Award-winning Paycor Stadium got another brick in its extensive three-year path of renovation on Tuesday when NFL owners approved the Bengals' investment of $100 to $120 million.
The move comes on the heels of another $40 million in upgrades the Bengals have recently put down with a 2026 target date for completion to solidify it as the anchor of a sprawling riverfront and the home of an NFL contender celebrating its 25th anniversary season in the facility.
At the league's spring meeting in Nashville, the owners approved the Bengals' G-5 application that stipulates the money must be spent on fan-facing elements.
"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."
The vote opens the way for a bevy of changes designed to keep Paycor Stadium competitive with other NFL buildings. On the to-do list are renovations to suites and club lounges, concession upgrades, updated video and audio systems, as well as beautification projects.
That is in addition to projects already completed or on the way, such as 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.
Tuesday's vote came in a city where the Titans are soon moving into a new $2 billion dome stadium next to their old stadium that opened in 1999, a year before Paycor. In the ensuing 24 years, Paycor has proven to be a durable community touchstone that has hosted everything from the Rev. Billy Graham's Mission to a Taylor Swift concert and six Bengals' playoff games in between.
The Bengals admire how well the building has held up during two generations of NFL record-setters and they believe it has plenty left for the next generations with an economical approach of upgrades rather than the billions of dollars needed for a new project.
Kids who saw Bengals running back Corey Dillon set the rushing record in a 2000 game returned as parents to watch Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard complete a playoff-record 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown 23 years later. Sprinkled among the countless high school proms, weddings, and the annual Cincinnati Music Festival that is the biggest urban musical festival in the country, Paycor Stadium has hosted high school and college football games as well as the U.S. women's national soccer team.
"We are lucky to have a great stadium that offers one of the best gameday experiences in the NFL," Blackburn said. "We are doing our part to give Cincinnati a best-in-class facility and keep this facility competitive at the highest level."
