Page "Alamodome" Paragraph 31

In 2005, the NFL announced that the Alamodome would host three of the New Orleans Saints regular season " home " games due to the damage caused to the Louisiana Superdome by Hurricane Katrina.

The Saints played the Buffalo Bills ( week 4 ), the Atlanta Falcons ( week 6 ), and the Detroit Lions ( week 16 ) at the Alamodome.

Although there have been many NFL preseason and exhibition games held in San Antonio over the years, these games were the first NFL regular season games played in the city.

The Saints also played one 2005 season " home " game in Giants Stadium ( against the New York Giants ) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and four others in LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Overall, the Saints averaged 62, 665 fans in the 65, 000-seat Alamodome for the three games held there, a solid showing despite the short notice to sell tickets due to the hurricane.

The Saints and the NFL announced that the team would return to Louisiana for the 2006 season even though at the time the NFL was uncertain where they would play their home games.

Additionally, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue indicated that if the NFL expands again, San Antonio would be on the short list of candidate cities.

Even though public opinion is that he would never let go of his team's presence in the San Antonio market, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has acknowledged his support for the city's efforts to become home to an NFL franchise.