Jersey’s Iconic Izod Center Reportedly Set To Close

It opened in 1981 with six concerts by New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. Three decades later, the Izod center in the Meadowlands complex is reportedly getting set to close down.Over the years, the Izod Center, first known as the Brendan Byrne Arena and then the Continental Airlines Arena, was home to the Nets and Devils as well as hosting a wide variety of concerts.

However, the Nets have departed for Brooklyn, and the Devils for Newark's newer Prudential Center. Even Seton Hall's basketball games have moved to Newark, leaving the Izod Center sitting mostly empty aside from the occasional concert, high school graduation, or expo.

The remainder of the events scheduled for the Izod center over the next two years will simply be moved to the Prudential Center, according to NJ.com.

It hasn't been stated that the building would be torn down, but that's an awful lot of real estate to leave empty.

It's always surprising and kind of sad to see a building outlive its usefulness, especially one where so many memories are made over the years.

My first Spingsteen concert was at the then-Brendan Byrne in 1984, and I remember a huge banner covering almost the entire wall of the building proclaiming "Welcome Home, Bruce."

I thought that was really cool that a 20,000+ seat arena could be considered "home" by both the artist and the arena itself.

Time marches on, though, and just like the New Haven Coliseum and Giants, Shea and Yankee Stadiums, we'll go to our concerts and sporting events in newer buildings with more modern equipment and furnishings.

Appropriately enough, we'll send the old place out with the Boss, and a song he wrote to close down Giants Stadium next door.