Cincinnati Bengals Paycor STADIUM REVIEW.
Quick Facts
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Opened: 2000 (Paul Brown Stadium)
Tenants: Cincinnati Bengals (NFL), University of Cincinnati Bearcats (NCAAF) 2014
Capacity: 65,515
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Outside the Stadium
The outside of the stadium provides a nice sloping outline that really makes it feel like a proper NFL stadium. I was shocked at how late the tailgating and partying scene started in the areas around the stadium. At 10am for the 1pm kickoff, the lots outside started to fill up and Freedom Way, connecting the Bengals stadium to the Cincinnati Reds stadium, closes and welcomes a big block party.
Concourse
The lower-level concourse is extremely dark and cold and feels like you’re walking into a dungeon. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how spacious and open the upper concourse was as the east side had a beautiful view of downtown Cincinnati. One of the coolest features is the exposed escalator in the southeast corner of the stadium that overlooks the playing field.
Seating Layout
Along the sidelines, the stadium has 3 towering levels with a large private club section in the middle and a sloped arcing upper deck that’s half covered by an awning. The south end has one level in front of the scoreboard with an awkward slant on the top as the gap entrance ways from the concourse to the seats unnecessarily extend the entire length of the sections. The north end has two levels that also has an awkward unnecessary slant.
Atmosphere
The energy in the stadium was electric from the start as the Bengals hosted in-state rivals Cleveland Browns. Defensive third and fourth downs really saw the crowd come to life as the lower bowl was standing the entire game. Commonly called “The Jungle”, being a Bengal tiger’s natural habitat, Guns and Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” plays at kickoffs.
Overall Experience
Overall, the stadium has a very modern aesthetic to it, but the horrible lower concourse and awkward configurations knock this stadium down for me. As a visiting fan, Bengals fans were civil before and for most of the game until it became clear that the Bengals would win. At that point, they quickly devolved into one of the nastiest fanbases I have ever encountered. There were a lot of extremely vile slurs hurled at Browns fans and several altercations became physical as these Bengals fans simply do not know how to win. I enjoyed the pregame atmosphere and 3½ quarters of football before the drunken majority tarnished the experience. I will never give the Bengals organization another cent of my money and I recommend you avoid this stadium if you are a visiting fan.