March 23, 2011

Past Venue: Orange Bowl

Miami, FL



Year opened: 1937
Capacity: 74,476, up from 23,330 at opening and down from 80,010 when seating was added to what had been an open (west) end but was removed in 1977.

Names:
Burdine Stadium, 1937-59
Orange Bowl, 1959-2008

Pro football tenants:
Miami Seahawks (AAFC), 1946
Miami Dolphins (AFL/NFL), 1966-86
Miami Tropics (SFL), 2000

Postseason games hosted:
Super Bowl II, Packers 33 Raiders 14, Jan. 14, 1968
Super Bowl III, Jets 16 Colts 7, Jan. 12, 1969
Super Bowl V, Colts 16 Cowboys 13, Jan. 17, 1971
AFC Championship, Dolphins 21 Colts 0, Jan. 2, 1972
AFC Divisional playoff, Dolphins 20 Browns 14, Dec. 24, 1972
AFC Divisional playoff, Dolphins 34 Bengals 16, Dec. 23, 1973
AFC Championship, Dolphins 27 Raiders 10, Dec. 30, 1973
Super Bowl X, Steelers 21 Cowboys 17, Jan. 18, 1976
AFC Wild Card playoff, Oilers 17 Dolphins 9, Dec. 24, 1978
Super Bowl XIII, Steelers 35 Cowboys 31, Jan. 21, 1979
AFC Divisional playoff, Chargers 41 Dolphins 38, Jan. 2, 1982
AFC First Round playoff, Dolphins 28 Patriots 13, Jan. 8, 1983
AFC Divisional playoff, Dolphins 34 Chargers 13, Jan. 16, 1983
AFC Championship, Dolphins 14 Jets 0, Jan. 23, 1983
AFC Divisional playoff, Seahawks 27 Dolphins 20, Dec. 31, 1983
AFC Divisional playoff, Dolphins 31 Seahawks 10, Dec. 29, 1984
AFC Championship, Dolphins 45 Steelers 28, Jan. 6, 1985
AFC Divisional playoff, Dolphins 24 Browns 21, Jan. 4, 1986
AFC Championship, Patriots 31 Dolphins 14, Jan. 12, 1986

Other tenants of note:
Univ. of Miami (college football), 1937-2007
Miami Gatos/Toros (NASL), 1971-76
Miami Freedom (ASL/APSL), 1988-92
Florida International Univ. (college football), 2007

Notes: Hosted annual NFL Playoff Bowl, 1961-70. Hosted NFC/AFC Pro Bowl, Jan. 20, 1975. Hosted annual Orange Bowl football game, 1938-95 and ’99. Hosted annual North-South Shrine Game, 1948-73. Hosted a CFL exhibition game between the Birmingham Barracudas and Baltimore Stallions, 1995. Last pro football team to use the stadium was the Miami Tropics of the Spring Football League that existed only for one mini-season in 2000. Used as venue for FIFA World Cup, 1994, and as a soccer venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Occasionally used for minor league baseball games by the Miami Marlins, 1956-60. Originally named for Roddy Burdine, a significant figure in the development of Miami. The natural grass field was replaced with PolyTurf in 1970 and then Prescription Athletic Turf in 1976.

Fate: Demolished in 2008, to be replaced by a new baseball stadium for major league baseball’s Florida Marlins.