Could you imagine demolishing the Astrodome and turning the site into a mixed use; sports museum and hotel complex with restaurants? Could you imagine what the game day experience would be like? How many people would want to stay in the hotel the night before the game? And tailgate or frequent the onsite restaurants?
Middle of the pack(16) in this stadium rankings Spoiler https://theathletic.com/4783340/202...ankings-all-30-nfl-venues-from-best-to-worst/ 1. U.S. Bank Stadium | Team: Minnesota Vikings | Seating capacity: 66,000 | Google review: 4.7 stars This wasn’t even close. Half of the voters placed it No. 1 in their rankings. It also topped our list three years ago. Although it’s an indoor venue, half of the roof is transparent and the wall behind the end zone facing downtown Minneapolis is glass, allowing in a considerable amount of natural light. It opened in 2016, making it one of the league’s newest stadiums. It also helps that the Vikings do an excellent job with their pregame and in-game presentation. “I cannot think of another way to say this: U.S. Bank Stadium feels natural,” Vikings reporter Alec Lewis wrote. “And for a domed building, that is an incredible feat. Maybe it’s the natural light that drifts in from the front end of the stadium through crystal glass. Or, maybe it’s particular dimensions that make the inside feel right — not like a gigantic warehouse, and not like a claustrophobic cave. The history of the franchise and the Skol chants and the fake snow all contribute to the overall experience. But the stadium, in general, is the perfect representation of what an indoor arena should look and feel like on a Sunday.” 2. SoFi Stadium | Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers | Seating capacity: 70,000 | Google review: 4.5 stars Similar to U.S. Bank Stadium, this venue also has a transparent roof, allowing for an outdoor feel in an indoor stadium. It received seven first-place votes. It’s not a surprise to see one of the NFL’s newest stadiums rank so highly. One of its best features is the double-sided video board that hangs from the ceiling, circling around the entire field. “I hate indoor football stadiums, but I grudgingly understand why they are preferred/necessary for NFL teams,” Falcons reporter Josh Kendall wrote. “SoFi manages to ‘feel’ like an outdoor stadium while still offering the benefits of being indoors. Throw in the bells, whistles and the fact that you can walk to one end of the concourse and see the Forum (I mean, it’s the Forum) makes SoFi a winner.” 3. Lambeau Field | Team: Green Bay Packers | Seating capacity: 81,441 | Google review: 4.8 stars It jumped up one spot from the previous rankings, landing No. 1 overall on six ballots. Lambeau has been home to the Packers since 1957. If watching a game outside in cold weather is a problem, this place might not be for you. But if you like history, it would be difficult to find a better spot to watch a game. They’ve done an excellent job of upgrading the stadium over the years while still providing a historic feel. “The walk into Lambeau Field is unlike any other in the NFL,” Patriots reporter Chad Graff wrote. “The hearty locals here who own houses so close to the stadium it feels like you could throw a football there will often offer brats and beer to passers-by. Once inside, the deep bowl of rows is inspiring. It’s cohesive and packed with tradition without feeling run down. Visiting here should be a bucket list item for any NFL fan.” 4. AT&T Stadium | Team: Dallas Cowboys | Seating capacity: 80,000 | Google review: 4.7 stars Falling one spot from our previous ranking, AT&T Stadium is clearly still one of the best venues in all of sports. The retractable roof isn’t open much but when the doors and roof are open for a Sunday night or Monday night game, it’s difficult to find a better place to watch a game. The big screen above the field continues to be one of a kind. While some appreciate it, others complain that it distracts from watching the actual game on the field. AT&T Stadium opened in 2009 but still compares well to all of the newer stadiums. It landed in the top five on 19 ballots. “Jerry Jones created a palace with a football field at the center of it all,” NFL reporter Jeff Howe wrote. “It’s spacious, clean, has great sight lines and was clearly built to last a long time.” 5. Lumen Field | Team: Seattle Seahawks | Seating capacity: 67,000 | Google review: 4.6 stars 6. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Team: Kansas City Chiefs | Seating capacity: 76,416 | Google review: 4.7 stars 7. Allegiant Stadium | Team: Las Vegas Raiders | Seating capacity: 65,000 | Google review: 4.7 stars This one (opened in 2020) was tough to rank because unlike SoFi Stadium, only one team plays there and the Raiders have not yet hosted the Super Bowl, which they do this season. Because of this, it had the smallest number of reporters who have attended a game there. “In many ways, it’s not really a football stadium,” Raiders reporter Vic Tafur wrote. “The Las Vegas night club in the one end zone with waitresses and bottle service still gets double takes every time — but the best part of Allegiant Stadium is that it plays like one. There are great sight lines for most of the 65,000 seats and the crowd — full of home and visiting, buffet- and slot-machine searching fans — gets very loud. You can get lost in the game, unlike Sofi Stadium, in which you’re always wondering if you are actually in a spaceship. And the food sold at the game is next level, from a brisket mac and cheese bowl to poke nachos.” 8. Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Team: Atlanta Falcons | Seating capacity: 71,000 | Google review: 4.7 stars It’s a little surprising that this place doesn’t get more love. It landed in the top five on 12 ballots, ranking fifth on seven. It’s important to note that there is a clear drop-off in the voting after this spot. These top eight stadiums have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is one of the NFL’s newest venues, opening in 2017. It has a retractable roof and a ring-shaped video board above the field. 9. Empower Field at Mile High | Team: Denver Broncos | Seating capacity: 76,125 | Google review: 4.6 stars 10. Acrisure Stadium | Team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Seating capacity: 68,400 | Google review: 4.7 stars 11. M&T Bank Stadium | Team: Baltimore Ravens | Seating capacity: 71,008 | Google review: 4.7 stars 12. Levi’s Stadium | Team: San Francisco 49ers | Seating capacity: 68,500 | Google review: 4.4 stars 13. Lucas Oil Stadium | Team: Indianapolis Colts | Seating capacity: 70,000 | Google review: 4.7 stars This is exactly where Lucas Oil landed on our previous ranking. It has a retractable roof but it is only open about 25 percent of the time. “Arguably the best thing about Lucas Oil Stadium is its location,” Colts reporter James Boyd wrote. “The Colts’ home venue is centrally located in downtown Indianapolis, making it an easy place to get to as an Indy-area resident or out-of-state visitor. Once you’re downtown, everything from hotels to parking to food options are within walking distance of LOS. As for the stadium itself, it’s not state-of-the-art but far from outdated. It’s fairly easy to navigate and spectators usually have a good view of the action whether they’re sitting at the 50-yard line or in the nosebleeds. There’s also the retractable roof that ensures a well-kept playing surface and a cozy environment for fans when the winter months roll around.” 14. Ford Field | Team: Detroit Lions | Seating capacity: 65,000 | Google review: 4.6 stars The indoor stadium with turf field has been home to the Lions since 2002. The most unique feature is that it incorporates an old Detroit brick warehouse into its design. 15. Lincoln Financial Field | Team: Philadelphia Eagles | Seating capacity: 67,594 | Google review: 4.6 stars The home of the Eagles since 2003 fell six spots from our previous ranking. “This season is the 20th anniversary of Lincoln Financial Field, so what was once considered state-of-the-art is now considered more industry standard,” Eagles reporter Zach Berman wrote. “That makes the ranking reasonable enough when considering some of the new facilities that opened in recent years and the sentimental value attached to some of the iconic venues. The Eagles have made upgrades to the stadium in recent years and it’s still a fun place for fans to watch a game — if you’re wearing green, that is. Its proximity to major highways make it an easy stadium for commuters, and the surrounding parking lots provide a robust tailgate scene.”
