Paycor Stadium
Hamilton County voters passed a one-half percent sales tax increase in 1996 to fund the building of two new home venues for both the Bengals and MLB's Cincinnati Reds. The Bengals had threatened to leave Cincinnati unless the city agreed to subsidize the stadium. Construction 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. The construction included $555 million of public funding, which was the largest public subsidy for an NFL stadium at the time. In 2011, The Wall Street Journal described the stadium deal as unusually lopsided in favor of the team and risky for taxpayers. By one estimate, taxpayers will have paid $1.1 billion by 2026, the year in which the 26-year deal expires.
The stadium was designed by architectural firm NBBJ, led by Dan Meis. It was the first NFL facility to win an AIA design award. The open corners allow for views into the stadium while fans can view the downtown skyline and bridges crossing the Ohio River. Two LED video displays were installed at either end zone in 2000 to provide a good view of on-field action for every spectator. Over 300 feet of ribbon display were installed along the fascia of the stadium. The scoreboards and ribbons were later upgraded after the 2014 off-season to larger HD models. 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 like skyscrapers, museums, churches, hotels, bridges, national memorials and more.
For its first four years, the field was natural Kentucky Bluegrass but maintenance problems arose quickly. At one point it was rated as the third worst field in the league. Hamilton County explored other options and chose the synthetic FieldTurf system. The infilled artificial turf looks and feels like real grass since the field markings are sewn into the fabric. Repainting between games became unnecessary because the reduced maintenance saved the county approximately US$100,000 annually. 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. 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. In February 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals announced that the stadium would be returning to the FieldTurf system but upgrading to the newer FieldTurf CORE version.
On the 9th of August 2022, the stadium entered a naming rights agreement with Paycor HCM Inc., a Cincinnati-based company founded by Robert J. Coughlin. The company paid an undisclosed sum for 16 years of naming rights. This made Lambeau Field the only stadium named after a person in the league. It also made this venue along with Chicago's Soldier Field the only two stadiums without a naming rights partner in the NFL before the deal. The stadium is currently sponsored by Paycor and has a listed seating capacity of 65,515. Originally named after the Bengals' founder Paul Brown, the stadium is now known as Paycor Stadium.
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes played the first college football game at the stadium on the 21st of September 2002. A sold-out crowd of 66,319 watched the match which ended with a score of 19, 23. On the 5th of September 2009, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Miami Redhawks played their opening games there. 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. In 2014 the Bearcats returned to the stadium due to renovations of Nippert Stadium. The largest attendance that year was for a game against Miami (OH) with 41,926 spectators. On the 8th of September 2018, Miami (OH) hosted the Bearcats at the stadium for their annual Victory Bell rivalry.
The Cincinnati Music Festival held every year features major musical performances within the venue. On the 1st of July 2012, Kenny Chesney performed before an audience of 42,716 people generating $3,495,146 in revenue. This marked the first major concert at the stadium. Guns N' Roses appeared on the 6th of July 2016 as part of their Not in This Lifetime... Tour. Former GNR drummer Steven Adler was the special guest during this performance. Taylor Swift headlined The Eras Tour on the 30th of June 2023 and the 14th of May 2022. Her shows were the first female acts in stadium history to sell out two shows on a single tour. Garth Brooks played a sold-out crowd of 80,000 on the 13th of May 2022. The concert was originally scheduled for the 18th of September 2021 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unusual for a venue of its size, Paycor Stadium hosts the annual Queen City Classic Chess Tournament in the spring.
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Common questions
When did Hamilton County voters approve the tax increase to fund Paycor Stadium?
Hamilton County voters passed a one-half percent sales tax increase in 1996 to fund the building of two new home venues for both the Bengals and MLB's Cincinnati Reds. The stadium was completed in time for the 2000 NFL season and opened in August of that year.
Who designed Paycor Stadium and what award did it win?
The stadium was designed by architectural firm NBBJ, led by Dan Meis. It was the first NFL facility to win an AIA design award.
What type of playing surface does Paycor Stadium use as of February 2024?
In February 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals announced that the stadium would be returning to the FieldTurf system but upgrading to the newer FieldTurf CORE version. 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.
When did Paycor HCM Inc. secure naming rights for the stadium?
On the 9th of August 2022, the stadium entered a naming rights agreement with Paycor HCM Inc., a Cincinnati-based company founded by Robert J. Coughlin. The company paid an undisclosed sum for 16 years of naming rights.
Which college football games were played at Paycor Stadium between 2002 and 2018?
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes played the first college football game at the stadium on the 21st of September 2002. On the 5th of September 2009, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Miami Redhawks played their opening games there, and the University of Cincinnati also played Oklahoma in 2010 at the stadium.