New $4bn stadium will change weather for NFL playoff games in the snow

For decades, the image of Denver Broncos football was defined by orange jerseys popping against a backdrop of swirling white powder.

From the long history of snow games to last Sunday’s frigid AFC Championship, the elements were considered the Broncos’ “12th Man.”

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But following a heartbreaking 10–7 loss to the New England Patriots in a literal blizzard, the era of the “Snow Bowl” is officially coming to an end.

Broncos Owner and CEO Greg Penner confirmed this week that the franchise’s ambitious new home at Burnham Yard, a project now estimated to cost a staggering $4 billion, will feature a retractable roof.

While early conceptual estimates in 2025 started around $2 billion, more recent reports, including those from the Denver Post and updated project filings, now project the total investment for the stadium and the surrounding 100-acre mixed-use district to exceed $4 billion.

More importantly, Penner admitted that if the stadium were open today, the roof would have been bolted shut long before the first flake hit the turf last Sunday.

“We’re evaluating retractable roof options,” Penner said.

“In this case, you all saw the weather this year, it was fantastic until the last game. The NFL does have guidelines or rules around the home teams selecting or choosing what they’re going to do with their roof, and when they can open or close it, so, we’d obviously comply with that.

“In this case, we would’ve likely closed it ahead of time, given both the temperature and the potential precipitation. That being said, who knows if that would’ve had any outcome on the game.

“Either way, this would have been more around just what was going to be good for the fans, because it was pretty rough.”

The estimated $4 billion price tag makes the Burnham Yard project one of the most expensive stadium and entertainment district builds in global history, rivaling SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

While the Walton-Penner group is expected to privately finance the bulk of the construction, the sheer scale of the investment is tied to the roof.

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Engineers say a retractable roof in Denver presents unique challenges compared to cities like Phoenix or Indianapolis. The structure must be able to support massive “snow loads”—thousands of tons of heavy, wet accumulation—while still being able to retract on a 60-degree afternoon in October.

The announcement has sparked a fierce debate among the Broncos faithful. Purists argue that by moving indoors, the Broncos are surrendering a psychological edge.

Modern NFL analytics suggest that weather games are essentially a coin flip, neutralizing high-powered offenses and increasing the risk of fluke turnovers.

By guaranteeing a track meet environment, the Broncos hope to build a roster around speed and precision that isn’t dependent on a forecast.

Beyond the wins and losses, the $4 billion investment is a play for relevance. The NFL has historically bypassed Denver for the Super Bowl due to the risk of winter storms.

With a climate-controlled environment, Denver becomes an immediate contender to host future Super Bowls.

The new stadium is also expected to feature a field tray system similar to the one used in Las Vegas, allowing natural grass to grow outdoors in the Colorado sun before being rolled into the stadium for game day.

For fans who spent last Sunday scraping ice off their seats and watching Jarrett Stidham struggle to grip a frozen football, the change can’t come soon enough.

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