You don't have to visit Northwest Stadium (previously FedEx Field) or even be a Washington Commanders fan to know that it's the worst NFL stadium in the league. It's so bad that it's become a meme. The stadium is falling apart, and in January 2022, cameras caught it happening live. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was walking to the locker room and, along the way, he stopped to offer some high-fives to some fans in the stands. The railing between them fell, and the fans tumbled onto the field, nearly crushing Hurts in the process. Before that, fans filmed sewage pouring into the stands.
As if that's not enough, fans don't like going to Northwest Stadium for other reasons too, such as the ridiculous traffic surrounding the stadium, the overpriced food, expensive parking, and the fact that many seats don't offer a great view of the action of the field. Throw in the fact that the team hasn't been that great in recent years and the controversy surrounding the team's name change, and it's fitting that fans just aren't that into FedEx Field. It's not unusual to see the stands somewhat empty during a home game.
The concession situation feels like a lesson in how to let down hungry spectators. Staff shortages force vendors to close early, leaving fourth-quarter crowds searching for food amidst malfunctioning vending machines.
Acknowledging that a simple name change wouldn’t suffice, the aging Northwest Stadium is finally set for demolition. In its place, a new state-of-the-art stadium is planned to rise on the former RFK Stadium site, with completion anticipated by 2030.
Formerly Paul Brown Stadium, Paycor Stadium opened in 2000 in Cincinnati, and it offers some great views of the city skyline, but the positive notes end there for the most part. The word "cheap" is often used when talking about going to a Bengals game as in you can usually find cheap food and parking, which is good, but often the word is associated with the stadium features themselves as well as the overall atmosphere. Fans say the stadium needs updating and an uptick in excitement.
To be fair, up until 2021, the Bengals hadn't been giving fans much to get excited about in recent years, but tried-and-true supporters want to show their love for the team. It's kind of hard to do when you can't hear the music being played during a game and there isn't much going on to pump up the crowd.
The stadium's design feels like it was created by someone who had never actually attended a football game. Narrow concourses turn into human traffic jams whenever fans try to grab a beer or use the restroom. The result? You'll spend more time navigating crowded hallways than actually watching the Bengals play, which might be a blessing in disguise.
Even with passionate fans filling every seat, the stadium somehow feels lifeless. The acoustics seem designed to dampen, rather than amplify, the roar of the crowd, leaving the atmosphere as flat as a library during finals week. Even when the Bengals pull off an incredible play, the energy dissipates, lost somewhere within those cold, unyielding concrete walls.
MetLife Stadium, built in 2010, is home to the New York Giants and the New York Jets...and hundreds of feral cats. One even ran onto the field during a game in 2019. It's the biggest stadium in the NFL, which is great, but size alone doesn't do it any favors with fans.
First, it's expensive. Fans say food and beverages are overpriced, and the prices for parking are well-known for being some of the highest in the NFL. But even beyond all that, MetLife Stadium is just kind of unattractive. Across the web, you'll find fans describing it with words like "gray" and "drab" and one even said it's like hanging out on the inside of a dull radiator.
MetLife Stadium is a paradox, managing to feel both enormous and uncomfortably cramped at once. With all that space, you'd expect wide, open concourses, but instead, halftime turns into a shoulder-to-shoulder shuffle through overcrowded walkways. It’s hard not to question why premium ticket prices come with such a claustrophobic experience.
The most frustrating aspect of the stadium is how it feels more like a product of corporate committees than a shrine to the sport. Every surface is plastered with branding, shouting "sponsorship opportunity" rather than celebrating the spirit of champions. It’s as if the soul of football has been stripped away, replaced by the sterile atmosphere of a business conference. Is it any wonder the teams struggle to create a legendary home-field advantage when their stadium feels more like a convention center than a battlefield?
The Buffalo Bills have been playing some great football in recent years and if players like franchise quarterback Josh Allen have anything to do with it, they'll keep that up for years to come. They're also slated to get a new stadium sometime before 2030 but, in the meantime, fans are stuck with Highmark Stadium, which has been described as a "dinosaur." It was built in the 1970s, and it has the look and amenities to prove it.
Few things have been upgraded in the decades since. Not to mention, traffic around the stadium is a nightmare when there's a home game. The worst part of all of it is that Buffalo can get pretty darn cold during football season, and fans often find themselves sitting in single-digit temperatures for hours on end.
The true test of adventure at Highmark Stadium comes during halftime, when navigating the restrooms becomes a mission of its own. These facilities, seemingly untouched by progress since the Clinton era, showcase a mix of broken stall doors and questionable puddles that may—or may not—be water. Entering feels less like a modern convenience and more like stepping into an unintentional time capsule no one wanted to preserve.
One of the most entertaining sights at Highmark Stadium is watching out-of-town fans brave their first Buffalo winter game. The concrete benches turn into frozen slabs, icy winds cut through every crevice of the stadium, and suddenly, that $12 cup of hot chocolate feels like a steal. By the fourth quarter, the crowd is less focused on the game and more on huddling together for warmth.
We hated to put both of Ohio's NFL stadiums on the list, but if you want an excellent football experience in the Buckeye State, you'll probably have to head out to a college game. FirstEnergy Stadium is home to the Cleveland Browns, and while the Browns do have a great fan base, the stadium itself, which was built in 1999, is just sort of lackluster. It doesn't offer much in the way of excitement unless you count the fans' energy.
Considering the most exciting thing that's ever happened in the stadium is that the team broke a 19-game losing streak, it takes a lot to bring energy to a home game. The 2022 season will be even worse due to the whole Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield debacles. Throw in the fact that most games are extremely cold, thanks to the wind coming in off Lake Erie, and it's just easier to stay home and watch the Browns lose on TV.
The restroom situation at Huntington Bank Field deserves its own cautionary tale. These facilities seem frozen in time, complete with flickering fluorescent lights and mysterious stains that have achieved permanent resident status. During peak usage times, the lines stretch so long that fans miss entire quarters, turning bathroom breaks into strategic decisions worthy of a coaching timeout.
Perhaps most amusing is how the stadium's lakefront location becomes a meteorological nightmare during Browns games. That scenic Lake Erie breeze transforms into arctic punishment, whipping through the concrete bowl like nature's own personal vendetta against football fans. By December, attending a game feels less like entertainment and more like an endurance challenge that would make survival show contestants weep.
Raymond James Stadium recently hosted a Super Bowl, and it's home to Tom Brady these days, so it's hard to imagine that it's not such a great place, but it has to go on the list. Sure, it has a 103-foot pirate ship. But that's about all it has. One of fans' biggest complaints about Raymond James is the location.
It doesn't sit right on Tampa Bay or even in the heart of the city of Tampa — it's right next to Tampa International Airport. That means traffic is troublesome, and there isn't a lot to do in the area. Parking is hard to come by, food is expensive, and customer service is lacking. During football season, those Sunday Florida afternoons can be hot and humid.
The concession experience at Raymond James Stadium feels like shelling out premium prices for subpar airport food—only somehow more disappointing. Long lines wind around corners as overwhelmed vendors struggle to meet demand, forcing fans to choose between enjoying the game or grabbing a bite that barely qualifies as edible. Paying $15 for bland, cardboard-like nachos while seated next to a pirate ship is a bitter irony that doesn’t go unnoticed.
What really gets fans fired up is the parking nightmare that turns every game into an expensive scavenger hunt. You'll circle the airport area for what feels like hours, dodging planes overhead while searching for a spot that doesn't cost more than your ticket. By the time you finally park and walk to the stadium, you've missed the opening kickoff and your enthusiasm has evaporated faster than water in that Florida heat.
Nissan Stadium, home to the Tennessee Titans, does have some things going for it. Its location, for example, is outstanding. Step outside, and cross a bridge, and you're in the heart of Nashville's live music scene. But step away from all that glitz and glamor, and you don't have much to work with. The stadium was built in 1999, and fans say it's kind of falling apart.
It's in desperate need of some repairs and upgrades that don't seem to be happening. There's not much of a tailgating scene, and the atmosphere inside the stadium is kind of boring. Throw in the fact that it's one of the more expensive stadiums to visit, and you understand why Nissan made the list.
The concession stands at Nissan Stadium feel like they're stuck in a time warp, offering the same bland hot dogs and stale nachos that have been disappointing fans since Y2K. Staff moves at glacial speed while prices soar to astronomical heights, creating the perfect storm of expensive mediocrity that leaves your wallet empty and your taste buds wondering what they did to deserve this punishment.
What’s most frustrating is how the stadium manages to feel utterly devoid of energy, even during the most thrilling moments on the field. Its concrete bowl design seems almost deliberately crafted to stifle crowd noise, transforming deafening cheers into subdued murmurs. It’s as if someone built an NFL stadium with the acoustics of a library and conveniently forgot to lift the silence policy.
What's particularly amusing about Hard Rock Stadium is how they've managed to position it in Miami Gardens, which might as well be on another planet compared to the actual city of Miami. Fans spend more time navigating confusing highway exits and strip mall parking lots than they do watching football. It's like someone decided the perfect spot for a stadium was wherever fans would be most inconvenienced.
The real entertainment begins when you try to leave after a game and discover that Miami traffic doesn't follow the same rules as the rest of civilization. You'll sit in your car longer than the actual game lasted, watching the sun set over endless rows of brake lights while your air conditioning struggles against that relentless Florida humidity. By the time you finally escape the parking nightmare, you'll need another vacation just to recover.
Built in 1987, Miami's Hard Rock Stadium has become something of a modern landmark. While it frequently hosts Super Bowls and has seen a number of upgrades in recent years, it hasn’t exactly won over the hearts of Dolphins fans. Attendance at home games remains lackluster, with one major culprit standing out: the hassle of driving.
To start, the stadium isn’t actually in Miami—it’s in Miami Gardens, a city about 15 miles north of Miami. The surrounding area doesn’t offer much to do, and even if it did, the infamous traffic would likely keep you from enjoying it. In fact, traffic is such a headache that Dolphins fans are often late to games. Combine that with South Florida’s hot, humid weather, and staying home in the comfort of your air-conditioned living room starts to sound like the better option.
For some reason, Florida NFL teams just can't get their stadiums right, and Jacksonville's TIAA Bank Field, renamed EverBank, is a great example of this. We'll start with the good stuff. The stadium sits on the St. Johns River, which means you get a nice view from the area. There's also a swimming pool inside where fans can pay to watch games from the water. That's about all we can come up with.
Fans say the stadium leaks when it rains, and the walkways are poorly designed. The vendor areas are often crowded due to poor planning, and one of the parking lots is said to be built on contaminated land from an old industrial incident. It doesn't help that the Jaguars haven't done much on the field to draw some fan spirit in recent years.
The true challenge at EverBank Stadium begins when halftime hits, and navigating the concourses becomes an adventure of its own. Designed with little consideration for football game crowds, the narrow walkways quickly turn into chaotic bottlenecks as fans swarm for refreshments. The result is a claustrophobic ordeal that leaves you wondering if you’re at an NFL game or trapped in an overpriced labyrinth.
What's particularly entertaining is how the stadium's vendors seem to operate on their own mysterious schedule, randomly closing stands throughout the game and leaving fans scrambling for overpriced hot dogs. Combined with restroom facilities that appear frozen in the early 2000s and Wi-Fi that connects about as reliably as the Jaguars score touchdowns, EverBank Stadium delivers a perfectly frustrating experience that matches the team's on-field struggles.
Levi's Stadium is one of the newer stadiums on the list, as it was built in 2014. Unfortunately, 49ers fans weren't impressed then, and haven't been ever since. The home to the San Francisco 49ers isn't in San Francisco — it's in Santa Clara. Fans didn't like that nor did they like the traffic that came with the move to the new city. The stadium has been described as having a "corporate" look with no character, history, or charm.
The worst part is the sun. The way the stadium is built, the sun shines right down on many of the seats, making them hot to the touch and blinding spectators at certain parts of the day. It seems like someone didn't properly think this through.
Buying concessions at Levi's Stadium feels less like grabbing a snack and more like stumbling into a dystopian marketplace where mediocrity is sold at luxury prices. The lines? Slower than Bay Area traffic on a Friday night, but without the excuse of an accident to justify the misery. And the food? Imagine cafeteria leftovers, reheated and resentfully handed over by staff who look as shocked as you are that anyone actually showed up to pay for this stuff. Bon appétit.
What really seals the deal is how the stadium's high-tech features work about as reliably as the team's playoff chances in recent years. The fancy amenities constantly glitch out, leaving fans staring at blank screens and malfunctioning escalators while trying to navigate this concrete spaceship. You'll spend more time troubleshooting the venue than actually enjoying the game, making you wonder if they beta-tested this place on actual humans.
Located in Uptown Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium, which is home to the Carolina Panthers, isn't that old, but fans say it's one of the most dated stadiums in the league. It was built in 1996 and has since undergone several upgrades, but that hasn't helped it gain much favorability.
The stadium lacks amenities or anything to make it stand out. It could be the generic stadium used to film a movie or TV show from any decade in the 20th century. The tailgating scene is barely there, and it seems like construction is always going on around the stadium, so fans often have to park a good distance away and walk to the game.
The seating layout, while functional, doesn't offer the intimacy or energy that fans crave during a game. Additionally, the stadium's location in Uptown Charlotte, while convenient, doesn't provide the vibrant pre-game atmosphere seen in other NFL cities with more robust tailgating cultures.
Combined with ongoing construction in the area, which often complicates parking and access, the overall experience feels more like a chore than an event.
Heinz Field opened in Pittsburgh in 2001, although you'd think it's been around longer. The team, the fans, and the overall atmosphere have turned it into one of the most exciting places to catch an NFL game. The location offers gorgeous views of the Ohio River, and you can't beat the sight of fans waving those yellow towels. So, what's the problem?
Well, in 2022, Heinz Field was renamed Acrisure Stadium. Fans weren't happy with the change, and some even went as far as to say it will impact the atmosphere. Beyond that, traffic can be quite difficult in that area of Pittsburgh, and going to a game is just plain expensive, from the price of a ticket to the price of parking to the price of a cold beer. Fans also say the stadium is in desperate need of some upgrades. If you aren't a fan of the home team, coming to the stadium can be an even bigger issue because Steelers fans have been voted one of the most hostile groups in the NFL.
Acrisure Stadium's seating design is another point of contention for fans. Many sections offer obstructed or awkward sightlines, leaving spectators craning their necks or leaning uncomfortably to catch the action. The stadium's aging infrastructure struggles to keep up with modern expectations, with narrow concourses
The real kicker is trying to navigate those cramped concourses when 68,000 fans decide they need refreshments at the exact same moment. These narrow walkways transform into human sardine cans, where you'll get intimately acquainted with strangers while desperately searching for an escape route. It's like playing an expensive game of human Tetris, except nobody wins.
The New England Patriots have been one of the most explosive teams of the 21st century, so you would think they'd have an exciting stadium to match. You'd be wrong. For a team that represents an entire region of the country, you'd think the stadium wouldn't be located in a remote area like Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is about 22 miles outside of Boston. That alone can make traffic a nightmare. Fans have complained of it taking hours just to get out of the parking lot after a game.
The other issue at Gillette is the price. Even though Tom Brady is gone, and New England is no longer an automatic playoff contender, it's thought to be the most expensive stadium to visit. Finally, Patriots fans have a reputation for being fairly rude to anyone who isn't a homer.
The real adventure at Gillette Stadium begins when you try to escape the parking lot after a Patriots loss, which feels like being trapped in a very expensive automotive purgatory. You'll sit in your car for what feels like hours, watching fellow fans contemplate their life choices while inching forward at a pace that makes glaciers look speedy.
What's truly impressive is how they've managed to make every single aspect of the stadium experience cost more than your monthly grocery budget. From parking fees that could fund a small vacation to concession prices that make airport food seem reasonable, Gillette Stadium has perfected the art of separating fans from their hard-earned money with surgical precision.
M&T Bank Stadium is somewhere in the middle of the road when it comes to NFL stadiums. It's not awful, but it's not great. The main reason for that is its urban location. Traffic and parking can be terrible to contend with on game day. Fans have complained of waiting for long periods of time for parking and never finding a space.
For a while, fans also thought the stadium felt dated, but in recent years, improvements like LED lights and elevators have been added to bring it into the 21st century.
M&T Bank Stadium falls short in delivering a seamless fan experience, especially when compared to other NFL venues. One glaring issue is the lack of a public fan shop accessible from the street or open during the off-season. For a team with such a passionate fanbase, this absence feels like a missed opportunity to engage with supporters year-round.
Accessibility and infrastructure around the stadium also leave much to be desired. Certain segments of the stadium sidewalks are in disrepair, riddled with cracks, uneven surfaces, and poorly placed ramps. For fans with mobility challenges, navigating these paths can be frustrating and potentially unsafe ordeal.
Soldier Field is the oldest NFL stadium — it was initially built in 1924, although as you can imagine it's undergone many changes since then. It's also the smallest stadium in the NFL. That's great if you like history and tradition, but the actual game-day experience isn't quite so appealing unless you like to wait.
You'll wait to find a parking space, wait in long lines for food and beverages, and wait quite a while to get through security. Another common complaint is that upgrades over the last couple of decades have taken away the stadium's unique charm.
Attending a concert at Soldier Field can feel more like a hassle than a fun night out. Traffic to the venue is notoriously bad, often leaving fans stuck and arriving late. Exiting the stadium is even worse, with poorly managed crowds and a lack of clear signage turning a simple exit into a chaotic ordeal.
The audio quality at Soldier Field concerts is another major letdown. Despite hosting some of the biggest names in music, the sound system often fails to deliver the clarity and power you'd expect. This is especially disappointing when tickets are expensive, leaving fans feeling like they paid a premium for a subpar experience.
