The wordstadiumconjures up something massive . Consider AT&T Stadium . place to the Dallas Cowboys , the venueseatsroughly 80,000 — up to 105,000 can be accommodated with standing - room expansion — andoccupies3.1 million square foundation of place . Even larger is Michigan Stadium , the field for the University of Michigan , which canfit115,000 .
While sports stadium are often tremendous , that ’s not strictly what separates them from being label an arena . So what ’s the divergence between the two ?
The qualifyingdifferencebetween an arena and a stadium is whether it ’s a for good enclosed structure . bowl are open - gentle wind structure that have tiered seating around a sports field or leg . They have no permanent roof or wall .
Arenas , in demarcation , are close to the elements . They also host sporting events , like hockey or arena football , but incline to be small-scale and better suit for other hot attractions like medicine or plays .
Stadiums can have cap — AT&T Stadium does — but they ’re ordinarily retractable . ( Sometimes , sports stadium with irregular roofs are calleddomes . ) Nor do they require to be Texas - sized behemoths . Curtis Granderson Stadium at the University of Illinoisseatsjust 1800 spectators .
Another venue term that gets tossed around is amphitheater . While itmeanslargely the same affair as a bowl , some venues book the word for piazza with superior acoustics . The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles , for example , isreferredto as an amphitheater .
An amphitheater ’s aural advantages can be either architectural , naturally - occurring , or both . Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver , Colorado , isthoughtto be one of the most sonically - pleasing venue in the earthly concern thanks to rock music formations that are ideal for reasoned transfer .
Stadiums as we know them take passel ofcuesfrom ancient architecture . Rome ’s noted Colosseum ( which islabeledan amphitheater by some ) inspired Ohio State ’s stadium in 1922 . Circus Maximus and its chariot races put AT&T Stadium to shame : Some historiographer believe the facility could view as up to 150,000 to 250,000 spectators .
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