Paul Brown Stadium
Encyclopedia
Paul Brown Stadium is an American
sports stadium
located in Cincinnati
, Ohio
. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals
of the National Football League
. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown
. The stadium is located on approximately 22 acres (8.9 ha) of land and has a listed capacity of 65,535. Paul Brown Stadium is nicknamed "The Jungle", an allusion not only to the namesake Bengal tiger's
natural habitat, but the Guns N' Roses
song "Welcome to the Jungle
".
voters passed a one-half percent sales tax
increase to fund the building of two new home venues for both the Bengals and the Major League Baseball
Cincinnati Reds
. Previously, the Bengals and the Reds shared tenancy of Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field, but both teams complained that the aging multipurpose facility lacked modern amenities and other things necessary for small market teams to survive. Paul Brown Stadium was built first. After the Bengals moved into Paul Brown Stadium, Cinergy Field was partially demolished to allow construction of what became Great American Ball Park
and the field was sodded with natural grass. On December 29, 2002, Cinergy Field was demolished.
For the first four years, the field was natural Kentucky Bluegrass
, but problems arose in maintaining it. At one point, the field was rated as the third-worst field in the league. Hamilton County
explored other options and chose the FieldTurf
system. FieldTurf looks and feels like real grass, and since the field markings are actually sewn into the fabric, repainting between games is unnecessary. The reduced maintenance saves the county approximately $
100,000 annually. Additionally, it opens Paul Brown Stadium to other uses without worry of damage to the turf. The FieldTurf was installed for the 2004 season. The field is one of only two stadiums in the NFL to have "five miles of piping running under the field to keep the rubber inlays heated.
Two light emitting diode (LED) video displays at either endzone, installed in 2000, ensure that every spectator has a good view of the on-field action. Over 200 feet of ribbon display was also installed along the fascia of the stadium.
The University of Cincinnati
Bearcats
and the eventual national champion
Ohio State University
Buckeyes
played the first college football
game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 21, 2002. On September 5, 2009, the Kentucky Wildcats
and the Miami Redhawks
played their opening games there. The University of Cincinnati also played Oklahoma in 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium. In 2011, the Bearcats
played Big East Conference
opponents Louisville Cardinals
and West Virginia Mountaineers
.
Additionally, the Macy's Music Festival (formerly the Cincinnati Jazz
Festival) is held there every year.
Unusual for a venue the size of Paul Brown Stadium, in the spring, it hosts the annual Queen City
Classic Chess
Tournament.
Paul Brown Stadium also houses the Bengals' administrative offices and training and practice facilities. There are three smaller practice fields nearby. Two are sodded with natural grass while the third is equipped with AstroTurf.
As a convenience for fans, for a nominal fee, several local busing companies offer round trip transportation to Paul Brown Stadium from designated locations throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
area. One such example is the Cincinnati Metro's Jungle-to-Jungle Express, which originates at Jungle Jim's International Market
in Fairfield
, a suburb of Cincinnati.
Fans enjoy premium seating options in the 114 private suites and thousands of club seats. Amenities include in-seat food and beverage service and access to the club lounges for fine dining options. There are also several CPR units located throughout the stadium.
On-site retail merchandise sales are available in the Bengals pro shop, located on the plaza level on the north end of the stadium. There are fifty-six concession stands and eight stores.
Paul Brown Stadium is the only football stadium to make a list of "America's favorite 150 buildings and structures," according to a Harris Interactive survey. Paul Brown Stadium ranked 101st on the list, whose range included all manner of major structures — skyscrapers, museums, churches, hotels, bridges, national memorials and more. No other football stadium was voted among the top 150, and among all sports venues, only Wrigley Field
(31) and Yankee Stadium (84) ranked higher than Paul Brown Stadium. NBBJ designed Paul Brown Stadium.
On Monday, November 14th, 2011, Cincinnati country radio station B-105 (WUBE) hosts Chris Carr & Co. announced that Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw will be hosting their "Brothers of the Sun" summer 2012 tour at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, July 1st, 2012. This will mark the first time a major concert has taken place at the stadium.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
. The stadium is located on approximately 22 acres (8.9 ha) of land and has a listed capacity of 65,535. Paul Brown Stadium is nicknamed "The Jungle", an allusion not only to the namesake Bengal tiger's
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
natural habitat, but the Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
song "Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle
"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on its 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. It was released as the band's second single on October 3, 1987, and reached number #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number #24 on the UK Singles Chart...
".
