The Cincinnati Bengals NFL team has announced that it will make a significant private investment of US$100-120 million to upgrade Paycor Stadium.
With unanimous support from NFL Owners and the League’s Finance Committee, the Bengals will launch major improvements to Paycor Stadium with construction running through 2026. Projects will be in fan-facing areas that include updated video and audio systems, renovations to suites and club lounges, concession upgrades and beautification projects.
“The Bengals are continuing to invest in our future here in Cincinnati,” said Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn. “We are lucky to have a great stadium and we are proud to invest in this great asset to help make it a best-in-class facility. We love our fans and can think of no better way to celebrate our 25th season in Paycor Stadium than to announce these major improvements that will make the gameday experience even better.”
Stadium improvements are a necessary part of a long-standing plan to keep a successful team in Cincinnati and keep the Bengals competitive across the NFL. This announcement takes the recent team investment to approximately US$150 million over the past few seasons, including US$40 million in private investment for projects that include the IEL Indoor Facility, a new locker room, an overhauled and expanded training room, new ribbon videoboards and upgrades to concessions and the Bengals Pro Shop.
The recently announced upgrades will build upon a series of renovations already underway at the stadium, including a new field which is expected to be finished this summer, new club seats set to be installed by early June, expansion to the plaza entrance at Gate D, and an enhanced TV system earmarked for the preseason.
Hamilton County Commissioners has already invested US$39 million in pre-renovation projects that include upgrades to infrastructure, technology, operations, seating and stadium accessibility.
The stadium’s new field blends old and new. The Bengals’ familiar ‘B’ logo remains at the 50-yard line, while the endzones design and field numbers have been tweaked with elements of the 2021 uniform branding.
“We want our field to be immediately recognizable and our primary logo accomplishes that in a clean, crisp way,” says Elizabeth Blackburn, the Bengals director of strategy and engagement. “The 50-yard line is the natural spot for a team’s primary logo and we feel lucky to have a mark that presents well on TV from a distance.”
Usually a field is laid into the floor of the stadium in pieces, but the urgency and communication between the Bengals, the county and FieldTurf allowed for the company to sew the field into one piece at its factory and fast-forward the installation by about two months.
