During the offseason, owner Michael Bidwill and Cardinals COO Jeremy Walls took a stroll around State Farm Stadium and had a collective realization.
There was an opportunity to create a fan experience that has never been done before in the NFL. That's when the vision for Morgan Athletic Club hosted by The Global Ambassador was born.
"We got together with the idea and then we all started kind of riffing on the idea of thinking about how we could make something different and something that's not been seen before," Walls said. "It was really a team effort."
The Morgan Athletic Club is a luxury experience located just steps away from the gridiron. It features a dynamic selection of cuisines and exclusive dishes crafted specifically for Cardinals games. The menus were designed in partnership with world renowned culinary innovator Sam Fox.
Fans are greeted with live music and offerings that can't be found anywhere throughout the league. The idea is to resemble the vibes one would find in a location in Scottsdale or Phoenix, all while meshing with football. "You can enjoy the club and then walk right on the field, so it was important for us to do something different and creative that was uniquely Arizona," Walls said.
When the Cardinals were originally born around the turn of the 20th century, the organization was known as the Morgan Athletic Club. The Cardinals, along with the Bears, were two of the founding members of the NFL a couple of decades later, in 1920.
"I think one of the most unique things about the Cardinals is the long history spanning three centuries of business operations. It's rare," Bidwill said. "It's cool that we could celebrate our history and celebrate the great history that we have, but also expose our fans to a luxury experience, so it just made perfect sense.
"It should have no other name but the Morgan Athletic Club."
Memorabilia is featured throughout the club, highlighting moments throughout the team's history -- among them a photo of Duke Slater, the first African American to play for the Cardinals to bow ties to commemorate Michael's father, Bill Bidwill.
Members will have exclusive access to private dining rooms, VIP parking, and a private entrance to the stadium starting three hours before the game and continuing an hour after the final whistle.
The Cardinals added nearly 750 new on-field seats for fans to be just yards away from the action. Included in that list are the casitas which are spaced out along the end zone near the Cardinals tunnel.
This weekend against the Rams, Bidwill shared that Olympians Michael Phelps and Noah Lyles will be in attendance in the casitas.
"I think it's the most unique view in the National Football League," Bidwill said. "An elevated view in the end zone in your own luxury casita, there's nothing like it. My guess is when we score some touchdowns in that end zone, I won't be surprised if there are a couple of Cardinals players jumping in there to grab some chicken tenders."
Attendees had the opportunity to view one of the more unique aspects of the Morgan Athletic Club during Thursday's soft opening: a bar area that is placed right next to the visitor's tunnels.
"I think (Bill Bidwill) would love the history and that we're celebrating some of that," Michael Bidwill said. "He loved the history of the National Football League, history of the Cardinals, and he would be proud to see what the team has pulled together.
"I know my father would be smiling and excited, but the number one thing he'd want is to beat the Rams on Sunday."
