The 15 Worst And Most Overrated Stadiums In American Sports

A quintessential American experience is traveling around the country to catch a game in one of our nation’s cathedrals of sport. Unfortunately, all too often when we arrive at the stadiums for a game it turns out to be rather disappointing. These are the 15 worst and/or most overrated stadiums in American sports.

Some of the most famous stadiums in America also happen to be among the worst and the most overrated. Many factors go into this, ranging from the fan experience before, during and after. As well as the layout of the stadium itself. Here are the 15 worst and most overrated stadiums in American sports.

1. Wrigley Field, Chicago

The first entry on this list is considered to be a true ‘Cathedral of the Game’ and sure, the ivy wall in the outfield is beautiful but a stadium that was built 114 years ago is going to have serious problems.
First and foremost, the tiny seats. We’re a chunkier country than we were when Wrigley Field opened in 1914. The average male weight back then was 141.5 pounds. Today, the average American male weight is 199.8 pounds… Many of Wrigley’s seats are simply too small for the average Chicagoan to sit in without spilling over into their neighbor’s space.

2. The Caesars Superdome, New Orleans

The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is in dire need of TNT cleansing. Opened in 1975, the Superdome has hosted countless championships…8 Super Bowls, NCAA Football and Basketball Championships, and countless other events and concerts. But the Superdome is poorly designed with cramped seating and narrow hallways. Sure, it’s loud but the city would be infinitely better off with a new stadium.

3. AT&T Stadium aka 'Jerry World'

Sorry, Cowboys fans, but this is the truth: AT&T Stadium is big and flashy but it’s a wildly overrated experience unless you are a member of the 1%. Suites at Jerry World can go for $50K/game just for the room, then you have to add on the astronomical food prices.
For regular fans, navigating the stadium is a nightmare. Walking around is impossible unless you have tickets to the nicest seats which seems to be how AT&T Stadium was designed, to maximize how much fans want to spend so they can always be seeking a better experience.

4. Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is a relative spring chicken compared to some stadiums on this list. Opened in July 2014, it’s not even 11 years old yet.
This modern stadium could be great if it wasn’t for the location. There’s nothing there. It is almost as if they went out and looked for the one place in the Bay Area with nothing fans would ever want and built a stadium on that spot. A nearby strip mall is the only thing around it. The thing about Levi’s Stadium though is most 49ers fans are intelligent enough to admit the stadium’s faults while still accepting it as their own.

5. Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle

The Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is just bad. So, so bad. First opened in 1962, renovated in 1994 and 2018 ahead of a reopening in 2021 as the home of the Seattle Kraken, this stadium somehow flies under the radar during discussions of the worst stadiums in America. Previously home to the Supersonics and currently home to the Kraken and Storm, fans often bemoan all of the hidden costs and inflated prices when visiting Climate Pledge Arena as well as the long/weird halls, no club/VIP options, and insanely crowded/understaffed concessions.

6. Northwest Stadium home of the Washington Commanders

Northwest Stadium’s days are numbered. The Washington Commanders will get a new $4 billion stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium but until then they will have to deal with overflowing toilets that repeatedly leak raw sewage on fans during Commanders games.

7. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles

SoFi Stadium will host 8 games at the upcoming 2026 World Cup in America which is good because SoFi should stick to sports. The acoustics in there are well below average and anyone who says otherwise just hasn’t been to enough concerts. Traffic is an absolute nightmare there and LA is a driving city so that’s virtually unavoidable.
A common complaint from fans is SoFi Stadium focused more on the stadium itself than the fan experience and what was happening on the field or on a stage. Also, for the premier stadium in LA the food options leave a ton to be desired.

8. Tropicana Field, St. Pete

For all the hate Tropicana Field receives by the vast majority of sports fans that deem it to be the worst stadium in professional sports (it’s not), Tropicana Field at least has its own stingray touch tank. What other stadium offers you the chance to touch stingrays in the outfield?! Tropicana’s future is uncertain and the roof was still non-existent when I drove past it last weekend.

