NFL
Top 10 NFL Stadiums by Capacity and Legacy!
Most NFL stadiums are a-must-see destination to watch a game at, as franchises continue to erect futuristic, multi-billion-dollar world class venues. The likes of MetLife Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and AT&T Stadium are among the best NFL stadiums in the field.
An aerial view of the SoFi Stadium//Getty Images
The National Football League boasts 30 stadiums, some dating back to 1924 and others opened as recently as 2020. The two largest cities in the USA: New York and Los Angeles has four franchises which share a venue in their respective cities.
The New York Giants and New York Jets split time at MetLife Stadium, and the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers share SoFi Stadium.
Without further ado, below is our list for the top 10 NFL stadiums:
List of 10 Best NFL Stadiums
| Rank | Stadium | Year Opened | Capacity |
| 1. | Lambeau Field – Green Bay Packers | 1957 | 81,041 |
| 2. | U.S Bank Stadium – Minnesota Vikings | 2016 | 66,468 |
| 3. | SoFi Stadium - Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams | 2020 | 71,500 |
| 4. | Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas Raiders | 2020 | 65,000 |
| 5. | AT&T Stadium – Dallas Cowboy | 2009 | 80,000 (expandable to 100,000) |
| 6. | Lumen Field - Seattle Seahawks | 2002 | 68,740 |
| 7. | Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta Falcons | 2017 | 72,000 (expandable to 75,000) |
| 8. | Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City Chiefs | 1972 | 73,426 |
| 9. | Acrisure Stadium - Pittsburgh Steelers | 2001 | 68,400 |
| 10. | Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis Colts | 2008 | 63,000 |
10. Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis Colts
Year opened: 2008
Capacity: 63,000
Surface: Matrix Helix Turf
This brick-and-glass fieldhouse is the home for the Indianapolis Colts. The stadium located in the middle of Indianapolis has a retractable roof to allow for an open-air experience when it’s nice on game day in Indianapolis, and large glass windows that offers a nice view of the city.
Fans can access the facility through underground walkways that guard against the weather elements and the close proximity to the restaurants and bars is a nifty bonus.
There's a reason the NFL hosts the scouting combine every year in the comfy confines of Lucas Oil Stadium. It has one of the highest Q rating scores among the football facilities out there.
9. Acrisure Stadium - Pittsburgh Steelers
Year opened: 2001
Surface: Natural grass
Acrisure Stadium, once known as Heinz Field, is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The stadium provides a beautiful view as it sits on the convergence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. This venue possesses a remarkable inbuilt Museum known as the Steelers’ Hall of Honor Museum.
One of the most iconic sights in the NFL, is the Pittsburgh Steelers fans waving Terrible Towels
8. Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City Chiefs
Year opened: 1972
Capacity: 73,426
Surface: Grass
Arguably, no place in the NFL does tailgating like Arrowhead. Home to the Kansas City Chiefs, the stadium still owns the all-time record for the world's loudest stadium when the crowd was measured at 142.2 decibels during a win over the Patriots in 2014.
The “Sea of Red” that is visual in the stands blends perfectly with the noise generated by the crowd, making it a daunting task for opponents to overcome the Chiefs on the field of play.
7. Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta Falcons
Year opened: 2017
Capacity: 72,000 (expandable to 75,000)
Surface: FieldTurf
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is gorgeous, with a pinwheel design of retractable roof that opens up only over the playing field. It also has a circular video board known as “the Halo” that hangs above the field.
Fans can get an awesome view of the Atlanta skyline through the glass panels beyond the east end zone. What makes this stadium truly remarkable, is the customer-friendly principles that Falcons owner Arthur Blank built concession prices on. The 'fan-first pricing' contrasts the gouging that exists at so many stadiums.
This concept allows patrons to get $2 soda (with three free refills), a large domestic draft beer at $8.50, Nachos at $3 and hot dog at $2.
6. Lumen Field - Seattle Seahawks
Year opened: 2002
Capacity: 68,740
Surface: FieldTurf
Lumen field is home to the Seattle Seahawks and the 12th man (the self-proclaimed nickname for the Seahawks fans), who impact the game so much.
