Wikipedia

Paycor Stadium

For the high school stadium in Massillon, Ohio, see Paul Brown Tiger 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.

Paycor Stadium
"The Jungle"
The stadium in June 2017
Paycor Stadium is located in Ohio
Paycor Stadium
Paycor Stadium
Location in Ohio
Paycor Stadium is located in the United States
Paycor Stadium
Paycor Stadium
Location in the United States
Former namesPaul Brown Stadium
(2000–2021)
Address1 Paycor Stadium
USA[1]
LocationCincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates39°05′42″N 84°30′58″W / 39.095°N 84.516°W / 39.095; -84.516
Public transitTram interchange Connector at The Banks
OwnerHamilton County
OperatorCincinnati Bengals
Executive suites114
Capacity65,515
Record attendance67,260 (Bengals vs. Dolphins, Thursday, September 29, 2022)[2]
SurfaceKentucky Bluegrass (2000–2003)
FieldTurf (2004–2011)
Act Global synthetic turf (2012–2017)
Shaw Sports Momentum Pro (2018–present)[3]
Construction
Broke groundApril 25, 1998[4]
OpenedAugust 19, 2000
24 years ago
Construction cost$455 million
($805 million in 2023 dollars[5])
ArchitectNBBJ[6]
Glaser Associates Inc.[6]
Moody Nolan[6]
Stallworth Architecture Inc.[6]
Project managerGetz Ventures[7]
Structural engineerOve Arup/Graham,
Obermeyer[6]
Services engineerFlack & Kurtz, Inc.[6]
General contractorTBMD Joint Venture (Turner/Barton Malow/D.A.G.)[6]
Tenants
Cincinnati Bengals (NFL) (2000–present)
Cincinnati Bearcats (NCAA) (2014)

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 included $555 million of public funding, 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]

History

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The stadium viewed from the river in 2022

In 1996, Hamilton County voters passed a one-half percent sales tax increase to fund the building of two new home venues for both the Bengals and MLB's Cincinnati Reds.[12] The Bengals and the Reds previously shared tenancy of Riverfront Stadium, later known as Cinergy Field, but both teams complained that the aging multipurpose facility lacked modern amenities and other things necessary for small-market teams to thrive and survive. Construction of the replacements for Cinergy Field began with the groundbreaking for the then-Paul Brown Stadium in 1998; the stadium was completed in time for the 2000 NFL season and opened in August of that year. Cinergy Field would then spend two seasons as a partially-demolished, baseball-only facility (the construction of Great American Ball Park necessitating this) before what was left of it was imploded in December 2002.

For its first four years, the field was natural Kentucky Bluegrass, but maintenance problems arose, and at one point it was rated as the third worst field in the league.[13] Hamilton County explored other options and chose the synthetic FieldTurf system.[14] The infilled artificial turf looks and feels like real grass and, since the field markings are sewn into the fabric, repainting between games is unnecessary. The reduced maintenance saved the county approximately US$100,000 annually.[citation needed] Additionally, it opens Paycor Stadium to other uses without worry of damage to the turf. The FieldTurf was installed for the 2004 season. The field is one of only two stadiums in the NFL to have "five miles of piping" running under the field to keep the rubber inlays heated.[15] In April 2012, the stadium chose to update the playing surface with an installation of Act Global synthetic turf. In 2018, the stadium was equipped with a new top-of-the-line synthetic turf system. Manufactured by Shaw Sports Turf, the product includes Strenexe XD slit-film fibers that are supported by synthetic turf backing, UltraLoc.[16] In response to player safety concerns, the Cincinnati Bengals announced in February 2024 that the stadium would be returning to the FieldTurf system, but upgrading to the newer FieldTurf CORE version, becoming the 8th NFL franchise to do so.[17]

Two LED video displays at either end zone, installed in 2000, provide a good view of the on-field action for every spectator. Over 200 feet (61 m) of ribbon display were installed along the fascia of the stadium.[18] The scoreboards and ribbons were later upgraded after the 2014 off-season to larger HD models.[19]