Spoiler 16. NRG Stadium | Team: Houston Texans | Seating capacity: 72,220 | Google review: 4.6 stars Opening in 2002, it’s the NFL’s oldest stadium with a retractable roof. This ranking is right about where it was three years ago. 17. State Farm Stadium | Team: Arizona Cardinals | Seating capacity: 63,400 | Google review: 4.6 stars The home of the Cardinals since 2006 fell eight spots from the last ranking. It landed on two ballots as one of the worst five stadiums in the league. State Farm Stadium has hosted three Super Bowls, including February’s game between the Chiefs and Eagles. 18. Nissan Stadium | Team: Tennessee Titans | Seating capacity: 69,143 | Google review: 4.5 stars The Titans home since 1999 finishes up what should be considered the middle of the three tiers of NFL stadiums. Tennessee is expected to break ground on a new stadium next year with the plans of playing in the new venue in 2027. 19. Cleveland Browns Stadium | Team: Cleveland Browns | Seating capacity: 67,431 | Google review: 4.5 stars 20. Raymond James Stadium | Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Seating capacity: 75,000 | Google review: 4.5 stars 21. Gillette Stadium | Team: New England Patriots | Seating capacity: 65,878 | Google review: 4.6 stars 22. Bank of America Stadium | Team: Carolina Panthers | Seating capacity: 74,867 | Google review: 4.6 stars 23. Soldier Field | Team: Chicago Bears | Seating capacity: 61,500 | Google review: 4.5 stars This is the most significant change from three years ago when the home of the Bears ranked seventh overall. Six ballots had it ranked as one of the four worst stadiums in the league. “The drop could be related to the fact that the Bears could be leaving Soldier Field in the near future,” Bears reporter Adam Jahns wrote. “The Bears closed on the massive Arlington Park property in suburban Arlington Heights, though tax-related issues have resulted in a reopened search for a new site for a stadium. New team president Kevin Warren has taken the lead on the process. Or the drop suggests that enough fans, tourists and media members have finally experienced Chicago traffic at its worst to shift the votes. A city that’s known for its outstanding food doesn’t really showcase it at Soldier Field, either.” 24. Highmark Stadium | Team: Buffalo Bills | Seating capacity: 71,608 | Google review: 4.5 stars The Bills’ home since 1973 ranks in the same spot it did three years ago. Construction is taking place on a $1.5 billion stadium that is expected to be finished by 2026. 25. MetLife Stadium | Teams: New York Giants, New York Jets | Seating capacity: 82,500 | Google review: 4.5 stars Despite it not being old, 13 ballots had it ranked as one of the five worst stadiums in the league. “When MetLife was completed in 2010 it cost $1.6 billion,” Jets reporter Zack Rosenblatt wrote. “The money was not particularly well spent. It’s a boring stadium — which is something universally agreed on by both Giants and Jets fans, a rarity — both in look and feel. The food is poor. And it’s always a disaster exiting the stadium, especially for fans — and that gets even worse after concerts. There’s a mall nearby but otherwise it’s not exactly an exciting area, especially as the home base for two teams that are supposed to represent New York City.” 26. Caesars Superdome | Team: New Orleans Saints | Seating capacity: 73,000 | Google review: 4.6 stars It cracked the top 15 a few years ago, but it dropped significantly after ranking in the bottom three in the league on eight ballots. It has hosted a record seven Super Bowls and will get its eighth in 2025. “The Caesars Superdome gets to host Super Bowls because it’s in New Orleans, not because of the facility,” Larry Holder wrote. “It’s one of the older venues to house an NFL franchise having opened its doors in 1975. The Dome atmosphere can pack a punch when the Saints are rolling. But the building certainly feels old with zero chance of a new facility anytime soon. Plus you’d expect better cuisine inside the Dome for a city known for its dining (although it’s known for excellent Bloody Marys). That said, the Dome is on the back nine of a significant renovation that should be complete by the time the Dome hosts Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025.” 