Paycor Stadium
Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) and opened on August 19, 2000.
For the high school stadium in Massillon, Ohio, see Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.Former names
Paul Brown Stadium
(2000–2021)
1 Paycor Stadium
USA[1]
114
65,515
67,260 (Bengals vs. Dolphins, Thursday, September 29, 2022)[2]
Kentucky Bluegrass (2000–2003)
FieldTurf (2004–2011)
Act Global synthetic turf (2012–2017)
Shaw Sports Momentum Pro (2018–present)[3]
April 25, 1998[4]
August 19, 2000
24 years ago
$455 million
($805 million in 2023 dollars[5])
Getz Ventures[7]
Originally named after the Bengals' founder, Paul Brown, the stadium is currently sponsored by Paycor, is located on approximately 22 acres (8.9 ha) of land, and has a listed seating capacity of 65,515. The stadium is nicknamed "The Jungle";[8] the Guns N' Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle", is the team's unofficial anthem due in part to the nickname.[9]
The construction of the stadium was funded by taxpayers to tune of $555 million, the largest public subsidy for an NFL stadium at the time.[10] The Bengals had threatened to leave Cincinnati unless the city agreed to subsidize the stadium.[10] In 2011, The Wall Street Journal described the stadium deal as "unusually lopsided in favor of the team and risky for taxpayers."[10] Since then, additional costs have been imposed on taxpayers related to the stadium.[11] By one estimate, taxpayers will have paid $1.1 billion by 2026, the year in which the 26-year deal expires.[11]
Notable events[edit]
College football[edit]
The Cincinnati Bearcats from the University of Cincinnati and the Ohio State Buckeyes from Ohio State University played the first college football game at the stadium on September 21, 2002, before a sold-out crowd of 66,319.[22] On September 5, 2009, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Miami Redhawks played their opening games there.[23] The University of Cincinnati also played Oklahoma in 2010 at the stadium. The Sooners won the game 31–29 with 58,253 fans in attendance.[24] In 2011 the Bearcats played Big East Conference opponents Louisville Cardinals and West Virginia Mountaineers at the stadium.[25] The Bearcats returned to the stadium for the 2014 football season due to renovations of Nippert Stadium, with the largest attendance being Miami (OH) at 41,926. The average attendance was 28,840 for the year. On September 8, 2018, Miami (OH) hosted the Bearcats at the stadium for their annual Victory Bell rivalry, which will also feature games at Paycor Stadium in 2022 and 2026.[26]
Features[edit]
Paycor Stadium also houses the Bengals' administrative offices and training and practice facilities. The game field at Paycor Stadium is Momentum Pro, manufactured by Show Sports Turf. There are three smaller practice fields nearby. Two are sodded with natural grass, while the third is equipped with AstroTurf.[2]
Several local busing companies offer round trip transportation to Paycor Stadium from designated locations throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. One such example is the Cincinnati Metro's Jungle-to-Jungle Express, which originates at Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, a suburb of Cincinnati.
Premium seating options are available in 114 private suites and 7,600 club seats. Amenities include in-seat food and beverage service and access to the club lounges for fine dining options.[2]
On-site retail merchandise sales are available in the Bengals pro shop, located on the plaza level on the north end of the stadium. There are 56 concession stands and eight stores.[2]