GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The $465 million University of Phoenix Stadium, opened in August of 2006 with its retractable roof and field, is unlike any other stadium in North America and a marvel of design, engineering, and technology.

READ: Stadium Fun Facts

The opening of the new stadium was an event six years in the making. Voters narrowly approved new tourism taxes to provide money for construction in November 2000. Still, ground-breaking on the stadium didn't happen until April 2003, when the contention over moving the stadium from Tempe to Glendale came to an end. Construction began three months later and continued steadily for the next two years.

In February 2005, crews lifted the 11 million pound retractable roof, and the three-day project made history as the single heaviest roof lift in North America. Since then, workers have focused on the inside of the stadium, adding finishing touches in recent months in preparation for this weekend's opener.

In addition to the first-of-its-kind roof, which retracts along the elliptical shape of the stadium instead of straight across, the stadium also boasts the only indoor field in the NFL where the grass is grown outdoors. T

The grounds crew rolls the field in to play and out to make it grow -- a process that takes 65 minutes each time. Cardinals Stadium is one of only four stadiums worldwide -- and the only one in the U.S. -- equipped with a retractable floor.

The stadium offers numerous luxuries for fans, from air conditioning to seats with arm rests and cup holders, from free parking to easy access from the Loop 101. Visitors will also be pleased to find 73 restrooms and 39 major concession stands, with another 300 locations from which to buy food, beer and soft drinks.

Stadium Gets New Nameplate

On Sept. 27, 2006, the University of Phoenix -- the nation's largest private university -- announced it would pay the NFL team $154.5 million over the next 20 years to put its name on the Cardinals' new home.

The "University of Phoenix Stadium" label was unveiled at a news conference outside the structure.

The for-profit university has 323,000 students, most of them working adults in their 30s, at campuses in 39 states and through online programs. Its parent company, Apollo Group Inc., had $2.3 billion in revenue last year, ranking it among Arizona's largest companies.

"This is the first time a National Football League venue has been named after an educational institution," Apollo president Brian Mueller said, "and the irony of that deal is not lost on us."

The Cardinals have naming rights to the stadium as part of the deal approved by voters to build the long-sought home for the NFL franchise, which had played at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium since moving to Arizona in 1988.

The stadium naming venture is part of a marketing effort aimed at emphasizing the university's success with students, Mueller said.

"Our next step is to tell the story of an innovative institution that provides programs for working adult students and gives them a chance to do things," he said. "It's a rigorous process and the ones that make it put a lot into it."

Stadium Not Just A Sports Focal Point

Perhaps most importantly for the rest of the Valley, the new stadium won't just be home to the Cardinals. Over the next three years, Cardinals Stadium will play host to collegiate and professional championship games, including the 2008 Super Bowl.

In 2009, March Madness will hit Glendale as the stadium is transformed into a massive basketball arena for the regional final of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The stadium will also draw concerts, conventions and trade shows, which, along with the major sporting events, will bring major economic benefits to the Valley.