Pat McAfee raves at Cleveland Browns’ NFL-first masterpiece in new $2.4bn stadium

The Cleveland Browns are putting the Dawg Pound culture at the forefront of their new stadium’s design.

The Browns will swap downtown Cleveland for the suburbs of Brook Park after breaking ground on a ‘world-class’ amphitheatre in October that is expected to cost in the region of $2.4 billion.

HKS

Although many new stadiums are adopting similar cookie-cutter designs that lack creativity, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was adamant that he was not going to follow the majority when he appointed design firm HSK for the job.

“It’s huge responsibility, designing a home, which is what these are, right?” HKS venues design director and partner Lance Evans said in 2024. “It’s a home for the team, for the fan base.

“Our No. 1 mission here is to design an invention for the Browns.

“The Haslams, from Day 1, they weren’t interested in building the next of anything. They were interested in building the first of its kind for its fans.”

Thus, in an NFL-first, the new Huntington Bank Field will feature a bespoke ‘Dawg Pound Stand’.

Cleveland will house 6,500 spectators in one single stand, which, when it opens in 2029, will be the steepest in the NFL.

This is very much like how soccer stadiums over in Europe are built, much like Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur whose single-tier ‘South Stand’ houses 17,500 fans.

Intuit Dome – home of NBA franchise the LA Clippers – was inspired by soccer when it incorporated ‘The Wall’ into its stadium design – built exclusively for the Clippers’ die-hard fans to chant for their team.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the stadium will sit in an 80-foot-deep hole due to FAA height restrictions as a result of the nearby airport.

Therefore, fans will enter directly onto the main concourse of the stadium.

With that in mind, the Browns’ Dawg Pound stand – which is slanted at a 34-degree angle – will be an entirely separate structure from the rest of the seating bowl which is “twice as steep as the seating sections on either side.”

This is something that Pat McAfee appears to be a huge fan of, alluding to the Browns appearing to take a leaf out of college football‘s book.

“I love it… the encouragement from the folks all around you to fully embrace the environment and be a weapon for your team,” McAfee said on X (formerly Twitter).

Getty

HKS

“It empowers LOUD… it’s why good Student Sections are awesome.”

Leaving no stone unturned

HKS, the architects of the new Huntington Bank Field, have gone all out in their stadium design to ensure that the roars from the Dawg Pound faithful will be felt on the field.

In fact, the entire design of the 67,500-capacity stadium has been built around the fanbase and what they mean to the Browns organization.

Getty

“That’s how all the design started, was around the Dawg Pound,” Josh Tooill, HKS senior designer and principal, said.

SBJ has also stated that the middle row of the stand is 54 feet closer to the field than it is currently at Huntington Bank Field.

The stand will also feature a 50-foot-tall video board, which will slant toward the field at a 35-degree angle.

HSK and all other involved parties were in strong agreement that one thing they want to preserve from the old to the new stadium is the atmosphere.

After the Browns have successfully moved 16 miles south into their new home, the old stadium will be set for demolition, costing $30 million.

“If there is something we have to preserve from the current building, it’s the Dawg Pound,” Haslam Sports Group President Dave Jenkins said.

“We’re really excited about the energy that’s going to create on the field.”

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.