9. Oakland Coliseum, Oakland

Previously home to the Oakland As and Raiders, this stadium is so bad that it contributed in driving both of its teams out of the Bay Area. The coldest I’ve ever been in my life was at Oakland Stadium during a record-setting heat wave. It was 105+ during the daytime and when we got the game all of the ushers were wearing jackets and gloves. The fog came in somewhere around the 5th inning and the temperature dropped maybe 50 degrees.
Oh, did I mention that my group of 4 only had 2 tickets to the game against the Rays but the security guard let us crumple up $20, drop it on the ground, and then jump the fence to sneak in? Because that happened.

10. Michigan Stadium aka 'The Big House,' Ann Arbor

The largest stadium in the United States and third largest in the world, Michigan Stadium is a formidable place on game days. Michigan fans show up. The atmosphere is electric. But… It’s old, very old. And it is not as loud as it should be. Certainly not when the speakers are malfunctioning.
I was there for Penn State-Michigan a few years ago and the speakers were out for half of the stadium which made the student section and only the student section seem raucous. For a stadium that holds 115,000 fans it should be the loudest around but the design leaks crowd noise into the ether and the stadium, opened in 1927, long predates the VIP/luxury experience fans want at games… Is it worth visiting? 100%. Will it live up to the hype? Doubtful.

11. TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville

It is a wonder the Jaguars have stayed in Jacksonville as long as they have while having to play at TIAA Bank Field. They are getting a new stadium soon and hopefully the new stadium won’t have a complete and utter lack of personality like TIAA Bank Field. A common fan complaint is that TIAA Bank Field feels so generic it’s almost as if someone designed it simply to be a stadium and without any identifiable characteristics at all. You can look at it and think ‘that’s a stadium, alright’ and then go about living your life and never remember having ever seen it. What the Jags have though, is one of the most diehard fan bases in the NFL and they deserve a new stadium with heart and soul as much as anyone.

12. Kyle Field, College Station

Home of the TAMU Aggies, Kyle Field lays claim to being the 6th largest non-racing stadium on earth. That’s great, right? Well, it’s loud.
Want a unique atmosphere on game days? It’s loud. Do you want to be able to easily navigate around stadium? It is very loud. Great place to introduce your son to the magic of college football on Saturdays? Rich history of national championship squads playing there? Super duper loud. Did I mention how loud it is? Kyle Field’s defining characteristic is that it’s loud. Which might have some game day advantages but for an overall fan experience it is overrated.

13. Moda Center, Portland

The Moda Center in Portland, Oregon is home to the Portland Trail Blazers and soon to be home to a WNBA expansion franchise which will sell more tickets and hopefully help to modernize this stadium which opened in 1995. There is just something wrong with stadiums that were built/opened in the 90s. Maybe it was just a horribly unimaginative time to be a stadium architect.
Getting in and out of the stadium is a nightmare due to traffic despite there being virtually zero traffic around Portland these days. The seats themselves are small and cramped. If you are of even average stature the tiny seats make you feel horribly overweight. Sometimes the acoustics are decent, sometimes it’s horrible, which is to say the entire stadium has issues with consistency.

14. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Dodger Stadium is the 3rd oldest MLB stadium behind only Wrigley and Fenway and the cracks in the foundation have shown for years. It was built in a different era for fans with different needs. Concessions lines are interminably long. Parking is a horrid nightmare I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Bathrooms are scant but when you find them the lines are so long you question why you are there in the first place. Is Dodger Stadium at least beautiful? Well… The weather’s pleasant some of the time.

15. Fenway Park, Boston

Sorry, Red Sox Nation, but the truth’s the truth. Fenway Park is the oldest stadium in baseball, opened in 1912. Do you know how tiny Americans were in 1912? No? Go sit in any seat in Fenway Park and you’ll realize everyone back then was the size of a horse jockey.
In addition to the deplorable seating, there are obstructed views around the stadium. You might think you have great seats only to show up and boom, there’s a 100+ year old metal pole smack dab in the way. ‘But quirkiness gives it character’ is just a lie people tell themselves about poorly built structures that should be stripped down to the foundation and completely rebuilt. Heaven forbid someone be taller than 5’9″ and want to sit comfortably in a seat!