The Athletic ranks NFL venues: Where does U.S. Bank Stadium land?
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings fans know U.S. Bank Stadium is the NFL's best venue, but now they have some expert opinions to back up their assertion.
The Athletic compiled opinions from 30 of its NFL writers to rank the league's 30 stadiums, and coming in at No. 1 was the Vikings' home field.
The online publication asked its writers to name their five best and five worst stadiums. Half of the writers placed U.S. Bank Stadium first overall.
Alec Lewis, The Athletic's Vikings reporter, said the stadium is "the perfect representation of what an indoor arena should look and feel like on a Sunday."
The Athletic did a similar exercise three years ago, and U.S. Bank Stadium was tops then, too. This ranking stands in contrast to a survey by Buildworld conducted earlier this year, which found the Vikings' home venue was the ugliest stadium in the world.
In addition to hosting the Vikings' home games, U.S. Bank Stadium is a popular concert venue. It recently hosted Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and Ed Sheeran's Aug. 12 show broke the venue's concert attendance record.
The stadium opened in 2016, and officials announced earlier this summer that the debt owed from building it has been paid off 20 years early. Taxpayers are not off the hook yet, but officials said retiring the debt will save them about $226 million in interest payments.
Lambeau Field, the storied home of the Green Bay Packers, came in at No. 3.
"If you like history, it would be difficult to find a better spot to watch a game," The Athletic said. "They've done an excellent job of upgrading the stadium over the years while still providing a historic feel."
The Detroit Lions' Ford Field was No. 14, while the Chicago Bears' Soldier Field ranked 23rd -- a precipitous drop from the No. 7 ranking it earned three years ago.
The worst stadium, according to The Athletic, is FedEx Field, home of the Washington Commanders.
Note: The video above first aired June 26, 2023.