History
In 1996, Hamilton CountyHamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
voters passed a one-half percent sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
increase to fund the building of two new home venues for both the Bengals and the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Previously, the Bengals and the Reds shared tenancy of Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field, but both teams complained that the aging multipurpose facility lacked modern amenities and other things necessary for small market teams to survive. Paul Brown Stadium was built first. After the Bengals moved into Paul Brown Stadium, Cinergy Field was partially demolished to allow construction of what became Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park
The Great American Ball Park is a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home of the National League's Cincinnati Reds. It opened in 2003, replacing the Reds' former home, Cinergy Field, which was known as Riverfront Stadium from its opening in June 1970 until the 1996...
and the field was sodded with natural grass. On December 29, 2002, Cinergy Field was demolished.
For the first four years, the field was natural Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa
Poa is a genus of about 500 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass , bluegrass , tussock , and speargrass. "Poa" is Greek for fodder...
, but problems arose in maintaining it. At one point, the field was rated as the third-worst field in the league. Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
explored other options and chose the FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
system. FieldTurf looks and feels like real grass, and since the field markings are actually sewn into the fabric, repainting between games is unnecessary. The reduced maintenance saves the county approximately $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100,000 annually. Additionally, it opens Paul Brown Stadium to other uses without worry of damage to the turf. The FieldTurf was installed for the 2004 season. The field is one of only two stadiums in the NFL to have "five miles of piping running under the field to keep the rubber inlays heated.
Two light emitting diode (LED) video displays at either endzone, installed in 2000, ensure that every spectator has a good view of the on-field action. Over 200 feet of ribbon display was also installed along the fascia of the stadium.
The University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
and the eventual national champion
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
played the first college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 21, 2002. On September 5, 2009, the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
and the Miami Redhawks
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
played their opening games there. The University of Cincinnati also played Oklahoma in 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium. In 2011, the Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
played Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
opponents Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
and West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
.
Additionally, the Macy's Music Festival (formerly the Cincinnati Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Festival) is held there every year.
Unusual for a venue the size of Paul Brown Stadium, in the spring, it hosts the annual Queen City
Queen City
-Official name:It is the official place name of two places in the United States:* Queen City, Missouri* Queen City, Texas-North America:* Allentown, Pennsylvania* Bangor, Maine* Beach Haven, New Jersey* Buffalo, New York* Burlington, Vermont...
Classic Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Tournament.
Paul Brown Stadium also houses the Bengals' administrative offices and training and practice facilities. There are three smaller practice fields nearby. Two are sodded with natural grass while the third is equipped with AstroTurf.
As a convenience for fans, for a nominal fee, several local busing companies offer round trip transportation to Paul Brown Stadium from designated locations throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the name often given to the northernmost counties in Kentucky...
area. One such example is the Cincinnati Metro's Jungle-to-Jungle Express, which originates at Jungle Jim's International Market
Jungle Jim's International Market
Jungle Jim's International Market, formerly Jungle Jim's Farmer's Market, is a large supermarket in Fairfield, Ohio, near Cincinnati. It has been described as a theme park of food...
in Fairfield
Fairfield, Ohio
Fairfield is a city in Butler County in the U.S. state of Ohio, near Cincinnati. Fairfield was incorporated in 1955. The population was 42,510 at the 2010 census. The city school district is one of the largest in Ohio, with Fairfield High School graduating 842 students in June 2009. Fairfield is...
, a suburb of Cincinnati.
Fans enjoy premium seating options in the 114 private suites and thousands of club seats. Amenities include in-seat food and beverage service and access to the club lounges for fine dining options. There are also several CPR units located throughout the stadium.
On-site retail merchandise sales are available in the Bengals pro shop, located on the plaza level on the north end of the stadium. There are fifty-six concession stands and eight stores.
Paul Brown Stadium is the only football stadium to make a list of "America's favorite 150 buildings and structures," according to a Harris Interactive survey. Paul Brown Stadium ranked 101st on the list, whose range included all manner of major structures — skyscrapers, museums, churches, hotels, bridges, national memorials and more. No other football stadium was voted among the top 150, and among all sports venues, only Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
(31) and Yankee Stadium (84) ranked higher than Paul Brown Stadium. NBBJ designed Paul Brown Stadium.
On Monday, November 14th, 2011, Cincinnati country radio station B-105 (WUBE) hosts Chris Carr & Co. announced that Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw will be hosting their "Brothers of the Sun" summer 2012 tour at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, July 1st, 2012. This will mark the first time a major concert has taken place at the stadium.