On August 9, 2022, the stadium entered a naming rights agreement with Paycor HCM Inc., a Cincinnati-based company founded by Robert J. Coughlin, expanding the company's sponsorship deal with the Bengals that saw the stadium renamed Paycor Stadium, with the company paying an undisclosed sum for 16 years of naming rights. This made Lambeau Field the only stadium named after a person in the league, and made it, along with Chicago's Soldier Field, the only two stadiums without a naming rights partner in the NFL.[20][21][22]

Notable events

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College football

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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.[23] On September 5, 2009, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Miami Redhawks played their opening games there.[24] 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.[25] In 2011 the Bearcats played Big East Conference opponents Louisville Cardinals and West Virginia Mountaineers at the stadium.[26] 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.[27]

List of college football games at the stadium
Date Home Team Opponent Score Attendance
September 21, 2002 Cincinnati Ohio State 19–23 66,319
September 5, 2009 Miami (OH) Kentucky 0–42 41,037
September 25, 2010 Cincinnati Oklahoma 29–31 58,253
October 15, 2011 Cincinnati Louisville 25–16 40,971
November 12, 2011 Cincinnati West Virginia 21–24 48,152
September 12, 2014 Cincinnati Toledo 58–34 31,912
September 20, 2014 Cincinnati Miami (OH) 31–24 41,926
October 4, 2014 Cincinnati Memphis 14–41 25,456
October 24, 2014 Cincinnati South Florida 34–17 30,024
November 13, 2014 Cincinnati East Carolina 54–46 19,113
December 6, 2014 Cincinnati Houston 38–31 24,606
September 8, 2018 Miami (OH) Cincinnati 0–21 16,062
September 17, 2022 Miami (OH) Cincinnati 17–38 30,109
September 19, 2026 Cincinnati Miami (OH)

Concerts

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The Cincinnati Music Festival (formerly the Cincinnati Jazz Festival) is held there every year.[28]

Date Artist Opening act(s) Tour / Concert name Attendance Revenue Notes
July 1, 2012 Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw 		Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Jake Owen 		Brothers of the Sun Tour 42,716 / 45,764 $3,495,146 The first major concert at the stadium.[29]
July 27, 2013 Fantasia – Side Effects of You Tour – – This concert was a part of the Macy's Music Festival.[30]
July 25, 2014 Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines Tour – – This concert was a part of the Macy's Music Festival.[31]
July 11, 2015 Demi Lovato Rixton Demi World Tour – – This concert was part of the MLB All-Star Game Concert.[32]
July 18, 2015 Luke Bryan Florida Georgia Line
Randy Houser
Thomas Rhett
Dustin Lynch
DJ Rock 		Kick the Dust Up Tour 52,019 / 52,019 $3,103,468
July 6, 2016 Guns N' Roses Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Not in This Lifetime... Tour 32,516 / 33,845 $2,857,336 Former GNR drummer Steven Adler was the special guest.[33][34]
May 13, 2022 Garth Brooks Mitch Rossell Stadium Tour 80,000 / 80,000 — The concert on May 14, 2022, was originally scheduled to take place on September 18, 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 14, 2022 Ghost Hounds
June 30, 2023 Taylor Swift Muna
Gracie Abrams 		The Eras Tour - - Swift's first Cincinnati show since 2010's Fearless Tour. First female act in stadium history to sell out a show and first female act in history to sell out two shows on a single tour.[35]
July 1, 2023
August 2, 2024 Luke Combs Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old Tour
August 3, 2024

Other events

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Unusual for a venue of its size, Paycor Stadium hosts the annual Queen City Classic Chess Tournament in the spring.[36]

Features

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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]

Architecture

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Paycor Stadium in 2005

The stadium was designed by architectural firm NBBJ, led by Dan Meis. It was the first NFL facility to win an AIA design award, and one of only two sports venues to be honored. The open corners allow for views into the stadium, while stadium fans can view the downtown skyline and bridges crossing the Ohio River.[37][38][39]

Paycor Stadium is the only football stadium to make a list of "America's favorite 150 buildings and structures", according to a Harris Interactive survey. It ranked 101st on the list, whose range included all manner of major structures — skyscrapers, museums, churches, hotels, bridges, national memorials and more. No other football stadium was voted among the top 150, and among all sports venues, only Wrigley Field (31) and Yankee Stadium (84) ranked higher.[2][39]

