The Buffalo Bills aren’t alone. There are at least seven other stadium projects underway or in the works.
The price tag for the Bills’ stadium has soared to more than $2.1 billion – with the team picking up all the cost overruns. It’s dropped the public funding portion of the project by over 20%.
They come with different asks for public funding, and most with plans for surrounding development around the building to make the projects more than just a stadium.
Here’s how they stack up:
Chicago Bears
The Bears have long looked to replace Soldier Field, the team’s lakefront stadium that received a major renovation in 2003, but is still 101 years old.
The team initially proposed building a new, enclosed stadium near Soldier Field. The project, including surrounding infrastructure, had a $4.7 billion price tag.
The Bears pledged to spend $2.3 billion on stadium construction. But the team’s request for $900 million in public hotel tax money for the stadium – and up to $1.5 billion more for infrastructure work – led Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and others to sour on the idea.
Instead, the Bears now want to construct a new stadium outside Chicago. While details aren’t known yet, the team is seeking public support in the form of a tax relief bill that would fund infrastructure work.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns want to build a $2.4 billion domed stadium in Brook Park, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.
The new stadium, which awaits final approvals and financing, would replace Huntington Bank Field, the team’s home on the downtown Cleveland lakefront since 1999.
The Browns pledged $1.2 billion, or half its cost. The state has agreed to pay $600 million, using money from Ohio’s pool of unclaimed property funds.
Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are seeking $600 million more, which is strenuously opposed by Cleveland officials and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, who said he doesn’t want the team to leave downtown and doesn’t believe taxpayers should help finance it.
“They call it economic development. I call it economic extraction,” Ronayne told The Buffalo News.
Denver Broncos
Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High opened in 2001, but the team’s owners in September announced plans to construct a new stadium and development district at a former Denver railyard.
Specifics weren’t released, but the Broncos say they will cover all construction costs for the planned retractable-roof stadium.
The statement revealing the deal framework says it will “include city and state support for public improvements with no new taxes,” but experts say the team is likely to benefit from tax breaks, tax exemptions and other public support.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are tackling a $1.4 billion renovation of the team’s EverBank Stadium, where construction began earlier this year. As part of the work on their “stadium of the future,” the Jaguars will have to play the 2026 season in front of reduced crowds and the 2027 season elsewhere.
The Buffalo Bills are building a new, more than $2 billion stadium across the street from their current home, Highmark Stadium. Here’s a look …
The City of Jacksonville has agreed to pay $775 million, or 55%, of the cost, with the Jaguars covering the remaining $625 million, or 45%, as well as any construction overruns and 80% of game day expenses.
The State of Florida is not putting any money toward the project. City officials have said they will use sales and bed tax revenue to cover their share of the costs, with no new taxes on Jacksonville property owners.
Kansas City Chiefs
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which opened in 1972, is a year older than Highmark Stadium, but was substantially overhauled in 2010.
The Chiefs play in Kansas City, Mo., near the border with Kansas, giving the team the enviable ability to pit one state against the other to get the best stadium deal possible.
Last year, voters in Jackson County, Mo., rejected a sales tax extension that would have helped pay for an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead and a $2 billion ballpark district for the Kansas City Royals in downtown Kansas City.
In response, Missouri lawmakers said they’re willing to approve bonds covering up to half the cost of stadiums in the state, plus up to $50 million of tax credits per venue. Elected officials in Kansas say they’ll cover 70% of the cost of new stadiums in their state.
So, the Chiefs have options.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee’s stadium is slated for substantial completion in February 2027.
The project’s cost has risen by more than $100 million to around $2.2 billion to pay for additions that “enhance the fan experience,” the team says.
The team also agreed to include some nearby infrastructure projects in what is being considered the final stadium budget, which was approved by Nashville’s Sports Authority in September 2024.
Washington Commanders
Washington’s stadium project is expected to be a catalyst for transforming the region, according to Josh Harris, the team’s managing partner.
The new stadium will occupy around 11% of the nearly 180-acre former RFK Stadium site and, because the stadium will have a roof, it will be able to host events year-round.
In addition to building the stadium, the Commanders plan to activate multiple parcels of land around the stadium with restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, housing and green space.
The exterior demolition of the 60-year-old RFK Stadium is well underway.
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