Sports Spotlight

STADIUM SPOTLIGHT

With football season upon us, there's a buzz in the air that can only mean one thing: the return to the hallowed grounds where gridiron heroes are made. From the roar of the crowd to the perfectly manicured pitch, a football stadium is more than just a venue—it's the heart and soul of the beautiful game. These architectural marvels are where history is made, legends are born, and fans come together to celebrate their shared passion. Football holds reign supreme as still the most popular sport in the United States. This popularity has led to some of the largest and high tech stadiums in the world.

Staggering Numbers

• the average NFL stadium holds around 70,800 screaming fans

• Soldier Field in Chicago is the smallest still seating an impressive 61,500. 

• The largest, MetLife Stadium, can pack in a colossal 82,500 people. To put that in perspective, Albany had a population of 101,317 according to the 2024 Census

Did You Know?

• The average age of NFL stadiums is 24 years.  In the last 25 years, 21 out of the 30 NFL stadiums have been built.

• SoFi Stadium was the most expensive stadium to be built, costing $5.5 billion

• Lambeau Field is the oldest stadium still in use today, having its first game played in 1957 and the first stadium to use a heated field

• Gillette Stadium has a 100-foot tall lighthouse that glows at night with a scoreboard located beneath it.

• EverBank Stadium has 50-seat pool cabanas that can be purchased for individual games

• State Farm, AT&T, Lucas Oil, Mercedes-Benz and NRG Stadiums have retractable roofs

• Raymond James Stadium boasts a pirate ship with a cannon firing each time the home team scores.

• Levi Stadium has the largest 4k video screen with the north end screen measuring about 48 feet high and 200 feet wide.

• MetLife Stadium and SoFi stadium are the only 2 stadiums that are host to two home teams for the season.

• Lumen Field, due to its compact size, steep seating and overhanging roofs that trap noise has created deafening, world record setting, crowd noise to throw off opponents.  These fans are also known as the ‘12th Man’  

• The Chicago Bears are the NFL team holding the record for the most stadium changes with calling 11 different stadiums home.

Keeping with Tradition

Here is our annual list of creative fantasy football team names.  Best of luck to those who play!

• Hurts So Good - a nod both to John Cougar Mellencamp and of course, Jalen Hurts

• To Infinity and Bijan - A clever pun referencing the popular player Bijan Robinson. 

• Bed, Bath, and Bijan - Bijan Robinson gets double mention, incorporating a popular retail store name.

• Nacua Matata - Combines the name of Puka Nacua with the famous phrase "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King. 

• LaPorta Potty - A humorous take on Sam LaPorta, the tight end for the Lions. 

• Run CMC - A short, catchy name referring to Christian McCaffrey. 

• Sherlock Mahomes - Mystery-themed name for Patrick Mahomes. 

• Fields of Dreams - A twist on the classic movie title, referencing QB Justin Fields

• The Pollard Express - A team name playing on Tony Pollard's name and the idea of him being the express train. 

• Better Call Hall - A pun based on the TV show Better Call Saul referencing RB Breece Hall

How Many Teams Can You Match To Their Stadium?