Not all NFL stadiums feel the same on game day, and once you bake in what you’re paying, that gap gets pretty obvious.
The Action Network analyzed 30 NFL stadiums using a custom-built Super Bowl Stadium Experience Index, tracking how often fans end up disappointed compared to what they spend to attend a game. Because a “great stadium” hits different when your parking costs more than your seat.
The index blends:
- Fan sentiment from TripAdvisor reviews: Disappointment Score (0-100), where 100 = most disappointing
- Actual gameday costs (tickets, concessions, parking) expressed as a Value Score (0-100), where 100 = most expensive
Those two feed into an overall index (0-100), based on the average of the two ranking factors above. Then, the result is a ranking that highlights:
- Overpriced stadium experiences
- Premium stadiums worth the cost
- Best-value stadiums for fans
All data was collected from publicly available sources and frozen as of December 2025.
Key Findings:
- SoFi Stadium ranks as the worst overall stadium experience in the NFL, combining the league’s highest gameday costs with the highest level of fan dissatisfaction.
- Fan disappointment outweighs price by itself. Commanders Field and Highmark Stadium both rank in the bottom three overall even though they aren’t among the most expensive stadiums, and that’s largely because their share of negative fan reviews is so high.
- Ticket price is the main reason value falls apart. Levi’s Stadium ($161 average ticket) and Allegiant Stadium ($169) sit inside the top five mostly because tickets are expensive, not because concession prices are doing anything unusual.
- Newer stadiums tend to come off overpriced. SoFi, Allegiant, and Levi’s all show up near the top even with only moderate fan sentiment, which points to higher expectations that don’t always get met.
- A great atmosphere can still justify the bill. Lambeau Field’s near-zero disappointment score shows that tradition and the in-game vibe can keep value intact even when tickets and concessions cost more than average.
- Parking can mess up the whole day. Stadiums with extreme parking costs, including SoFi ($160) and Highmark Stadium ($132), consistently land worse in the overall rankings.
- Most top-10 stadiums clear $200 in total gameday spend, and several push past $240 before you even get into merch or premium seating.
Top 10 Stadiums: What the Data Says
1. SoFi Stadium
Disappointment Score: 100.0 (worst)
Value Score: 69.21 (most expensive)
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: $104–$106
- Beer (16oz): ~$14.70
- Hot dog: $8.00
- Parking: ~$160
- Estimated gameday spend (ticket + parking + basic concessions): $270+
SoFi finishes dead last overall. The pricing is brutal, and the share of negative fan reviews is the worst in the league, too. When a venue is billed as the modern standard, that combo is going to get noticed.
2. Commanders Field
Disappointment Score: 78.25
Value Score: 45.30
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$125
- Beer (16oz): ~$9.30
- Hot dog: $6.50
- Parking: ~$77
- Estimated gameday spend: $210+
This one lands at No. 2 mostly on disappointment. Costs are more “average NFL Sunday” than truly premium, but the fan review mix is rough enough that it still ends up as one of the worst overall value plays.
3. Highmark Stadium
Disappointment Score: 52.04
Value Score: 47.26
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$102
- Beer (16oz): ~$10.40
- Hot dog: $6.00
- Parking: ~$132
- Estimated gameday spend: $220+
The ticket price looks fine until you hit the parking number. Highmark’s parking cost is one of the highest in the league, and when you stack that with weather exposure, older infrastructure, and limited amenities, the disappointment score makes more sense.
4. Allegiant Stadium
Disappointment Score: 38.77
Value Score: 54.31
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$169
- Beer (16oz): ~$11.00
- Hot dog: $9.00
- Parking: ~$40
- Estimated gameday spend: $225+
Allegiant charges like a destination stadium, because it is one. However, the fan sentiment here isn’t matching the price tag, and that gap shows up even more for visiting fans who are already paying the Vegas premium to be in town.
5. Levi’s Stadium
Disappointment Score: 26.18
Value Score: 63.96
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$161
- Beer (16oz): ~$12.00
- Hot dog: $6.00
- Parking: ~$58
- Estimated gameday spend: $240+
Levi’s gets pulled up the list by cost, plain and simple. Tickets are among the most expensive in the league, while fan sentiment sits more in the middle, which leaves you paying a premium without getting “premium” back.
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6. Lincoln Financial Field
Disappointment Score: 25.53
Value Score: 60.89
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$139
- Beer (16oz): ~$14.40
- Hot dog: $6.50
- Parking: ~$50
- Estimated gameday spend: $210+
The Linc has the atmosphere people expect from Philly, but it’s not cheap. Between the ticket price and concession costs, it still ends up in the top six, even with fans generally enjoying the day.
7. Soldier Field
Disappointment Score: 26.71
Value Score: 44.71
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$130
- Beer (16oz): ~$8.80
- Hot dog: $8.00
- Parking: ~$50
- Estimated gameday spend: $200+
Soldier Field’s ranking is more “price and reviews drifting the wrong way” than one single dealbreaker. It’s iconic, but the sentiment data suggests the gameday experience hasn’t kept pace with what fans are paying lately.
8. Raymond James Stadium
Disappointment Score: 23.49
Value Score: 44.33
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$124
- Beer (16oz): ~$9.30
- Hot dog: $8.00
- Parking: ~$56
- Estimated gameday spend: $200+
Raymond James makes the top 10 mostly because the costs are climbing. Fan sentiment stays relatively steady, but the total spend is what keeps pushing it into “not great value” territory.
9. Huntington Bank Field
Disappointment Score: 26.43
Value Score: 40.94
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$122
- Beer (16oz): ~$10.10
- Hot dog: $6.75
- Parking: ~$50
- Estimated gameday spend: $200+
This is that classic old-stadium tradeoff. The costs aren’t outrageous, but the negative review share is high enough that it still grades out poorly overall, with age and lakefront weather exposure showing up as repeat issues.
10. MetLife Stadium
Disappointment Score: 25.59
Value Score: 36.94
Gameday costs:
- Average ticket price: ~$113–$127
- Beer (16oz): ~$8.80
- Hot dog: $7.00
- Parking: ~$56
- Estimated gameday spend: $190+
MetLife hosts two teams, but that doesn’t automatically fix the value question. The disappointment score is still high compared to what you’re paying, which is why it finishes inside the 10 weakest overall stadium experiences.
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Methodology
The NFL Stadium Experience Index evaluates the gameday experience at all 30 NFL stadiums using two core measures: Disappointment Score and Value Score. All data was collected from publicly available sources and frozen as of December 2025.
Disappointment Score
Fan dissatisfaction was measured using TripAdvisor review data collected from each stadium’s official listing, including:
- Overall star rating (1-5)
- Total review count
- Breakdown of reviews (Excellent, Very Good, Average, Poor, Terrible)
From this, a Negative Review Share was calculated:
- (Poor + Terrible) ÷ Total Reviews
After normalization, the star rating was inverted so higher values reflect worse experiences.
The final Disappointment Score is a weighted combination:
- Disappointment Score = (0.4 × Inverted Star Rating) + (0.6 × Negative Review Share)
Higher scores indicate more disappointing fan experiences.
Normalization & Ranking
All metrics were normalized using a min-max (0-100) scale to ensure comparability across variables. Each stadium was ranked separately by Disappointment Score and Value Score, then evaluated across both dimensions to identify:
- Overpriced stadium experiences
- Premium stadiums worth the cost
- Affordable but underwhelming stadiums
- Best-value stadiums in the NFL
Data Notes
- One missing parking value (Lumen Field) was filled using the league median
- No additional weighting or imputation was applied beyond what’s outlined above
You can find the full dataset here.
