1. Reworking NFL Stadium Status Kyle McBrierty, Robbi Melvin, Kellie Walsh American Studies, Colby College, Waterville, ME The Problem A football arena is, by most definitions, a space to watch and play America’s favourite sport. However, in recent years, the role of the modern arena has morphed from a place for all to enjoy football to an elitist shopping mall. Now sporting expensive luxury suites, inflated ticket and concessions prices, and endless shops and stores, today’s stadiums have pushed out the working-class fans that once filled the stands in favor of the corporate elite and diluted the entertainment value of the game itself. To see the effects of these changes, one need look no further than the NFL’s biggest premier arena: the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The monster 80,000- seat home of the Dallas Cowboys holds an average ticket price of $110, not including expenses such as parking or concessions. First published in 1991, the NFL Fan Cost Index is defined as the average cost of four tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking for one car, two game programs and two ball caps in each stadium across the NFL. The Cowboys’ arena possesses the second-highest FCI in the league at a whopping $634.80. The league-average FCI is $479.11. How did the NFL manage to alienate the common fan so drastically? The layout of the average stadium tells the story - the arena space is dominated by high-priced luxury boxes and suites geared toward corporate executives and wealthy businesspeople. The area of seats available to the average fan has grown smaller and been pushed closer to the field - predictably causing dramatic increases in ticket price. These price hikes have extended to the concessions areas, where the average beer at an NFL game costs $7.53 and parking costs over $30. The money-grabbing nature of the modern NFL arena is further demonstrated by the excess of bars, shops and clubs littering its concourse areas. The virtual fly-through video of New Atlanta Stadium, the Falcons’ proposed new arena, appears to be a tour of the ‘Champion’s Lounge’, ‘Founder’s Club’, ‘100 Yard Bar’ and other such extravagant destinations, with little mention of the football taking place on the field. These lavish distractions, while technically aiming to improve the ‘fan experience’, serve only to de- emphasize the football game that is supposed to be the central purpose for the stadium itself. This dilution of the game has led today’s NFL stadiums to resemble enormous, billion-dollar shopping centers rather than sports venues. By exclusively targeting upper-class patrons with increased prices and luxury bars and clubs, it has become clear that the NFL is no longer selling the game to the common fan. Nowhere is the league’s pandering to the wealthy elite more apparent than in the modern stadium. Increased emphasis on luxury suites and exclusive clubs are making football inaccessible to the vast majority of its fans. Solutions To combat the risk of losing a portion of “the average fans,” stadiums must add a mandated number of general seats for every luxury box that is created While the luxury suites generate a sizeable amount of a franchise’s total income, the diminishing amount of general seating sends a message that the average fan isn’t valued– –if teams wanted more rowdy, blue-collar fans, why would they limit space in the stadium where they can afford to sit? According to Dinces, as of 2013, there is a 15% decrease of non-premium seating in the average stadium. These two don’t need to be mutually exclusive––there is enough space in the stadium. By adding non-premium seating rather than cutting it, the NFL can all but guarantee support from the future generation––the League thrives on growing and expanding its product, which isn’t possible without the future working class. If they can’t afford/don’t have access to see a game, they may be discouraged from supporting the game. These young fans could be future players, thus allowing them sufficient access to their product would ensure support. As a related solution, franchises must find a way to create incentives for families to attend games––this could be in the form package seating deals, price reductions for food and beverages, and/or memorabilia vouchers in combination with parking tickets. Again, this allows an important demographic access to the NFL’s product, which secures future supports. The League should establish a minimum number of incentives that franchises must provide. Furthermore, the increasing disproportion of premium seating runs the risk of diluting the actual game. Fans in luxury boxes are allowed access to exclusive clubs, massive TVs, among other perks. The NFL is selling entertainment, but such entertainment is only being sold to a small, elite group of people––they risk losing the majority. Although fans in non-premium seats are getting an “unadulterated” version of the game, their presence is becoming less valued, thus an increasing number of people are seeing a diluted version of the game (from the suites). As a solution, TVs should be eliminated from the suites––fans in these sections already have an excellent view, thus the TVs are superfluous. This would shift attention away from all the “entertainment” that dilutes the game itself, and move it toward the actual game. The game is what holds an innate appeal (Oriard) and as attention diverts from this appeal, the NFL’s product will be weakened. Cost of Game for Family of 4 4 Tickets= $440.80 Parking= $75.00 4 Hot Dogs= $22.00 4 Soft Drinks= $20.00 2 Beers= $17.00 Total Expenses=$574.00 “Your decision to secure a luxury suite in one of the most prestigious venues in the world can position you to attract new clients and build loyalty with your existing accounts. Beyond the premium amenities, having your company’s name on a suite makes an important statement about your success. Key prospects and valued clients will welcome access to the best sightlines and clubs in AT&T Stadium. Starting today, you can share the defining moments in Cowboys history and strengthen your business relationships in a luxury suite. It’s an investment in your company’s future that can deliver impressive returns year after year” -Dallas Cowboys Website References Dinces, Sean. “Fanfare Without the Fans.” Jacobin. Print "Fly-Through: New Atlanta Stadium." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.. Team Marketing Report Sept. 2014 Team Marketing Report. Www.teammarketing.com. Web. 23 Apr. 2015..