Izod Center The Izod Center ( formerly Brendan Byrne Arena and Continental Airlines Arena ) was a multi - purpose indoor arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford , New Jersey , United States . Opened in 1981 , it was one of the oldest arenas in the NBA and was home to the New Jersey Nets NBA basketball team until they moved to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn . The arena was formerly home to the New Jersey Devils NHL hockey team until 2007 , when they moved to the Prudential Center in Newark . Official seating capacity , as of 2009 , is 20 , 029 for college basketball , 20 , 049 for NBA games , and a maximum of 20 , 000 for concerts . The arena attracts spectators and fans from New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area . Because of the history of name changes , the arena is often referred to simply as the Meadowlands Arena . The arena was losing about $ 8 million per year when the management of the Prudential Center in Newark offered the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority $ 2 million to shutter the building for 2 years . It was quickly accepted and the arena closed in March of 2015 . The Authority is debating whether to sell the facility or tear it down . The arena is next to the " American Dream Meadowlands " ( Mall and Entertainment Complex ) . The new facility is scheduled to open in 2016 . The location of the arena could be used as additional parking for the facility . History . Construction on a new arena across Route 20 ( now 120 ) from Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack began in 1977 . The arena was designed by Grad Partnership and Dilullo , Clauss , Ostroki & Partners , and was constructed at a cost of $ 85 million . Originally named Brendan Byrne Arena ( after Brendan Byrne , the sitting governor of the state , who was also a member of the ownership group seeking to bring an NHL team to the State ) , the arena opened July 2 , 1981 , with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musician Bruce Springsteen . This was followed by an ice show later that month . On October 30 , 1981 , the New Jersey Nets , who had played their previous four seasons at the Louis Brown Athletic Center at Rutgers University , relocated to the Meadowlands and made their Brendan Byrne Arena debut , losing to the New York Knicks , 103 - 99 . Later that season , on January 31 , 1982 , the NBA All - Star Game was hosted at the arena . Shortly after , the New Jersey Devils , relocated from Colorado , playing their first regular season game there on October 5 , resulting in a 3 – 3 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins . On January 4 , 1996 , the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced a naming rights deal with Continental Airlines under which the airline , with a hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport , would pay the NJSEA $ 29 million over 12 years . The name change to Continental Airlines Arena also caused controversy in April of that year , when the arena hosted the NCAA Final Four . During the CBS coverage of the event , Continental signage was not shown on camera , and the arena was simply referred to as " The Meadowlands " . CBS and the NCAA already had airline sponsors for the event before Continental ' s naming rights deal . On May 5 , 2007 , the Devils played their last game at the arena , losing 3 - 2 to the Ottawa Senators , eliminating them from the Eastern Conference semifinals 4 - 1 . Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building . The Devils subsequently relocated to the newly constructed Prudential Center in nearby Newark , New Jersey at the beginning of the 2007 – 08 NHL season . Following the Devils ' final season at the arena in 2007 , Continental Airlines opted out of the naming rights agreement . A new agreement was made with Izod , a clothing company , to rename the arena Izod Center . The company will pay $ 1 . 4 million per annum for the first two years of the agreement , while the Nets are still tenants , which will drop to $ 750 , 000 per year for the balance of the five - year deal . The columns of the arena ' s exterior were also repainted red as the arena assumed a new color scheme . Arena sports . The arena has primarily served as a sports venue in its history . The arena has been the home of the NBA ' s New Jersey Nets basketball franchise since 1981 . It was the home arena for the NHL ' s New Jersey Devils hockey franchise from 1982 to 2007 and the NCAA ' s Seton Hall Pirates men ' s basketball team from 1985 to 2007 as well as continuing to play host to various regular season men ' s college basketball games , most recently on December 20 , 2008 . Izod Center uses two separate floors for NBA and NCAA basketball - a standard hardwood floor for Nets games and the arena ' s old parquet floor for regular season college basketball ( since 2007 , the NCAA has used a uniform floor for regional sites ) . College basketball first arrived at the arena with the opening rounds of the 1984 NCAA basketball tournament . Seton Hall moved its Big East Conference men ' s basketball games to the arena for the 1985 – 1986 season , enhancing a tradition that would soon become rich . The arena hosted the NCAA Men ' s Final Four in 1996 , the last traditional arena to do so to date . On eleven occasions ( 1986 – 91 , 1993 , 1995 , 1999 , 2004 , 2007 ) the arena hosted the semifinals and finals of the tournament ' s East Regional . Only Kansas City ' s Municipal Auditorium , which hosted 13 regional finals from 1940 – 52 , has hosted more . It also hosted the 1982 – 1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 1986 Atlantic Ten Conference men ' s basketball tournaments . One of the most infamous moments in the venue ' s history came on January 22 , 1987 , when the " 334 club " was formed . After New Jersey was hit with 20 inches of snow , only 334 fans attended the Devils ' 7 – 5 victory over the Calgary Flames . Championships . Izod Center has played host to the 1995 , 2000 , 2001 , and 2003 Stanley Cup Finals . The arena has seen the Devils clinch two of their three Stanley Cup s before a home crowd , winning Game 4 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals and Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals here ( the Devils ' other Stanley Cup win took place at Dallas ' Reunion Arena in Game 6 of the 2000 Finals ) . The arena also was host to the Los Angeles Lakers winning an NBA Championship by sweeping the Nets on June 12 , 2002 , and the Anaheim Bullfrogs winning the 1997 Murphy Cup , the championship of Roller Hockey International , over the New Jersey Rockin ' Rollers . The arena also hosted the 2003 NBA Finals . Izod Center is the most recent of five venues to host the Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals at the same time , the other four are Boston Garden , Madison Square Garden in New York , Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia and Chicago Stadium .