The last few weeks have been quite intense for the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which in theory is a facility dedicated to American football – it is owned by Stephen M. Ross, the majority shareholder of the Miami Dolphins – but in reality, it can host just about anything. And it does host just about everything. In rapid succession: from March 17 to 29, the stadium was the venue for the Miami Open tennis tournament, one of the Masters 1000 category tournaments – the highest after the Slams – organized by the ATP. Then, in the first weekend of May, it was time for the Formula One Grand Prix. Which takes place on a temporary circuit set up right around the main structure, and which determines the “transformation” of the playing field into a paddock. And the best part is that it’s not over yet: as soon as all the infrastructure related to the GP was dismantled, work began in preparation for the World Cup, which will start in just over a month.
The Hard Rock Stadium will be one of the key venues for the World Cup: the Dolphins’ facility will host a total of seven matches, including a round of 16, a quarter-final, and the third place final. As for the group stage, the Miami stadium will host the matches Saudi Arabia-Uruguay, Uruguay-Cape Verde, Scotland-Brazil, and Colombia-Portugal. To prepare for all these matches, the stadium’s management has relied on a farming company specialized in growing grass fields. Which has already started working on the playing surface that will be used for the World Cup. And which will be transported into the Miami stadium in mid-May, so that it can take root and be in perfect condition for the first World Cup match that will be played on June 15.
As absurd as it may seem, the Hard Rock Stadium has been “functioning” and working this way for a long time: the facility’s calendar is packed with events, with 60 paid media events each year, ranging from professional sports to college sports to concerts. This is why the Dolphins, as mentioned, have relied on a company capable of “redoing” the field at short intervals, and they are the only NFL franchise to have one. “Every year, we probably reconfigure the stadium eight to ten times, depending on the event calendar,” said Todd Boyan, senior vice president of stadium operations, during the Formula One GP weekend. And of course, all this work generates a huge economic impact: according to some estimates, events not strictly related to the NFL would bring over 250 million dollars into the coffers of Ross and the Dolphins. And this figure is set to increase, in view of the World Cup.