The MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, US), home of the National Football League (NFL) teams New York Jets and the New York Giants, announced recently that Ron VanDeVeen will transition to a new role after a stellar 10 year run as the venue’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
‘MetLife Stadium’ stated that Ron VanDeVeen will assume the newly created position of the Chief Programming Officer while Mark Stefanacci will be elevated from his current role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the General Counsel to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). All changes are effective September 1st, 2026.
The 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium is a multipurpose stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey (US) five miles (8 km) West of New York City (US).
Primary Booking Agent
‘MetLife Stadium’ further stated that in his new role Ron VanDeVeen will continue to serve as the primary booking agent for the MetLife Stadium which annually hosts two NFL teams, the global concert tours, the international soccer events, family entertainment, the college and high school football, and more on the world’s biggest stage set in the United States largest Designated Market Area (DMA).
Highest Attendance
Most recently, the stadium hosted eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, including the Final, on July 19th. The MetLife Stadium marked the highest total attendance for any World Cup venue across the tournament with 645,186 fans attending the eight matches.
New York (US)-based the National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ was the 23rd FIFA World Cup™, the quadrennial international Men’s soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament began on June 11th, 2026, and concluded on July 19th with Spain winning the championship for the second time. It was jointly hosted by 16 cities – 11 in the United States, three (3) in Mexico and two (2) in Canada. The tournament was the first FIFA World Cup™ to be hosted by the three countries and the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from the previous 32-team format.
Fitting Capstone
Ron VanDeVeen was instrumental in securing the World Cup, an effort that spanned nearly the entire tenure of his Presidency and seeing it through to the July 19th Final is a fitting capstone for this chapter of his career. Named the Highest Grossing Stadium in the World consistently since the building opened in 2010 VanDeVeen led the charge to bring the other major events to the MetLife Stadium including the Super Bowl XLVIII (the NFL championship game for the 2013 season), the Copa América Centenario (the commemorative 45th edition of the Copa América, the international men’s association football championship organized by South America’s football ruling body CONMEBOL), the WrestleMania 29 and 35 (the major annual professional wrestling events produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE]), the National Hockey League (NHL) Stadium Series (an annual regular-season outdoor ice hockey game hosted by the NHL), the Supercross (a form of motorcycle dirt-bike racing held on artificial, man-made dirt tracks built inside the large sports stadiums), the Army/Navy Game (an annual college football matchup between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy [West Point] and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy), The Rolling Stones (English rock band), Taylor Swift (American singer-songwriter), Beyoncé (American singer-songwriter and actor), Bruce Springsteen (American singer-songwriter and musician), Kenny Chesney (American singer), and countless others.
‘Honor of a Lifetime’
Remarked Ron VanDeVeen, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead the MetLife Stadium over the past 10 years. I’m grateful to the Mara, Tisch and Johnson families for the opportunity to be a part of their history. I have made countless memories, cultivated relationships that will last a lifetime and witnessed some of the most incredible events in history. The greatest privilege, however, was that of collaborating with the best professionals in the business. The staff of MetLife Stadium is truly inimitable and I’m especially proud to pass the baton to Mark Stefanacci who has been a key member of my staff throughout my tenure. He will do an excellent job leading the team and the venue into the next chapter.”
VanDeVeen began his career with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) as a Cleaning Supervisor advancing through the organization with roles in Stadium Operations, Bookings, College Athletics, and Corporate Sales. He spent 19 years at the NJSEA. He joined the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC (MetLife Stadium) as the Senior Vice-President (SVP) of Events and Guest Experiences in 2009.
Ron Feat
Added John Mara, President and CEO, New York Giants, “Ron’s leadership and guidance have been central to the MetLife Stadium’s success helping make it a benchmark for excellence across sports, entertainment and live events. We are grateful that he will continue to serve as the Chief Programming Officer and help guide the stadium’s future.”
‘Driving Force’
Underscored Woody Johnson, Chairman and CEO, New York Jets, “Ron has been the driving force behind the MetLife Stadium’s rise as the world’s premier sports and entertainment destination and his remarkable vision, dedication and leadership have left an indelible mark. We are thrilled that he will remain closely involved and continue guiding us in this new capacity. At the same time, we are excited to elevate Mark Stefanacci to the role of President and CEO. Mark has earned the deep trust and admiration of the colleagues and the partners alike and look forward to seeing him build on this foundation and carry the MetLife Stadium to new heights.”
Integral Member
Mark Stefanacci has been an integral member of the MetLife Stadium team since 2012, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the General Counsel. He previously spent 14 years with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex) where he oversaw all the legal matters and agreements for the Giants Stadium, the 20,049-seat IZOD Center in New Jersey and the 10,000-capacity Meadowlands (a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey) and the 20,000-capacity Monmouth Park Racetracks (an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey) while serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the Legal Counsel.
Next Chapter
Stated Stefanacci, “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the MetLife Stadium into its next chapter and recognize that I am following a legend. There is only one Ron VanDeVeen, fortunately, I will be able to continue to work with Ron along with the best staff in the stadium business and I’m looking forward to a seamless transition. Thank you to the Johnson, Mara and Tisch families for their support throughout the process.”
Stefanacci received a Bachelor’s in Arts from the Providence College in Providence (US) and a law degree from the Seton Hall University School of Law (law college in Newark, New Jersey).
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