Ranking NFL & College Football Stadiums by Capacity
With live games being the backbone to the American football industry, investment in advanced and modern stadium facilities is a must. While amenities are welcome, larger stadium capacity has the most impact on the financial bottom line. More seats equal more ticket and concessions sales leading to more revenue.
This article examines the largest stadiums by capacity in both NFL and college football.
Largest Capacity NFL Stadium
- MetLife Stadium: 82,500 capacity
MetLife Stadium opened in 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It cost $1.6 billion to build, making it the most expensive U.S. stadium at the time. The New York Giants and New York Jets share this venue.
Smallest Capacity NFL Stadium
- Soldier Field: 61,500 capacity
Soldier Field in Chicago is home to the Bears. It has the smallest standard capacity in the NFL with the stadium being built almost a century ago. The Bears franchise released plans for an updated stadium project in April of 2024.
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Ranking NFL Stadiums by Capacity
| Rank | Stadium Name | Team | Year Built | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MetLife Stadium | Giants & Jets | 2010 | 82,500 |
| 2 | Lambeau Field | Packers | 1957 | 81,441 |
| 3 | AT&T Stadium | Cowboys | 2009 | 80,000 |
| 4 | Arrowhead Stadium | Chiefs | 1972 | 76,416 |
| 5 | Empower Field at Mile High | Broncos | 2001 | 76,125 |
| 6 | Bank of America Stadium | Panthers | 1996 | 75,523 |
| 7 | Caesars Superdome | Saints | 1975 | 73,208 |
| 8 | NRG Stadium | Texans | 2002 | 72,220 |
| 9 | Highmark Stadium | Bills | 1973 | 71,608 |
| 10 | M&T Bank Stadium | Ravens | 1998 | 71,008 |
| 11 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Falcons | 2017 | 71,000 |
| 12 | SoFi Stadium | Rams & Chargers | 2020 | 70,000 |
| 13 | Lincoln Financial Field | Eagles | 2003 | 69,596 |
| 14 | Nissan Stadium | Titans | 1999 | 69,143 |
| 15 | TIAA Bank Field | Jaguars | 1995 | 69,132 |
| 16 | Lumen Field | Seahawks | 2002 | 69,000 |
| 17 | Levi’s Stadium | 49ers | 2014 | 68,500 |
| 18 | Acrisure Stadium | Steelers | 2001 | 68,400 |
| 19 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Browns | 1999 | 67,895 |
| 20 | FedExField | Commanders | 1997 | 67,717 |
| 21 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Colts | 2008 | 67,000 |
| 22 | Gillette Stadium | Patriots | 2002 | 66,829 |
| 23 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Vikings | 2016 | 66,655 |
| 24 | Raymond James Stadium | Buccaneers | 1998 | 65,890 |
| 25 | Paycor Stadium | Bengals | 2000 | 65,515 |
| 26 | Hard Rock Stadium | Dolphins | 1987 | 65,326 |
| 27 | Allegiant Stadium | Raiders | 2020 | 65,000 |
| 28 | Ford Field | Lions | 2002 | 65,000 |
| 29 | State Farm Stadium | Cardinals | 2006 | 63,400 |
| 30 | Soldier Field | Bears | 1924 | 61,500 |
Largest Capacity College Football Stadium
- Michigan Stadium: 107,601 capacity
Michigan Stadium, home to the University of Michigan Wolverines, is the largest college football stadium. It’s nicknamed “The Big House” due to its massive size. The stadium outpaces the NFL’s MetLife stadium in capacity with over 25,000 more seats.
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Biggest College Football Stadiums by Capacity
| Rank | Stadium Name | School | Year Built | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan Stadium | Michigan | 1927 | 107,601 |
| 2 | Beaver Stadium | Penn State | 1960 | 106,572 |
| 3 | Ohio Stadium | Ohio State | 1922 | 102,780 |
| 4 | Kyle Field | Texas A&M | 1927 | 102,733 |
| 5 | Tiger Stadium | LSU | 1924 | 102,321 |
| 6 | Neyland Stadium | Tennessee | 1921 | 101,915 |
| 7 | Bryant-Denny Stadium | Alabama | 1929 | 101,821 |
| 8 | Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium | Texas | 1924 | 100,119 |
| 9 | Sanford Stadium | Georgia | 1929 | 92,746 |
| 10 | Rose Bowl | UCLA | 1922 | 91,136 |
| 11 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 1930 | 88,548 |
| 12 | Jordan-Hare Stadium | Auburn | 1939 | 88,043 |
| 13 | Memorial Stadium | Nebraska | 1923 | 85,458 |
| 14 | Clemson Memorial Stadium | Clemson | 1942 | 81,500 |
| 15 | Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame | 1930 | 80,795 |
| 16 | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium | Oklahoma | 1923 | 80,126 |
| 17 | Doak Campbell Stadium | Florida State | 1950 | 79,560 |
| 18 | Williams-Brice Stadium | South Carolina | 1934 | 77,559 |
| 19 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Southern Cal | 1923 | 77,500 |
| 20 | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium | Arkansas | 1938 | 76,212 |
| 21 | Camp Randall Stadium | Wisconsin | 1917 | 75,822 |
| 22 | Spartan Stadium | Michigan State | 1923 | 74,866 |
| 23 | Husky Stadium | Washington | 1920 | 70,138 |
| 24 | Kinnick Stadium | Iowa | 1929 | 69,250 |
| 25 | Lincoln Financial Field | Temple | 2003 | 68,532 |
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Smallest Capacity College Football Stadium
- Elliott T. Bowers Stadium: 14,000 capacity
Smallest College Football Stadiums by Capacity
| School | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | Elliott T. Bowers Stadium | 14,000 |
| Charlotte | Jerry Richardson Stadium | 15,314 |
| Hawai’i | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex | 16,909 |
| UMass | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium | 17,000 |
| Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium | 20,000 |
| Western Kentucky | L.T. Smith Stadium | 22,113 |
| Old Dominion | S.B. Ballard Stadium | 22,480 |
| Ball State | Scheumann Stadium | 22,500 |
| Florida International | FIU Stadium | 23,500 |
| Northern Illinois | Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium | 23,595 |
| Jacksonville State | Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium | 24,000 |
| Bowling Green | Doyt L. Perry Stadium | 24,000 |
| Ohio | Peden Stadium | 24,000 |