References

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  1. ^ "Paul Brown Stadium". Archived from the original on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Paul Brown Stadium – Facts and Stats". Archived from the original on 2017-05-03. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
  3. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals – Paul Brown Stadium – Shaw Sports Turf". Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  4. ^ "Bengals Break Ground on New Stadium". Portsmouth Daily Times. April 26, 1998. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  5. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Architects, Contractors and Subcontractors of Current Big Five Facility Projects". Archived from the original on 2015-06-22. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  7. ^ "Cincy Stadium Contracts Awarded for Architects/Management". Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  8. ^ "Bengals Fans, It's Time to Rule The Jungle!". Bengals.com. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  9. ^ "Guns N' Roses is about to make more money in Cincinnati: Creating a Bengals music playlist". Cincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  10. ^ a b c Albergotti, Reed; McWhirter, Cameron (2011-07-12). "Stadium's Costly Legacy Throws Taxpayers for a Loss". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  11. ^ a b "Bengals stadium has cost taxpayers $920 million". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. 2016-01-18. Archived from the original on 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  12. ^ As Revenue Plunges, Stadium Boom Adds to Municipal Woes The New York Times. December 25, 2009.
  13. ^ "Still the one: Vet NFL's worst field". Archived from the original on 2012-07-07. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  14. ^ Darian's Diary: Bengals opt for FieldTurf installation for Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium
  15. ^ Hobson, Geoff (January 7, 2010). "Thursday update: Weather check; Canned heat; Tabloid warring with Rex; Bengals top 5 in NFL TV". Bengals.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  16. ^ New Turf Being Installed at Paul Brown Stadium Archived 2023-09-19 at the Wayback Machine 2 May 2017. Bengals.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  17. ^ "New FieldTurf To Be Installed at Paycor Stadium for 2024 Season". www.bengals.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  18. ^ "Daktronics Photo Gallery: Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium". Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  19. ^ Marcum, Jason (13 August 2015). "Paul Brown Stadium updates and scoreboard upgrades: everything you need to know". Cincy Jungle. SB Nation. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals and Paycor Announce Stadium Naming Rights Partnership". bengals.com. The Cincinnati Bengals. August 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  21. ^ "Bengals sell stadium name rights to Paycor: Why only two NFL stadiums remain without corporate sponsor". sportingnews.com. The Sporting News. August 9, 2022. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  22. ^ "Paycor signs on as first naming-rights partner of Paul Brown Stadium". www.thestadiumbusiness.com. The Stadium Business. August 9, 2022. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Koch, Bill (October 10, 2007). "Stadium Switch All Right With Kelly". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  24. ^ Schmetzer, Mark (April 14, 2009). "Miami-UK Matchup About History". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  25. ^ Emig, Guerin (September 26, 2010). "OU Reserve Pryce Macon Pitches in, Slows Bearcats' Rally". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  26. ^ Koch, Bill (November 7, 2011). "Jones: 'We Haven't Played a Home Game Since Sept. 22′". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  27. ^ Clark, Dave (11 September 2017). "UC Bearcats, Miami RedHawks extend rivalry through 2029". Cincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  28. ^ "Cincinnati Music Festival". Archived from the original on 2017-10-21. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  29. ^ Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Reunite Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ WCPO Digital Staff (13 March 2013). "Macy's Music Festival announces 2013 performers". WCPO-TV. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  31. ^ Knueven-Brownleee, Amy (July 25, 2014). "This Weekend: Macy's Music Festival". Cincinnati. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  32. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (July 8, 2015). "Demi Lovato to Replace Ariana Grande at MLB All-Star Game Concert". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  33. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Steven Adler Reunites With Guns N' Roses at Cincinnati Gig". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  34. ^ "Steven Adler reunites with Guns N' Roses in Cincinnati". July 7, 2016. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  35. ^ "Paycor Stadium Concert History". January 5, 2023. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  36. ^ "March 22 & 23, 2024 23rd Annual Queen City Classic Chess Tournament". US Chess.org. 2024-01-08. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  37. ^ "- Meis Architects". Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  38. ^ "Paul Brown Stadium". Archived from the original on 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
  39. ^ a b "The Official Site of the Cincinnati Bengals". Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
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Preceded by Home of the
Cincinnati Bengals
2000–present 		Succeeded by
Present
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