this venue. The event was held across 2 nights. WrestleMania XL holds significance as the first pro-wrestling event taking place in the stadium.
  • January 26, 2025: NFC Championship Game. The Eagles dominated the Commanders to win their 5th NFC title and 6th overall conference title in franchise history to advance to Super Bowl LIX.
  • September 4, 2025: NFL Kickoff Game. The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated their longtime rival Dallas Cowboys.

    Controversies

  • For the inaugural season at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles imposed a ban on hoagies and cheesesteaks being brought into the stadium, citing security concerns related to the events of September 11. The ban only lasted one week after much mockery by fans and sports radio, along with traditional media.
  • Prior to the first Eagles game of the 2007 season, a ruling was made concerning a Philadelphia and national tradition: tailgating. While the Eagles did not ban the act entirely, they did ban the use of tables and tents as well as the purchasing of more than one parking spot per vehicle. Prices were also doubled to $40 for RVs and buses, and $20 for cars. Fans have been reported to be upset.