Construction of $512 million Lincoln Financial Field began in May 2001, and by August 2003 the
stadium had hosted its first event. It was the culmination of the vision of Jeffrey Lurie, who,
upon purchasing the Eagles in 1994, said that building a new, state-of-the-art facility would be
a key component in the effort to transform the Eagles into an elite NFL franchise. The front row is
60 feet from the field's sideline, or half the distance of that at the old Veterans Stadium. Other
comparisons between the two stadiums: • Seating capacity – Lincoln Financial, 67,594; Veterans, 65,352
• Percentage of seats along the sidelines – Lincoln Financial, 66 percent; Veterans, 33 percent • Luxury suites
– Lincoln Financial, 172; Veterans, 89 • Width of concourses – Lincoln Financial, 60 feet to 90 feet; Veterans,
45 feet. The Eagles Pep Band strolls around that wide concourse before games and leads followers in rousing
renditions of "Fly, Eagles, Fly," the team's fight song. The Eagles Honor Roll, a list of the franchise's
greatest players, from Sonny Jurgensen to Harold Carmichael to Tommy McDonald, is located in the HeadHouse
Lobby, next to the pro shop, and is open to the public.
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