Smaller College Sports Stadiums: The Surprising Trend Reshaping Athletics in 2025
In an era when “bigger is better” has long dominated sports facility planning, a counterintuitive trend is emerging across college and professional athletics: stadiums are deliberately getting smaller. Northwestern University’s new Ryan Field will hold just 35,000 fans instead of the previous 47,130—a 25.7% capacity reduction despite an $850 million price tag. The Buffalo Bills are downsizing from 71,608 to 62,000 seats. Florida State reduced Doak Campbell Stadium from 79,560 to 67,277. Even basketball programs like Baylor are embracing intimacy over scale, replacing a 10,284-seat arena with a 7,500-seat facility.
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