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Chiefs' renderings of $3 billion domed stadium a reminder of what the NFL is losing with indoor venues
Frank Schwab
Wed, July 22, 2026 at 2:52 PM GMT-5
The Kansas City Chiefs' new stadium is going to be a marvel, and fans will certainly feel more comfortable under the roof when the temperature is single digits late in the season.
And yet, all the new domed stadiums are starting to make it feel like it's not football anymore. At least not the type of football that made the NFL what it is.
It's unquestionably more prudent to build a dome and it will be more comfortable for fans in December and January. But it is taking away from the fabric of what makes football so great. This trend isn't good for the game, or its fans who will always be romantic about games being played in difficult conditions.
Bad weather games are part of NFL history
There's a reason we're fascinated by bad weather games. It's not because the level of play is great. But the Ice Bowl isn't remembered because it was pristine football, and the Tuck Rule game was far from perfectly played either.
However, that's football. The sight of snow falling at Lambeau Field or reports of a cold front coming in for a playoff game excite us because that's part of the history of the game. Playing through those conditions revealed something about players and teams. Nobody ever got excited for a football game because it was being played under a roof.
But that's the trend. Business-wise it makes sense. Everything is easier to maintain when the climate is controlled. There's fewer concerns about having to replace turf after some playoff games in winter conditions. Other revenue generating events, like concerts and college basketball's Final Four, are possible when the stadium has a roof. NFL team owners do like their money.
And still, the first time we see the Bears, Chiefs or Browns playing a big late-season game without a bit of snow on the ground or any breath being visible as it comes out of a frozen facemask, it's going to be a bummer.
Many teams moving indoors
Dealing with the elements has always been part of the game. It won't be soon in some cities known for tough, old school football.
Cleveland's new stadium will
have a roof. Chicago hasn't settled on a site yet but reports have said the Bears
want a dome. The Broncos have the ball rolling on a new
retractable roof stadium. The Chiefs are moving inside. The Vikings and Lions, in the traditionally tough NFC North, have been inside for a while. Three-fourths of that division will soon be indoors.
Many teams are moving from open-air stadiums to play under retractable roofs or domes.
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Not only a tradition of athletic competition, but even integrated into our lexicon, the expression "an even playing field" a standard in U.S. spectator sport.
When during the game the playing field accumulates snow it can be a disadvantage to the visiting team.
It can be a disadvantage to the home team too.
Many NFL games have been played in rain or snow. That was determined by God, until the adversity was at risk of elimination by architects.
The rulebook is the same, 6 points for a touchdown whether there's a roof over the playing field or not.
Is the generations long tradition of NFL gameplay in a broad spectrum of meteorological conditions an immaterial anachronism?
Or should our climate / weather environment be recognized as the traditional context for future NFL contests?
Fans?
Dome?
No dome?
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