U.S. Bank Stadium Ranked as the Best NFL Stadium by The Athletic
Josh Frey
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Ahead of the 2023 season, writers at The Athletic ranked the NFL’s 30 stadiums from best to worst.
U.S. Bank Stadium, the place the Vikings call home, led the way with apparently half of the voters placing it at the very top of their lists.
The Vikings home stadium opened back in 2016, so it is one of the newest stadiums in the league. Only Allegiant Stadium (opened in 2020), SoFi Stadium (opened in 2020), and Mercedez-Benz Stadium (opened in 2017) are newer than U.S. Bank.
Alec Lewis, the Vikings beat writer for The Athletic, included some of his thoughts on U.S. Bank Stadium in this ranking. Here is what he had to say:
“I cannot think of another way to say this: U.S. Bank Stadium feels natural,” Vikings reporter Alec Lewis wrote. “And for a domed building, that is an incredible feat. Maybe it’s the natural light that drifts in from the front end of the stadium through crystal glass. Or, maybe it’s particular dimensions that make the inside feel right — not like a gigantic warehouse, and not like a claustrophobic cave. The history of the franchise and the Skol chants and the fake snow all contribute to the overall experience. But the stadium, in general, is the perfect representation of what an indoor arena should look and feel like on a Sunday.”
The Vikings truly have done an incredible job of making sure that their home environment is a special one for their fans. The stadium is state-of-the-art, and every week, the fans show up and create an incredible atmosphere.
The franchise has really taken pride in being the best of the best in terms of their stadium and team. Earlier this offseason, the Vikings were also voted as the best team to play for based on the NFLPA’s team report cards.
1300 players participated in grading these teams, and grades here broke down into eight key categories:
- Treatment of families
- Food service/nutrition
- Weight room
- Strength coaches
- Training room
- Training staff
- Locker room
- Team travel
The Minnesota Vikings were voted the best team to play for following the 2022 season, being the only franchise in the league to have at least “A-” grades across the board. Minnesota received three “A+” grades coming in the strength staff, training staff, and training room categories. Their only “A-” came in the nutrition category.
Overall, under the tutelage of the Wilf family, the Minnesota Vikings have done a fabulous job of making the franchise a terrific experience for both the fans and its players.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.