With stadium technology getting more advanced by the year, the NFL has long emphasized getting fans out of their homes and attending games instead. As a result, new state-of-the art stadiums have been popping up practically every year around the nation.
Still, there are some older stadiums that have managed to withstand the test of time due to upgrades and a good tradition like Lambeau Field and Arrowhead Stadium. Unfortunately, due to a mix of new stadiums being built, the lack of wins, and neglecting to make important upgrades, TIAA Bank Field is not among them. Many casual (and even some local) fans probably don’t consider it comparable to either of those iconic stadiums, as evidenced by the recent rankings of the five best and worst stadiums by the personal experiences of writers at The Athletic.
The venue unfortunately tallied the second-worst score in The Athletic’s survey with only FedEx Field ranking lower. Mercifully, only one voter placed TIAA Bank Field atop their list of the worst stadiums, according to writer Jon Machota, but it was mentioned in 18 ballots.
Former Jaguars reporter/current Chargers reporter Daniel Popper:
“Jaguars owner Shad Khan has attempted to spice up his team’s outdated home stadium in recent years. He added pool cabanas to the premium seating and spent more than $60 million on the world’s largest video boards, which cover nearly the entire east and west ends of the stadium. But the splashy purchases have done little to mask the deficiencies of this building. Fans brave enough to attend home games early in the season have to deal with absolutely blistering heat and sun in certain parts of the stands. The stadium hasn’t received a significant renovation (defined as in excess of $300 million) since it was erected in 1995 — something it desperately needs. During that span, the Bills are the only other NFL team to not either build a new stadium or conduct significant renovations. Until that happens in Jacksonville, The Bank will linger on the depths of lists such as these.”
The Jags’ stadium situation is one we discussed frequently on our former flagship podcast “The Jags Den Podcast.” While TIAA Bank Field certainly doesn’t belong that close to the bottom, when comparing it to other stadiums, it probably should be around the No. 25 range or just outside of it.
One big reason the stadium is frequently ranked amongst the most unimpressive is because of the heat, as mentioned above by former Jags beat writer Daniel Popper. Add to that fact that most of the fan’s time in the sweltering heat has come with losses and you have a very undesirable stadium situation.
While having pools, cabanas and the world’s largest video screens are nice, none of those features are enjoyable without the standard amenity of cover, or at least a winning team. Without that, those features are essentially being used to draw in fans to watch a poor product.
In modern times, building a stadium with a permanent or retractable roof feels like the standard, but the Jags, who play in one of the NFL’s hottest climates, don’t even have a partial roof. Any fan who has suffered through a September regular season game at TIAA Bank Field would likely agree that it needs to change soon.
An option we’ve discussed on our podcast in the past is a canopy like the one that was added onto Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, an area with similar weather. The roof, which covers a majority of the seats, was part of a more than $500 million makeover that took three years. Those same renovations helped the team to eventually host a Super Bowl earlier this year.
Also, as Popper mentioned, other venues around the same age have surpassed the Jags because they are one of only two teams who haven’t made significant renovations (again, defined as in excess of $300 million). In hindsight, the argument could be made that the money used towards the video boards, pools, cabanas, and the other additions may have been better used towards major renovations like Miami’s.
The Jags have already mentioned the major renovations that will be needed for TIAA Bank Field prior to this year. However, with the pandemic curbing plenty of activities around the league, discussions on what approach to take have halted. Hopefully, those discussions will resume once things return to normal.