New York is an iconic sports state, home to the Yankees, Knicks, and Giants. Here are the five biggest sporting venues in the state.
No city in the United States has more professional sports teams than New York City. Only ten cities have at least one team from every major professional league, but New York City is rare because it has two of each in most cases. It has two National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL) teams, along with a Major League Soccer team. Naturally, it has a variety of iconic sports venues, such as Madison Square Garden. So, which venues in New York City are the biggest? Today, we look at five of the biggest venues in the state.
MetLife Stadium — Capacity: 82,500
Not only is MetLife Stadium the biggest venue in New York, but it is the biggest venue in the entire NFL. Holding over 80,000 people, MetLife is just one of three NFL venues to eclipse the 80,000 mark.
The Super Bowl has never been played in New York City. However, as of 2014, that changed when MetLife hosted Super Bowl XLVIII between the Seattle and Denver Broncos. However historic that moment was, the stadium hasn’t come without controversy. It is infamous for its turf, a surface that nearly all players deride.
So, while this stadium is the biggest in the NFL, it also has a claim as one of the worst. From The Jets to The Giants, the playing surface has seen dozens of notable knee and Achilles injuries. Located in the Meadowlands, there have been discussions of replacing the artificial surface with natural grass, but those plans still need to be finalized.
Highmark Stadium — Capacity: 71,600
Located in Orchard Park, New York, High Mark Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills have played their home games at Highmark Stadium since 1973 in the stadium nicknamed The Ralph.
The stadium has hosted three college football games, two in 1979 as the temporary home of the Syracuse University football team and one neutral site game in 2013 between the Bowling Green Falcons and Buffalo Bulls.
Highmark Stadium hosted the 2008 NHL Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. The stadium has also seen various big NFL games, hosting three AFC Championship games. Between 1989 and 1994, the Bills played in five of six AFC title games, hosting half of them. They are undefeated at home in the semifinal round.
Plans were announced in March 2022 for a brand new 62,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park to replace The Ralph, for which they broke ground in June 2023.
JMA Wireless Dome — Capacity: 49,250
The only non-professional venue on this list is the JMA Wireless Dome, better known as the Carrier Dome, which is the home of the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams.
As a dual-purpose facility, it isn’t one of the bigger college football venues. Still, it has allowed the Orange basketball team to lead the NCAA in average attendance 16 times. It holds the NCAA records for highest total attendance in a single season, highest average attendance in a single season, and largest home court single game attendance.
It is the largest domed stadium in college sports and has hosted many high school football state championships and occasional concerts.
Yankee Stadium — Capacity: 46,500
There may not be a more iconic stadium in all sports than Yankee Stadium. While the current version was built in 2009, the previous version became synonymous with professional sports, and the newer version was built almost as a carbon copy.
At 46,500 fans, only five stadiums in baseball can hold more fans. The older stadium hosted 37 of 83 possible World Series and 16 series clinchers. The new stadium is far behind that mark but still saw the Yankees win the World Series in its first year.
In total, the new Yankee Stadium has hosted a World Series and multiple playoff series, as well as hosted the New York City Football Club of the MLS. It is well regarded by fans and still includes the iconic Yankees statue park.
Citi Field — Capacity: 41,900
Built in 2009 to replace Shea Stadium, New York had the unique position of replacing two iconic MLB stadiums in the same year. While the legendary Home Run Apple remained, the Mets did not follow the Yankees’ example and build a copy of Shea Stadium.
Located in Queens, Citi Field hosted the World Series in 2015 and the All-Star Game in 2013. It has also played host to numerous historic moments, including Gary Sheffield’s 500th home run, Mariano Rivera’s 500th save, and Eric Buntlett’s unassisted triple play to end a 9–7 Mets loss, just the second game-ending unassisted triple play in MLB history.
Which Stadiums Did We Miss?
New York has several more iconic stadiums, including Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center, which didn’t make this list due to their smaller capacity than NBA stadiums. Other stadiums include Arthur Ashe Stadium, the host of tennis’ U.S. Open, the Nassau Coliseum, and West Point’s Michie Stadium.