Lumen field’s unique shape was designed with noise in mind. Engineered with reflective roofs and concrete seats into an egg-like oval that act as sound mirrors giving the Seahawks one of the best home field advantages in the NFL.
The 12s have broken the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium twice of the years. The stadium is built for the ultimate fan experience covering nearly every seat under a roof, thus offering protection from the famous Seattle rain.
At Lambeau Stadium, season tickets have been sold out every season since 1960, one season after the legend Vince Lombardi became head coach.
5. AT&T Stadium – Dallas Cowboys
Year opened: 2009
Capacity: 80,000 (expandable to 100,000)
Surface: SoftTop Matrix Turf
The AT&T Stadium nicknamed “Jerry World”, is fancy and mirrors a theme park. The popular home for “America’s team”, the Dallas Cowboys, has a retractable roof and the retractable glass doors behind each end zone, which when opened electrify the venue.
One unique element of the stadium is the hologram of the team’s owner with an AI-generated ability to take questions from fans: 'Meet Jerry Jones – An Interactive Experience.
4. Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas Raiders
Year opened: 2020
Capacity: 65,000
Surface: Natural Bermuda
Allegiant stadium is located in the famous Las Vegas strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s a massive black and silver dome with an unprecedented outside videoboard attached and a colossal retractable window. It is home to the world’s largest 3d printed object: the 85-foot rendition of the Al Davis memorial torch that sits in front of the retractable windows. The Raiders futuristic mecca is truly a marvel.
3. SoFi Stadium - Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams
Year opened: 2020
Capacity: 71,500
Surface: Artificial Turf (Hellas 44oz. Matrix System)
SoFi stadium is so far the most state of the art technological stadium in the NFL. It’s not only a NFL venue but also a massive entertainment hub. The stadium has canopy that covers a majority of the stadium and a 1000 ton, 360-degree double-sided video board hanging from the ceiling appropriately named the “oculus”. The oculus offers 4K HDR views.
SoFi stadium collaborated with Google to build a cloud app that is exclusive for the stadium. The app gives fans an opportunity to quickly access replay videos of any on field plays. It's located in the heart of Inglewood and across the street from the iconic Kia Forum (formerly known as the Great Western Forum), and the newly built Intuit Dome, thus offering fans a nostalgic element as they drive up.
2. U.S Bank Stadium – Minnesota Vikings
A view of south facade of the Minnesota Vikings stadium//Getty Images
Year opened: 2016
Capacity: 66,468
Surface: Act Global Xtreme Turf
In 2016, the Minnesota Vikings rebuilt their collapsing Metro dome into a venue that looks like it was designed for NASA, not a NFL team. The spacecraft look is an absolute trendsetter that is nearly see through, with a partially translucent roof and façade that allows spectators to see the elements without actually being subject to them. Considering the sub-freezing and even sub-zero temperatures that often descend in Minneapolis late in the season, this venue couldn’t have been any better.
The stadium is actually a dome just like its predecessor, with the west side being made completely of glass, giving a view of the Minneapolis skyline.
The stadium offers fans a pervasive feeling of being in a colossal Viking long ship through attributes such as: the Norse ambience, the crowd’s Skol chant, the fake snow that falls from the rafters, the Gjallarhorn suspended above the field that a special guest sounds before the game.
1. Lambeau Field – Green Bay Packers
Year opened: 1957
Capacity: 81,041
Surface: SISGrass
Lambeau Field is the NFL’s hallowed ground, with legendary monuments surrounding the stadium. It boasts a hall of fame unlike any other. With the Ice Bowl and the Frozen Tundra, Lambeau is what all NFL stadiums should be.
It has all of the amenities required in modern NFL, with jumbo video boards in both end zones, luxury suites galore and a first-rate locker room for the Packers. While the stadium lacks the state of the art features as the others on this list, it makes up with an unrivaled history.
At Lambeau, fans can experience snow globe games that truly encompass the weather elements.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.