Cleveland Browns Stadium sits on the former site of Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which housed the Browns before owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore to become the Ravens. As part of the deal that brought a "new" Browns team to Cleveland, the city of Cleveland tore down Cleveland Stadium after the 1996 NFL season to make room for the new facility. Debris from the former stadium was submerged in Lake Erie and now serves as an artificial reef. Ground was broken on May 15, 1997, the stadium opened in July 1999, and the resurrected Browns debuted there in the 1999 NFL season. The stadium also hosts the annual Ohio Classic college football g