NRG Stadium Capacity, Tickets, Seating Plan, Records, Location, Parking
NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-use stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million, and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retractable roof.
The stadium is home to the Houston Texans of the National Football League, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Texas Bowl, many of the United States men’s national soccer team games, national team friendlies soccer match in Mexico where El Tri is the host and other events. The stadium served as the venue for Super Bowls XXXVIII (2004) and LI (2017), and WrestleMania 25 (2009). The stadium will host multiple matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
NRG Stadium is part of a collection of venues (including the Astrodome), which are collectively called NRG Park. The entire complex is named after NRG Energy under a 32-year, $300 million naming rights agreement in 2000.
| Built In: | March 9, 2000 |
| Capacity: | 72,220 |
| Home Teams: | Houston Texans |
NRG Stadium History
The Houston NFL Holdings group came to Populous (then HOK Sport) to begin schematic design for the NFL’s first retractable-roof football stadium in 1997. The intent was to create a football stadium to replace the Astrodome that would function as an open arena . air conditioning, but with the privacy and comfort of an indoor arena. With the design for soccer and the square footage requirements of the rodeo, the building was designed in the 1.9 million square foot (180,000 m2) range. The groundbreaking for the stadium was on March 9, 2000, and the building was officially completed in October 2001. Construction was completed in 30 months.
The stadium opened on August 24, 2002 with a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans which the Dolphins won 24-3. The stadium hosted its first NFL regular season football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans on September 8, 2002. The first rodeo was held at the stadium in February 2003.
During a Texans preseason game on August 30, 2012, against the Minnesota Vikings, an intoxicated fan fell to his death from an escalator.
On March 19, 2014, the stadium was renamed NRG Stadium, after NRG Energy, the parent company of Reliant Energy.
During the 2015 season, a permanent artificial surface was installed at NRG Stadium. The Texans had used a natural surface since the stadium opened, using a turf tray system similar to the one used at Giants Stadium in their experiment with using a turf surface.
In recent years, the stadium has installed artificial turf to be used during high school and college games, while maintaining the turf for Texans games. After the Texans’ home opener, complaints about field conditions eventually led to the installation of the artificial surface for Texans games. The brand of the surface is UBU Speed, which is part of Act Global.
In 2017, NRG Stadium selected Hellas Construction to install Matrix Turf with Helix Technology at the stadium. The three-year contract calls for a new turf field each year.
After hosting Super Bowl LI, further improvements were made to keep NRG Stadium competitive against other new NFL venues. The stadium’s first major renovation in 15 years modernized the team’s offices and facilities.
Hurricane Ike damage
On the night of September 12–13, 2008, the stadium sustained damage from Hurricane Ike, forcing the postponement of the Houston Texans’ home opener scheduled for September 14. Part of the roof cladding detached, and other sections of the stadium were damaged by wind and water. There was also large debris inside the stadium from the hurricane and the stadium authority stated that the stadium suffered no significant structural damage, except for the roof, and that the Texans would be able to play all of their 8 home games at Reliant Stadium with the roof open. .
The Texans’ home opener against the Baltimore Ravens was initially postponed one day from Sunday, September 14, 2008 to Monday, September 15, but when the extent of the damage from Hurricane Ike became known, the NFL rescheduled the game. Texans-Ravens for a week. 10 (November 9, 2008), which was to have been the bye week for the Ravens and Texans’ scheduled home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That game was rescheduled for week 8 (October 26), which was to be the bye week for both the Texans and Bengals. The Bengals’ bye week was moved from October 26 to November 9, originally scheduled for the Ravens. Both the Texans and Ravens took their unexpected bye in Week 2, the weekend Hurricane Ike hit East Texas and the Gulf Coast, despite both teams preparing all week for play that match as scheduled.
The stadium reopened on October 5, 2008 when the Texans hosted the Indianapolis Colts and hosted an additional three home games in October.
The stadium was repaired by Houston-based rope access construction and inspection company Reel Group Americas on February 13, 2009.
Stadium Capacity
NRG Stadium has a seating capacity of 72,220.
NRG Stadium Seating Plan
Notable Events & Records
High school football
NRG Stadium is regularly used by college soccer teams as a neutral site during the College Interscholastic League soccer playoffs.
College Football
The Texas Bowl and college football’s Texas Kickoff are held annually at the stadium. The first edition of the Texas Bowl featured a game between Rutgers University and Kansas State University, with Rutgers winning 37-10. The stadium hosted the Houston Bowl prior to the start of the Texas Bowl and also hosted the 2002 and 2005 Big 12 Championship Games. The 2005 game featured Houston native Vince Young as quarterback for the University of Texas at Austin and led the Longhorns to a 70-3 win over the University of Colorado in front of 71,107. Also, the East-West Shrine Game was held there in 2007.
Records
80,108 – George Strait — Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, March 17, 2019.
Upcoming Events
2026 FIFA World Cup
NRG Stadium will host several matches during the 2026 World Cup. It is one of eleven venues in the United States that have been selected. It is also one of two venues in Texas that have been selected to host games, the other being AT&T Stadium in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Parking
Official parking at NRG Stadium varies based on proximity to the stadium and typically ranges from $25-$125.
