Paul Brown Stadium Opening

Lore & Background

The stadium is nicknamed 'The Jungle'; the Guns N' Roses song 'Welcome to the Jungle' is the team's unofficial anthem due in part to the nickname. The construction of the stadium included $555 million of public funding, the largest public subsidy for an NFL stadium at the time. The Bengals had threatened to leave Cincinnati unless the city agreed to subsidize the stadium. 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.

Reader's Guide

Paycor Stadium houses the Bengals' administrative offices and training and practice facilities. The game field is Momentum Pro, manufactured by Show Sports Turf. There are three smaller practice fields nearby: two sodded with natural grass, the third with AstroTurf. Premium seating includes 114 private suites and 7,600 club seats. On-site retail is available in the Bengals pro shop on the plaza level at the north end. There are 56 concession stands and eight stores. Several local busing companies offer round trip transportation, including Cincinnati Metro's Jungle-to-Jungle Express from Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was the first NFL facility to win an AIA design award.
• It is the only football stadium to make a list of 'America's favorite 150 buildings and structures,' ranking 101st.
• The field has 'five miles of piping' running under it to keep the rubber inlays heated, one of only two NFL stadiums with this feature.
• The stadium hosts the annual Queen City Classic Chess Tournament in the spring.