Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 20

Schottenheimer Says World Cup Curtains Diminish Dallas Stadium as 17-year NFL Home Loses 'Majestic' Sunlight

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 20

Schottenheimer Says World Cup Curtains Diminish Dallas Stadium as 17-year NFL Home Loses 'Majestic' Sunlight

Q: With FIFA proving a fix is simple, will the Cowboys owner finally end the sun glare problem for his own players?

Probably not, at least based on everything Jerry Jones has said and done so far. FIFA’s World Cup setup at AT&T Stadium has shown the glare problem is solvable. Curtains have been installed to block sunlight during tournament matches, alongside other temporary changes such as replacing the artificial turf with natural grass and removing NFL markings. That undercuts any argument that the stadium’s design makes a fix impractical. But Jones has spent years defending the sunlight as part of the building’s identity. He has repeatedly resisted permanent shades or other changes, even after players and coaches linked the glare to missed plays. CeeDee Lamb publicly called for curtains in 2024, and Brian Schottenheimer’s recent comments only revived a complaint that dates back to the stadium’s opening in 2009. The key point is that FIFA required optimal playing conditions and got them. The Cowboys, by contrast, have continued to play with the glare because ownership has chosen not to change it. Jones has long argued that the stadium was meant to feel like an outdoor venue indoors, and there is no public sign he has reversed that position. So the World Cup curtains are best understood as proof of concept, not evidence of a coming policy change for Cowboys games. Unless Jones decides competitive disadvantage now outweighs his attachment to the stadium’s aesthetics, the most likely outcome is that the shades come down after FIFA leaves and the glare issue remains.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 20

Brian Schottenheimer said curtains installed for World Cup matches at Dallas Stadium make the venue less "majestic," arguing fans are missing a signature part of the Cowboys' 17-season home.
The shades were added to block the stadium's long-criticized sunlight while FIFA converts AT&T Stadium for soccer, replacing turf, yard lines and end zones with a natural-grass setup.
That sunlight has been a recurring football issue since the $1 billion venue opened in 2009, with Cowboys players citing glare on missed plays in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
The curtains were used for a 1-1 Netherlands-Japan draw on June 14 and England's 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday, and are expected back June 22 for Argentina vs. Austria.