Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Nissan Stadium 1 Titans Way Nashville, TN 37213
Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 69,143
The Titan's Home Turf
The Tennessee Titans are one of the most successful teams in the AFC of the NFL, as they have gone to the playoffs 10 times since moving to Nashville from Houston in 1997. In recent years, their success has been made possible by a very strong defensive line and an offense led by QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry.
Since 2015 Nissan Stadium has been the home turf for the Titans. It has a capacity of 68,798. The team has managed to sell out every game since the stadium opened. The team has a large season ticket base, with many of these ticketholders enjoying the games from either the 12,000 club-level seats or one of the 175 private suites. The stadium is located on the east bank of the Cumberland River, just across the water from downtown Nashville.
Special Note: Shortly before this review was done the Tennessee Titans announced their plans to build a new enclosed stadium to replace Nissan Stadium. It would be built just east of the present Nissan Stadium. The stadium would open between the 2026-2027 football seasons. To learn more about this plan go to www.tennesseetitans.com/new-stadium.
Food & Beverage 3
Nissan Stadium offers a wide variety of food and beverage items with something to suit anybody’s taste. There are more than 60 concession areas spread throughout the stadium. Fans can choose from chicken (Nashgrille, The Coop, Party Fowl, Tri Star Chicken), BBQ (Bent Buckle BBQ, Martin’s BBQ, Southern Smoke BBQ), pizza (Slim and Husky’s), and hot dogs/hamburgers (Daddy’s Dogs, Classic Hits). Alcoholic drinks are also widely available at several booths (Jack Daniels Experience, Yee Haw Brewing, Leinenkugel’s Leinie Lodge, Shock Top, Old Smokey Distillery. and the Spirited Hive).
We found the prices for food and beverage stands at Nissan Stadium to be among the highest we’ve experienced at an NFL venue. On average chicken tenders and sandwiches cost $12.00, hot dogs were $6.50, and BBQ pork sandwiches were $9.50. Chips, popcorn, pretzels, and candy each retailed for $6.50. Drinks available at Nissan concession stands include Coca-Cola brand sodas ($5.50), water ($5.50), Gatorade ($5.50), domestic beers ($10.50), and premium beers ($11.50).
Atmosphere 5
Nissan Stadium is known as one of the best stadiums in the NFL from a design perspective. It offers one of the best settings in the NFL, with a dramatic view of both the Cumberland River and downtown Nashville. It is reminiscent of both sports stadiums in Pittsburgh. The stadium also benefits by leaving the ends of the stadium open as far as the stands, as this keeps it from feeling too confining. This also allows the stadium to have some of the largest videoboards in the league, without blocking anyone’s view of the action on the field. The seating pitch on both sides of the field is steep enough that fans can see the field without having their view obstructed by the person sitting in front of them.
The plazas behind each end zone provide an excellent place for fans to mingle before and after the game or at the half. Obviously, this allows the stadium to maximize the income generated from the concession stands located on the plaza, but it also checks off fans’ desire for a place to socialize inside the stadium. The openings at the end of the stadium also allow air to circulate through the venue and catch some cool breezes. This is especially important during the early months of the season, as the heat in the South can still be oppressive.
The area under the stands is also well thought out. The concourses are wide and easy to navigate at any time during the game. The concession areas are well laid out, with multiple outlets for each brand, so that fans do not have to go halfway around the stadium to get to their favorite foods and drinks.
Neighborhood 4
Nissan Stadium offers the best of both worlds in terms of where it is geographically located. It is within walking distance of downtown Nashville, one of the most vibrant tourist towns in America. The honky tonks, clubs, and music halls of Broadway are just across a pedestrian bridge from the stadium. There is no need to pay for parking at the stadium if you are coming from out of town, as almost every hotel chain has a location near the river. Nashville is always open, even on a sleepy Sunday morning. There are also shrines to the top performers in country music as well as singers searching for that big break.
Even if you stay on the east side of the Cumberland River, there is plenty to do. Lots of clubs, breweries, and restaurants are opening along the east bank, as the cost of doing business is much cheaper. Traffic is much less congested than the streets filled with tourist buses on the west side of the river.
