When the Washington Redskins were annually one of the NFL’s top franchises, they called RFK Stadium home. While RFK Stadium wasn’t the nicest or biggest facility — it was loud and a clear home-field advantage for Washington.
RFK Stadium held around 55,000 fans for Washington’s games. In its search for a new stadium, the NFL franchise wanted bigger. And in FedEx Field, the franchise found a bigger venue. However, to say FedEx Field has been a nightmare would be an understatement.
Now, in their search for a new stadium, it appears the Washington Commanders are going smaller. According to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington’s proposed new NFL stadium would seat 55,000 fans, which would be the smallest in the NFL.
Per Phillips, the Commanders conducted an economic impact analysis on what a new stadium complex and surrounding developments would bring to a potential new Virginia location, “the direct economic impact of the stadium would be $24.7 billion in Virginia, and the project would support 2,246 jobs by 2033.”
On Tuesday’s episode of “Grant and Danny” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., host Grant Paulsen discussed if a 55,000-seat stadium was too small in today’s NFL, especially for a market like Washington.
Paulsen brought up some great points. Sure, everyone wants something like “Jerry World,” but that’s not exactly feasible for the Commanders. So why not make it smaller and more intimate. Paulsen loved the idea of a 55,000-seat stadium, focusing on multiple events per year instead of only focusing on hosting a Super Bowl.
One of the complaints of FedEx Field is the constant invasion from other teams’ fans. A smaller stadium could help alleviate that issue and also make it a hotter ticket for Washington’s own fans.
If you prove you can fill the stadium, you can eventually add more seats. Sure, you may not be able to expand to 70,000 seats, but you could reasonably add a few thousand seats. Raymond…
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