Touchdown! City of Arlington Pays Off AT&T Stadium Debt 10 Years Early

Published on August 12, 2025

By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication

This week, the City of Arlington will pay off its obligation for AT&T Stadium debt a decade early, saving more than $150 million in interest and fees than was projected when voters approved the project.

In 2004, Arlington voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase, a 2% hotel occupancy tax and a 5% rental car tax to pay for the City of Arlington’s $325 million contribution toward a new retractable-roof stadium that would bring the Dallas Cowboys to town. The public-private project was originally estimated to cost $650 million, with the Dallas Cowboys paying the other half of construction costs. The venue topped $1.2 billion when it opened in Arlington’s Entertainment District in 2009, with the Cowboys paying for all expenses beyond the City’s $325 million contribution.  

Arlington’s debt, issued in 2005, was originally expected to be repaid in full over 30 years. But the City advanced through that debt much sooner thanks to good revenue performance and refinancing and early redemptions, which saved millions of dollars in interest and fees over the years. Arlington will make its final payment—$22.6 million—on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.

AT&T Stadium, which can hold 100,000 people, has hosted numerous high-profile national and international sports and entertainment events over the past 16 years, including Super Bowl XLV, two record-setting WWE WrestleMania events, and the Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Arlington’s world-class stadium was also selected as the host venue for nine 2026 FIFA World Cup games.

“As we celebrate this milestone, it’s important to acknowledge former Mayor Robert Cluck’s vision to bring the Dallas Cowboys to Arlington. His foresight, and the Arlington voters’ support to invest in a world-class stadium, has created jobs, boosted our economy over the years and cemented Arlington’s reputation as a premier destination for sports and entertainment,” Mayor Jim Ross said. “The iconic AT&T Stadium has hosted an impressive list of events in its first 16 years, and we look forward to even more record-setting concerts and games in our future.”

How did the City of Arlington pay for its portion of the AT&T Stadium construction debt?

In 2004, Arlington voters approved a half-cent sales tax, a 2% hotel occupancy tax and a 5% rental car sales tax to tackle the City’s $325 million contribution to the stadium construction. Those funding sources, paid by residents and Arlington’s 16 million-plus annual visitors, currently generate about $55 million a year.

By law, this revenue can only be used to repay the City’s stadium debt. It cannot be added to the General Fund, which pays for core city services. The City does not use property tax or sales tax revenue dedicated for the General Fund to pay for stadium debt.

How much did the City’s $325 million stadium debt cost to pay off over 20 years?

In total, the City paid $490,325,273 in principal, interest and fees for the stadium. Because the debt was repaid a decade early, Arlington’s costs were nearly $151 million less than what was projected when the 30-year debt was first issued in 2005.

What’s next now that the City’s AT&T Stadium debt is paid off?

The half-cent sales tax, the 2% hotel occupancy tax and the 5% rental car sales tax will remain in place. This is because Arlington voters in 2017 approved these funding sources for the City’s contribution toward Globe Life Field construction.