Fans 5
Football is a religion in the South, and Nissan Stadium is the church for avid Tennessee Titans fans. They arrive early for services and fill the parking lots surrounding the stadium. They set up elaborate tailgating spreads with plenty of food and drinks to share with family and friends. The team offers activities for kids (the Titan Playground) that includes several Titan-themed inflatables or the adults (The Titanup Tailgate), which includes a live band, food, and a wide variety of photo ops and autograph sessions with former players or members of the Titans Cheerleading squad.
Once inside Nissan Stadium, the stands become a sea of Titan blue as the faithful fill every seat in the stadium. They have a variety of cheers depending on the situation, which can reach a deafening level when the Titans are shutting down the visitors on third-down opportunities, or when the offense is on the move. Despite their intense loyalty to the home team, Titan fans extend southern hospitality to visiting fans.
Access 5
There are a variety of ways to get to a Titans game at Nissan Stadium. These include driving, walking, sailing, or even riding a train to the game. This is a necessity, as the lots immediately surrounding the stadium are reserved for season ticket holders. For those fans who do not have stadium parking passes, there are designated areas for Uber and Lyft pick-up and drop-off within easy walking distance of the stadium. Several outlying communities charter busses to get to and from the games. A unique way to arrive at Nissan Stadium is via the General Jackson paddle wheeler that sails up the Cumberland River and then docks just outside of the stadium on the east bank. The regional transportation authority (RTA) offers a lucky 650 fans an opportunity to arrive at the game via rail. The roundtrip cost is $15.00 per person for this excursion train.
By far the most popular way to get to Titans games for fans without season parking passes is by foot from downtown Nashville. Many out-of-town fans like to stay in hotels in downtown Nashville due to their proximity to the major tourist attractions, Fans can walk across the Cumberland River via the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge to the east bank and Nissan Stadium.
Gates open two hours prior to kickoff, which leaves fans plenty of time to get to their seats. Tickets provide a gate number that is closest to the seat location, which spreads out the crowds so that they do not bunch up at any individual gate. Once inside, the concourses and the rampways leading to the upper seating levels are wide and easy to negotiate. Nissan Stadium is one of the few NFL stadiums that have elevator service to its upper deck seating locations. You do not have to be disabled or a suite/club member to utilize this service.
Return on Investment 3
The face value of tickets ranges from $77-$122 for 300-level tickets to $237- $253 for 200-level seats. 100-level seats are sold out for the season. Parking is $30 in lots near the stadium but not adjacent to it, but many Titans fans take $15 shuttles from satellite locations around Nashville or walk across the Cumberland River via the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge to the stadium.
We give our midrange score of 3 for ROI, as you can enjoy the creature comforts of an NFL stadium, such as individual seats vs metal bleachers, a much more impressive scoreboard, a great sound system, and a better-than-average team on the field. The cost of food and beverages at Nissan Stadium brings down the ROI score due to their outrageous prices.
Most fans who travel from out of town to see a Titans game see it as a vacation rather than just attending a game, and budget accordingly. They typically will stay in town for several days and will take in some concerts in addition to attending the game.
Extras 5
The most famous play to ever occur at Nissan Stadium was the “Music City Miracle.” This was a flea flicker play on a kickoff return that enabled the Titans to beat the Buffalo Bills in the last few seconds of a playoff game. This eventually allowed the Titans to reach their one and only trip to the Super Bowl.
Football is a passion for many members of the country music industry who live in Nashville. It is not unusual to have a top star from this industry sing the National Anthem.
In addition to Tennessee Titan football games, Nissan Stadium serves as the home of the Tennessee State University Tigers college football team, the Music City Bowl, and the CMA Fest each summer. It has also hosted the NHL Winter Classic and the WWE SummerSlam event.
Nissan Stadium utilizes the state-of-the-art Envolv security system at each entry gate. Fans no longer need to remove objects from their pockets when entering the stadium. This allows the entry process to go much faster. The requirements for clear bags and restrictions on bag size are still in force.
Final Thoughts
Nissan Stadium’s location on the east bank of the Cumberland River provides stunning views of downtown Nashville, with easy access to some of the top tourism sites in the Music City. The stadium provides an electronics package that is hard to beat, with its huge scoreboards at each end of the stadium. Accessibility is another strong point for the venue, as it offers multiple ways to get to the stadium, with the option of fans walking to the games via the Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge from downtown Nashville. Finally, the stadium provides fans with an exciting team to watch every Sunday.
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