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Arrowhead's deafening noise—Is it the ultimate home-field advantage in the NFL?

Chiefs‘ iconic Arrowhead Stadium is a testament to their popularity. Over the years, it has become a second home for Chiefdom. They throng to watch the games or any other events there. Built between 1968 and 1972, several renovations have been done to keep up with the trends. The most recent major upgrade between 2007 and 2010 has been one notch up.

It was done specifically to increase the seating capacity. With 76,416 seats, the Arrowhead Stadium is the 4th largest NFL stadium (in terms of seating). Its rich history makes it unique as well.

Who named the Arrowhead Stadium?

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Rewind to the 1960s. NFL wasn’t in existence. Dallas had 2 teams, the Dallas Texans and the Dallas Cowboys. But Texans owner Lamar Hunt was looking for opportunities. He was approached by the Kansas City Mayor, H. Roe Bartle, and their meeting was successful. In 1963, the franchise moved to Kansas City and was named ‘Chiefs,’ the nickname of Bartle. Four years later, another conflict was born after the AFL-NFL merger.

The city had Municipal Stadium, which could seat only 35,000 people. According to new stipulations, the minimum seating capacity required was 50,000. Once Chiefs got a land offer from Jackson County, GM Jack Steadman and his team made plans for the new stadium, and construction began in 1968. Hunt thought of different names but ultimately settled for ‘Arrowhead’, something which portrays bravery and heroism in Native American culture. While naming the stadium, the owner said, “We feel that Arrowhead is a most symbolic name for the home of the Chiefs.” Trying to blend football culture with native American values, they found a perfect person.

The architect who designed the Arrowhead Stadium, Charles Deaton, was inspired by nature. A big believer in the power of imagination, he tried to combine art and human experience. It is reflected in the stadium, which is highly functional and aesthetically pleasing. While the curved lines enhance the spectator experience (offering a clear line of sight from each seat), spiral ramps ease the movement of large crowds.

What’s your perspective on:

Arrowhead's deafening noise—Is it the ultimate home-field advantage in the NFL?

Have an interesting take?

The inspirational design excites the fans when they watch a game at the stadium. You can see it in their roars.

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Why is Arrowhead Stadium so loud?

Chiefdom goes crazy on the rivals. And their biggest tool is their voice. When 76,000 fans roar at the same time, visiting teams often get frightened. In 1990, the Chiefs were playing against the Denver Broncos. The crowd went so loud that Broncos’ QB John Elway couldn’t communicate with his teammates during the plays. When he complained to referee Gordon McCarter, the referee made a strange announcement, saying, “Any further crowd-noise problem will result in a charged timeout against Kansas City. Thank you for your cooperation.

The loudness of Chiefdom at the Arrowhead Stadium is acknowledged in the Guinness Book of World Records. During a game against the Raiders on October 13, 2013, the crowd made a world record with 137.5 dB. 2 months later, fans of the Seattle Seahawks broke the record by measuring 137.6 dB. But Chiefdom is relentless. They reclaimed their record against the Patriots on September 14, 2014, with 142.2 dB. We know what you are wondering about. How much does it cost to sit among the crowd?

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In 2024, tickets at Arrowhead Stadium range between $139-$218, before additional costs. The suit rental will cost between $15,000-$30,000. Fans can visit Chiefs official website or VividSeats to buy the tickets.

And now that the Chiefs want to achieve 3-peat-something that has never been done before-t seems the fans will have to roar louder for their team. Will it happen? We’ll find out soon.