The world of football would not be what it is today without the amazing football stadiums that bring the game to life and allow thousands of fans to watch their favorite team play.
There is a stadium in almost every major city in the US, each with its own unique history and memorable moments.
The stadium where a game is played can also affect sports betting odds, as teams may have an advantage in certain locations or on specific surfaces.
In this article, we cover 7 of the largest NFL stadiums in the world and what has made them so iconic.
7. Caesars Superdome
The Caesars Superdome was opened in 1975 as the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was later known as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome from 2011 to 2021.
It is considered to be the largest fixed dome structure in the world with a capacity of 73,208 that is expandable to 76,468. The record attendance was in 2018 during Wrestlemania with 78,133.
The Sugar Bowl is frequently hosted there and as of 2022, it has hosted 7 Super Bowls.
It is home to the New Orleans Saints and in 2019 had its surface changed to Turf Nation S5.
It cost $134 million to build, which is around $675 million today.
6. Bank Of America Stadium
Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Bank of America Stadium is home to the Carolina Panthers.
It was built in 1996 and until 2004 was named the Ericsson Stadium.
The maximum capacity is 74,867 with its largest football crowd being 74,532 during a 2018 match where the Panthers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 16-8.
The surface is FieldTurf Pro.
It was $248 million to build, which is $428 million today.
5. Empower Field At Mile High
Built in 2001, the Mile High was first called Invesco field, then the Sports Authority Field in 2011, and then the Broncos Stadium from 2018 to 2019. It is located in Denver, Colorado, and is home to the Denver Broncos.
The capacity is 76,125 and cost $400.9 million to build, $652 million today.
The nickname Mile High is due to the city’s elevation being 1 mile above sea level. The high altitude makes it slightly difficult to play giving the Broncos a relatively large home advantage.
In 2015, the surface was changed to Kentucky Bluegrass.
4. GEHA Field At Arrowhead Stadium
The Arrowhead Stadium cost $43 million to build in 1972, which is around $279 million today. Renovation between 2007 and 2010 cost $375 million, $466 million nowadays.
It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and is home to the Kansas City Chiefs. It has a 76,416 capacity and in 1994 the surface was changed to Latitude 36 Bermuda Grass.
The current Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium was awarded to Arrowhead on September 29th, 2014 with 142.2 dB.
3. AT&T Stadium
Home to the Dallas Cowboys, this stadium was built in Arlington, Texas in 2009 and has a retractable roof. The capacity is 80,000 but can be expanded to 105,000. It had a record attendance for an NFL regular season game in 2009 with 105,121.
First known as the Cowboys Stadium until 2013, the stadium cost $1.3 billion to build which is $1.64 billion today. The surface is Hellas Matrix Turf with Helix Soft Top artificial turf.
The stadium commonly holds the Cotton Bowl Classic and the Big 12 Championship Game, it also held the 2010 season Super Bowl.
2. Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is the oldest continually operating stadium in the NFL, having been built in 1957 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At the time it cost $960,000 to build, which is $9.26 million in today’s money. There was a $295 million ($435 million today) renovation in 2003.
It was originally called City Stadium but was renamed in 1964 in honor of Curly Lambeau, one of the founders of the Green Bay Packers, the home team of Lambeau Stadium.
The record attendance there was in 2015 with 79,704 but has a maximum of 81,144.
The surface is Kentucky Bluegrass reinforced with SIS Grass.
1. MetLife Stadium
The MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and has a capacity of 82,500 but reached record attendance in 2012 with 93,000. It is one of the few NFL stadiums to house 2 teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
Built in 2010, it was the most expensive stadium built at the time in the United States. It cost $1.6 billion, around $1.99 billion in today’s money. In its first year of existence, it was known as New Meadowlands Stadium
It held its first (and currently only) Super Bowl for the 2013 season.
In 2020, FieldTurf was installed on the surface.
Conclusion
These stadiums carry a lot of memories for football fans, both positive and negative.
As football continues to rise in popularity and spread around the globe, we are sure to see bigger and better stadiums being built.
