ARLINGTON, Texas -- If you didn't know, now you'll know.
As the eyes of the sporting world prepare to focus on the 2014 Final Four in North Texas, they'll be greeted by the dazzling new additions to AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys and AT&T emphasized the final touches of their partnership Wednesday night, officially illuminating the stadium's new roof lights, which feature the building's name and AT&T's iconic logo.
"The things that were so important to us were the globe, and of course 'AT&T Stadium,' featured on each side of the building plus the plaza," said Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones. "We finished and made our deal and agreed in late August, and here we are at the Final Four, and we've got it all complete. It's beautiful."
Jones, accompanied by AT&T chairman Randall L. Stephenson, took in the new view by helicopter before landing to celebrate the finished product.
"It was both our first looks at it at night," Jones said. "One of the real points of emphasis was that we would, with class and style, represent the brands of AT&T and the Cowboys. We both said 'home run.'"
On this particular weekend, the new signage will be complemented by AT&T Stadium's promotion of the Final Four -- which features Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Kentucky. With a full capacity and a national TV audience soon to tune in for the year's biggest basketball games, Jones said it was imperative to have the new look ready in time.
"It was a critical deadline and date for us," Jones said. "That roof is over 600,000 square feet and that stadium is three million square feet … so you've got to do some pretty significant work to have AT&T distinguished like it is, but it should be."
The stadium will remain illuminated going forward, lighting up the night sky in Arlington. Jones said the new look only emphasizes the partnership and his happiness with the decision.
"They are such a part of the American scene -- not only from a corporate standpoint, but really socially if you think about how technology and communication has evolved," he said. "So there wasn't but one company for the Dallas Cowboys to have their name on their stadium, and that's AT&T."
