The New England Patriots are a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL) based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots (or Pats) compete in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division along with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Rivalries outside of their division include the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. Since 2001, the Patriots have since become one of the most successful teams in NFL history. The team plays its home games at Gillette Stadium in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is located 21 miles (34 km) southwest of downtown Boston, Massachusetts and 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Providence, Rhode Island.
Gillette Stadium opened in 2002 as CMGI Field. The stadium is open-air, with a capacity of 65,878 Besides the Patriots, it has hosted College Football games, Ice Hockey games, Soccer games for International Soccer, the MLS and Women’s FIFA World Cup, and major concerts such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé.