Tag: Empower Field At Mile High

Broncos fans left Thursday’s game before overtime even started

Thoughts on this, Broncos fans?

Denver Broncos fans are clearly fed up with the team’s offense.

After six years of underwhelming performances, the Broncos seemingly addressed their biggest need this offseason when they brought in quarterback Russell Wilson, who was believed to be the missing piece capable of turning things around.

Instead, the offense has continued to struggle, outside of a few sporadic promising moments. Denver’s offense managed to score just nine points on Thursday and they punted five times.

Wilson was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. The offense looked so poor that when the game was set to go into overtime tied at 9-9, some Broncos fans started to leave before the extra period even started.

And before the early exits, Denver fans booed Wilson and the offense multiple times after various miscues. It’s become very clear that the fans are fed up with the product the Broncos have been putting on the field.

Denver had 4,965 no-shows at Thursday’s game. If the offense doesn’t turn things around quickly, the team’s 76,125-seat stadium might begin to see even worse attendance in the coming weeks.

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Broncos’ stadium to host Air Force-Army game in 2023

College football will return to the Broncos’ stadium in 2023. Empower Field at Mile High will host Air Force-Navy next fall.

College football will return to the Denver Broncos’ stadium in 2023.

Empower Field at Mile High will host the Air Force-Navy game on Nov. 4 next year, the team announced Sunday.

“We are looking forward to partnering with the Denver Broncos to host the Air Force vs. Army game next season,” Air Force director of athletics Nathan Pine said in a statement. “Construction on our east side renovation project will not allow us to showcase the service academy rivalry game in Falcon Stadium the way we want to.

“While the end result at Falcon Stadium will be well worth it, hosting the game at Empower Field in 2023 and working closely with the Broncos staff will create a memorable experience for our players and our fans and will keep the important advantage of playing this game in Colorado.”

Tickets to the game will go on sale in February.

This year’s game between the Falcons and Black Knights will be played at Globe Life Field, home of MLB’s Texas Rangers. The Air Force leads the all-time series against the Army 33-16-1 since 1959.

Earlier this month, the Broncos hosted the University of Colorado and Texas A&M University on Sept. 11. The Aggies defeated the Buffaloes 10-7.

Empower Field at Mile High has hosted 18 Division I college football games since the stadium opened in 2001.

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Broncos QB Russell Wilson eager to play in front of home fans in Week 2

“To come here and to play at home at this stadium at Empower Field at Mile High, it’s going to be really special,” Russell Wilson said.

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson did not receive a warm welcome when he returned to Lumen Field to face his former team in Week 1.

Seattle Seahawks fans booed Wilson from start to finish, and Denver lost 17-16 to open the season.

Wilson will receive a much better welcome the Broncos host the Houston Texans at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 2.

“I’m super excited to play here at home,” Wilson said Wednesday. “I’ve obviously gotten to experience the home energy during preseason and running out for the first time, but this is going to be a monumental moment, in a way, for me. I’m excited about it because these fans are the best in the world.

“I was stunned how many fans were able to travel to the game up in Seattle. There was a ton of orange in the crowd and how loud it was. It was a really special crowd there, so to come here and to play at home at this stadium at Empower Field at Mile High, it’s going to be really special. I can’t wait.”

Denver’s stadium holds 76,125 fans and every home game this season has already sold out. Wilson’s eager to play in front of a home crowd, and the fans will be eager to see the Broncos’ new quarterback make his home debut on Sunday.

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Broncos owners aren’t rushing decision on stadium

“We’ll evaluate all of our options and dig in to understand the situation before making any decision,” Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner said.

The Denver Broncos have a new ownership group, and fans are curious to know what changes might be in store for the team — changes such as potential new uniforms and a potential new stadium.

We know there won’t be new uniforms right away (the earliest changes could be made is 2023, and perhaps more realistically in 2024).

So how about Empower Field at Mile High? Will the team’s new ownership group build a new super stadium to rival SoFi Stadium?

Nothing’s imminent.

“It’s premature to start talking about a new stadium,” Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner said last week. “I’ll say that Empower Field at Mile High is a world-class facility. It’s hosted, obviously, football games, terrific other sporting events and entertainment events.

“We have a good partnership with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District and have almost 10 years left on our lease. We’ll evaluate all of our options and dig in to understand the situation before making any decision.”

The Broncos might not necessarily wait the entire 10 years before making a decision, but they don’t appear to be in a rush to make big changes. The team will obviously remain at Empower Field for at least the 2022 season. Beyond that, who knows? But fans shouldn’t expect a new stadium announcement anytime soon.

“We have some time to go out and see what the different options are — consider everything and then make a decision,” Penner said.

Word on potential new uniforms will likely arrive much sooner than word on a potential new stadium. For now, Empower Field remains the team’s home.

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Sportico lists Broncos as 10th-most valuable team in the NFL

Sportico says the #Broncos are the 10th-most valuable team in the NFL, with a projected revenue of $540 million in 2022.

Before the Denver Broncos were sold, Forbes estimated that the team was worth $3.75 billion last August.

One year later, another website has the Broncos valued significantly higher. Sportico has released its valuations of NFL teams and Denver’s franchise is worth an estimated $4.65 billion.

It’s no coincidence that $4.65 billion is exactly what the team’s (pending) new ownership group agreed to pay for the team earlier this summer. Sportico has the Broncos listed as the 10th-most valuable team in the NFL, with a 22% increase in value since last year.

Here’s part of what Kurt Badenhausen wrote about the sale on Sportico’s website:

The Broncos sold for roughly nine times 2021 revenue, versus the six times David Tepper paid for the Carolina Panthers in 2018, which was the last NFL sale and the previous NFL record deal at $2.28 billion. The Broncos are projected to generate $540 million in revenue for 2022. Scarcity value plays a significant role in the valuations, with only two teams changing hands since 2013 before the Denver deal. An added bonus: Walton should be able to write off roughly $4 billion of the purchase price to offset his income, thanks to how tax law treats the acquisition of intangible assets.

The Broncos are the most valuable team in the AFC West, above the Las Vegas Raiders ($4.08 billion), Los Angeles Chargers ($3.62 billion) and Kansas City Chiefs (3.54 billion).

The Dallas Cowboys ($7.64 billion) are considered the most valuable team in the league while the Cincinnati Bengals ($2.84 billion) are considered the least valuable. To view the complete list, visit Sportico.com.

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Denver not selected to host World Cup games in 2026

Denver (and the Broncos’ stadium) was not selected to host World Cup matches in 2026.

FIFA announced 16 cities from the United States, Mexico and Canada that will co-host 2026 World Cup matches on Thursday evening.

Denver was a finalist to host World Cup matches but was not selected. Had the city won its bid, the Denver Broncos would have been set to host games at their stadium, Empower Field at Mile High. (Of course, new owner Rob Walton might plan to build a brand new stadium.)

Missing out on World Cup matches is unfortunate for the city, but Denver will undoubtedly host other international soccer games in the coming years.

The Broncos hosted four Concacaf Nations League games at their stadium last summer, including the U.S. men’s national team’s 3-2 win over Mexico in the Nation’s League final. The team’s stadium has also hosted Concacaf Gold Cup games and friendly matches in the past in the well.

The U.S. cities that were selected to host World Cup games in 2026 are Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami and New York/New Jersey.

Mexico will host games in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City; Canada will host games in Vancouver and Toronto.

The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar this summer.

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Denver Fire Dept. contains fire at Broncos’ stadium

The Denver Fire Dept. contained a fire at the #Broncos’ stadium Thursday. There were no injuries.

The Denver Fire Department contained a fire at Empower Field at Mile High on Thursday afternoon. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The fire “affected the suite [area] and the third level seating area,” the fire department posted on Twitter before later posting that the fire is now under control.

Workers were evacuated from the stadium when the fire started, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis, who also reported the seats will be replaced and the suits will be repaired in the coming weeks.

The stadium’s official Twitter account released the following statement:

A small fire that occurred in a construction zone near the East Club Lounge at Empower Field at Mile High has been contained by @Denver_Fire.

That area of the stadium was quickly evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries sustained.

The next event scheduled to be held at the stadium is Monster Jam, which will take place on April 23. The Denver Broncos are set to return to the stadium for preseason games in August.

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Broncos will miss fans in Week 1, hope to host fans later in season

The Broncos won’t host fans at their stadium in Week 1 but they are hopeful fans will be allowed to attend games later in the season.

The Broncos announced Friday that they won’t have any fans in attendance when they host the Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

It’s disappointing but not a surprising development as the team prepares to play a season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re going to miss our fans . . . . they’ve given us a great boost and advantage at home,” coach Vic Fangio said. “We love playing in front of them. There’s a love affair between the fans and the players and the team. We’re going to miss it.

“Hopefully at some point here we can keep doing the job with the COVID that we’re doing in the NFL and eventually get some fans in there hopefully.”

Denver remains optimistic about potentially hosting a limited number of fans at home games later in the season. Broncos right tackle Elijah Wilkinson said it’s “definitely a bummer” to not have fans in Week 1 but he noted that the team will need to play well regardless.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect us at all,” Wilkinson said. “Whether there’s no fans, no noise or whatever. We’re coming to play some football — we’re coming to win games. I don’t think fans are really going to make an impact on that, but it’s definitely nice to have them.”

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Broncos will play first game without fans at Empower Field at Mile High

The Broncos will not have fans in attendance when they host the Titans in Week 1.

The Denver Broncos will not have fans in attendance when they host the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Broncos announced Monday that they will not host fans at Empower Field at Mile High for their season opener on Sept. 14 but they hope to “host a limited number of fans on a gradually increasing basis beginning early this season,” the team said in a statement on their official website.

Ben Swanson, the managing editor of DenverBroncos.com, wrote Friday that the team “hopes to eventually increase the ability for fans to attend games over the course of the season, perhaps beginning as early as the Broncos’ Week 3 game against Tampa Bay.”

After hosting the Titans in Week 1, the Broncos will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in Week 2 before returning home to face Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in their third contest of the season. That’s the earliest possible date for fans to potentially attend a game in Denver this fall.

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Broncos announce limited capacity, mask requirement for 2020 games

The Broncos announced Wednesday that fans will have to wear masks at Empower Field at Mile High this season.

The Denver Broncos announced in a memo to season ticket holders on Wednesday that capacity will be limited at Empower Field at Mile High this season. Fans who do not want to attend games because of the COVID-19 pandemic will be given refunds or credit toward their 2021 tickets.

Season ticket holders have until Aug. 14 — the day before the originally scheduled start of preseason — to opt-out of attending games this season. Fans who do attend games will be required to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

The team has “also taken other proactive measures to increase the cleanliness of our stadium, adding cashless concession options, touchless bathroom fixtures, sanitation stations and the latest air purification technology,” according to part of the memo.

The memo makes it clear this season will be a unique one. The memo also makes it clear the team is still planning for a fall season. The end of the letter says, “We look forward to a successful — and safe — 2020 season.”

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