Cardinals stadium ranks as one of the best venues in the NFL

In a recent ranking by USA Today, the home field of the Arizona Cardinals, State Farm Stadium, ranked second in its 2021 NFL power rankings for best stadiums.

The Arizona Cardinals, who have been playing in State Farm Stadium – previously known as University of Phoenix Stadium – since 2006, have drawn sell-out crowds since the building opened, except for the 2020 season when the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow for the stadium to fill to capacity.

The Cardinals‘ current home is also one of only two stadiums in the NFL to have its grass grown from the outside and rolled into the building before each game. The Las Vegas Raiders‘ home stadium, Allegiant Stadium, has the same feature.

Despite having a retractable roof, Arizona’s home venue has only opened its roof a handful of times since its inaugural season, partly due to the extreme heat Glendale produces in the fall. Whether it is opened or closed, however, over 60,000 fans consistently fill the seats every Sunday, making it one of the loudest NFL stadiums in the league.

Arizona Cardinals home stadium ranked as the second-best venue in the NFL

Recently, USA Today released their rankings for the top home fields from around the league. Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, unsurprisingly, came in at No. 2 on the list.

U.S. Bank Stadium, the current home of the Minnesota Vikings, was the only building that ranked above the Cardinals’ home venue. The Vikings have one of the most visually appealing stadiums in the NFL since opening their doors to fans in 2016.

From 2006 to 2018, Arizona led all NFL teams in most false starts by opponents on their home field with over 165. The next highest was Minnesota, with over 145. The Cardinals also have a 72-40-2 home record since 2006, which is the 11th-best in the league.

For the upcoming 2021 season, Arizona will welcome the Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Indianapolis Colts to the desert.