The oldest college football stadium in America is Philadelphia’s Franklin Field, built in 1895. The identity of the oldest venue for pro football can be argued: Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, dates from 1924 – but the first NFL game wasn’t played there until 1971. Meanwhile, in 1957, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, opened with the Packers in residence, as they remain to this day.
It’s easy to name the newest NFL stadiums, though: Allegiant Stadium in Paradise (i.e., Las Vegas), Nevada, home of the peripatetic team now called the Las Vegas Raiders; and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, where both L.A. teams, the Chargers and the Rams, hang their helmets. (For football and otherwise, here are all the newest stadiums in America.)
SoFi is one of two stadiums shared by two NFL teams, the other being MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home to both the New York Jets and the New York Giants. There are thus 30 stadiums housing the 32 NFL teams. They vary in capacity, from 58,000 (FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, where the Washington Commanders play) to 82,500 (the aforementioned MetLife Stadium). Average ticket prices are all over the place, as are the prices of parking and hot dogs. Not surprisingly, then, while team loyalty is almost certainly the overriding consideration, fans tend to like some stadiums better than others.
To determine the NFL stadiums fans like the most, 24/7 Tempo reviewed “The Most Fan-Friendly Major League Stadiums,” a study of the subject published by Betway, an online sports betting site. The site ranked stadiums according to eight factors, with the data normalized to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. The normalized values were then summed, to give each stadium a possible total score of 8. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – home of the Dallas Cowboys – came closest, and 5.29/8. (The Cowboys occupy first place on our roster of the NFL teams with the most consecutive winning seasons.)
In addition to stadium capacity, average ticket price, and positive sentiment (based on the percentage of social media posts in the past year that were positive about each venue), the study considered roof type (open, fixed, or retractable), number of TripAdvisor reviews giving a stadium four or more stars, the prices of parking and a hot dog, and whether or not the stadium offers tours and/or a museum. Data is correct as of June 29, 2023.
Six states on this list boast two stadiums each – California, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Of the top 10 stadiums ranked, four are in the West (including Texas), three are in the Midwest, two are in the South, and only one is on the East Coast.
30. Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
> Team: Cleveland Browns
> Capacity: 67,895
> Average ticket price: 112.17
> Positive sentiment : 10.30%
> Total score: 2.12/8
29. Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
> Team: Miami Dolphins
> Capacity: 65,326
> Average ticket price: 94.95
> Positive sentiment : 16.60%
> Total score: 2.75/8
28. FedExField, Landover, Maryland
> Team: Washington Commanders
> Capacity: 62,000
> Average ticket price: 104
> Positive sentiment : 12.70%
> Total score: 2.79/8
27. Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Team: Philadelphia Eagles
> Capacity: 69,596
> Average ticket price: 127.06
> Positive sentiment : 14.30%
> Total score: 2.88/8
26. Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
> Team: Seattle Seahawks
> Capacity: 69,000
> Average ticket price: 123.04
> Positive sentiment : 15.10%
> Total score: 2.99/8
25. Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
> Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Capacity: 69,218
> Average ticket price: 119.94
> Positive sentiment : 15.70%
> Total score: 3.03/8
24. Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
> Team: San Francisco 49ers
> Capacity: 68,500
> Average ticket price: 144.81
> Positive sentiment : 15.50%
> Total score: 3.04/8
23. Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
> Team: New Orleans Saints
> Capacity: 73,208
> Average ticket price: 109.6
> Positive sentiment : 9.90%
> Total score: 3.12/8
22. Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
> Team: Chicago Bears
> Capacity: 61,500
> Average ticket price: 130.29
> Positive sentiment : 20.70%
> Total score: 3.166/8
21. SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
> Team: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers
> Capacity: 70,000
> Average ticket price: 96.32
> Positive sentiment : 19.00%
> Total score: 3.174/8
20. Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
> Team: Buffalo Bills
> Capacity: 71,608
> Average ticket price: 89.65
> Positive sentiment : 11.50%
> Total score: 3.20/8
19. Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
> Capacity: 68,400
> Average ticket price: 120.1
> Positive sentiment : 14.00%
> Total score: 3.22/8
18. Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
> Team: Denver Broncos
> Capacity: 76,125
> Average ticket price: 119.75
> Positive sentiment : 9.00%
> Total score: 3.32/8
17. MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
> Team: New York Giants, New York Jets
> Capacity: 82,500
> Average ticket price: 110
> Positive sentiment : 16.90%
> Total score: 3.41/8
16. TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
> Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
> Capacity: 67,838
> Average ticket price: 84.76
> Positive sentiment : 13.90%
> Total score: 3.48/8
15. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
> Team: Kansas City Chiefs
> Capacity: 76,416
> Average ticket price: 115.13
> Positive sentiment : 15.00%
> Total score: 3.49/8
14. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
> Team: New England Patriots
> Capacity: 66,829
> Average ticket price: 131.45
> Positive sentiment : 29.60%
> Total score: 3.5/8
13. Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
> Team: Cincinnati Bengals
> Capacity: 65,515
> Average ticket price: 87.36
> Positive sentiment : 9.50%
> Total score: 3.64/8
12. Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
> Team: Carolina Panthers
> Capacity: 75,523
> Average ticket price: 104.59
> Positive sentiment : 12.50%
> Total score: 3.68/8
11. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
> Team: Green Bay Packers
> Capacity: 81,441
> Average ticket price: 134.81
> Positive sentiment : 20.10%
> Total score: 3.70/8
10. Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
> Team: Las Vegas Raiders
> Capacity: 65,000
> Average ticket price: 153.47
> Positive sentiment : 13.10%
> Total score: 3.76/8
9. Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
> Team: Tennessee Titans
> Capacity: 69,143
> Average ticket price: 100.67
> Positive sentiment : 19.30%
> Total score: 3.88/8
8. M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
> Team: Baltimore Ravens
> Capacity: 71,008
> Average ticket price: 120.27
> Positive sentiment : 14.90%
> Total score: 3.94/8
7. U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
> Team: Minnesota Vikings
> Capacity: 66,655
> Average ticket price: 116.85
> Positive sentiment : 16.60%
> Total score: 4.01/8
6. Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
> Team: Detroit Lions
> Capacity: 65,000
> Average ticket price: 91.89
> Positive sentiment : 27.40%
> Total score: 4.55/8
5. NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
> Team: Houston Texans
> Capacity: 72,220
> Average ticket price: 117.45
> Positive sentiment : 16.10%
> Total score: 4.58/8
4. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
> Team: Indianapolis Colts
> Capacity: 63,000
> Average ticket price: 99.51
> Positive sentiment : 13.70%
> Total score: 4.65/8
3. State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
> Team: Arizona Cardinals
> Capacity: 63,400
> Average ticket price: 91.34
> Positive sentiment : 17.40%
> Total score: 5.08/8
2. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
> Team: Atlanta Falcons
> Capacity: 71,000
> Average ticket price: 110.66
> Positive sentiment : 14.40%
> Total score: 5.26/8
1. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
> Team: Dallas Cowboys
> Capacity: 80,000
> Average ticket price: 107.87
> Positive sentiment : 32.00%
> Total score: 5.29/8
Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)
Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.
Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.
Click here now to get started.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