27. Paycor Stadium | Team: Cincinnati Bengals | Seating capacity: 65,515 | Google review: 4.4 stars 28. Hard Rock Stadium | Team: Miami Dolphins | Seating capacity: 65,326 | Google review: 4.6 stars 29. TIAA Bank Field | Team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Seating capacity: 67,838 | Google review: 4.5 stars Even though these last two fall in the bottom tier, they technically could be in a fourth tier by themselves. Twenty-three ballots had TIAA Bank Field in the bottom five. And 17 of them had the Jaguars’ home in the second-from-last spot. “Venues that are in the downtown area of a city are usually great,” 49ers reporter Matt Barrows wrote. “So are stadiums on a river. TIAA Bank Field is both, though you’d never know it. It has the generic feel of a stadium that’s been plunked down in the suburbs.” 30. FedEx Field | Team: Washington Commanders | Seating capacity: 62,000 | Google review: 4.0 stars No surprises here. In a dominant last-place finish, the home of Washington’s NFL team since 1997 again finishes last. Twenty-seven ballots had FedEx Field in the bottom five. Twenty-five of those ballots had FedEx Field ranked as the NFL’s worst stadium. “It’s old but not revered,” Commanders reporter Ben Standig wrote. “The basic amenities are outdated for this 21st-century world. With the locals choosing to stay away in recent years amid the losing/non-contending and ownership embarrassment, cheers from hordes of visiting fans often dominate the atmosphere. Of course, they’ll be trapped in brutal traffic on the way out. Suckers. And, yes, the rails break, pipes burst and parking ain’t cheap. At least everyone knows a new stadium is a must. Hold your nose for the next five to eight years in the interim, and hope that winning games becomes the best distraction.”
I didn't know it was the oldest NFL Stadium w/a retractable roof but that leads to my initial point. Within the next 5 - 10yrs, the McNairs are going to want a new venue. And how many of the teams, besides the Titans, that are ranked lower on this list are building new stadiums? NRG is not bad but I think a more affordable and PROFITABLE way to combat building a new stadium is to enhance the area around NRG by tearing down the dome, building a Sports Museum, hotel and restaurants, which will benefit the area for another 20 - 30yrs
The moment they start winning again, they'll demand a 10 billion dollar stadium and all the property in a square mile radius around it all paid for in full by the taxpayer.
Exactly! And that's where I feel it's headed. And to avoid that $10B price tag, I think if the County and Houston Rodeo Authority should approach it now vs. down the road, they can save a lot of $$
You didn’t say anything remotely right. You said they’d ask for a new stadium, they’re asking what to make better. You know, the yearly updates that most stadiums do.
I think they are looking to do bigger things! I think they see their surroundings compared to other NFL stadiums and are looking for ideas on how to enhance the stadium. It depends on how you look at things. If you think small, you're small, however if you think big, you are big....Its a mindset. Ive been to several NFL Stadiums and Houston love it as I do, it is absolutely one of the worst. The old Astroworld lot is still vacant after 10yrs +, the hotel on the corner of 610 and Kirby needd to be toren down, has been there since 1970, its a dump.....there's nothing over there!
Enhancing the stadium and environment is a lot different than wanting a new stadium as you said the McNairs would want to do. Nothing wrong with stepping up the building and surrounding areas, much like they’re trying to do with Minute Maid
If you look at their post again it says... what is the BIGGEST thing you would change to NRG Stadium? The biggest thing I see would be to tear down the Astrodome, build better hotels and bring some attractions to the area. To ME, that would make my experience better. If you go back and look at all of my post in this thread, one of them was to ENHANCE the surroundings. Which I think would be cheaper than building a new stadium. For sure a good alternative and it could be a moneymaker for the McNairs and Houston. Its just a coincidence they put it out there at the same time I did.
This thread is about a new stadium. You changed it up by saying do upgrades. Those two things aren’t remotely the same. The stadium is still a top tier stadium, the surrounding area needs some improvement. But that isn’t happening by tearing down the dome. It’s a historical marker now
This is what I said in my orginal post, so basically it says either build a new stadium or enhance the area. Isn't that what it says to you?
