Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the highest-profile event of its short history on Monday night, when it welcomes the College Football Playoff title game.
Since its opening in August, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has had plenty of exposure to the sports world as home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United FC. While its first season in both leagues was seen as a success, the College Football Playoff championship game marks perhaps its biggest event yet.
With Georgia and Alabama set to square off, Monday’s game will see two prominent football programs compete for the title. In addition, it should provide Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a prominent platform to showcase the technology features that have been well received during the facility’s months of operation. More from the AP:
Some fans are calling the stadium “beautiful” and a “great central location” in downtown Atlanta. The stadium is located near Centennial Olympic Park, where Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar will perform a free show during halftime.
So far, the stadium is winning attendees over despite its signature feature, the retractable roof, being opened a couple times during events since the opening in August. The roof, which opens and closes like a camera lens, is one of the many attractions of the stadium including the massive 360-degree, 63,000-square-foot halo video board and cheap food pricing.
“I think probably the biggest thing you take away for me was the halo board,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “Seeing that for the first time, seeing the size and scope of it, how clear the picture is, the graphics they can put on it, it’s pretty special.”
Aside from the Falcons and United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has been used for some other notable events to date, including December’s SEC Championship Game. Monday’s title game should set the tone for the major events that are on Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s docket in the coming years. MLS will stage its All-Star Game there later this year, while Super Bowl LIII will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium next February. Further down the road, a major non-football awaits in the form of the 2020 NCAA men’s Final Four.
Image courtesy Mercedes-Benz Stadium.