Overview
- The Browns’ Huntington Bank Field project, which held a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday in Brook Park with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Gov. Mike DeWine, is slated to open in 2029.
- A court injunction has frozen Ohio’s $600 million pledge drawn from unclaimed funds after a class-action challenge, and DeWine said a tax on sports-betting companies could serve as a fallback if the state loses.
- Brook Park’s $245 million local contribution has not yet been approved, while Haslam Sports Group says it will fund at least 67.5% of the build and cover any cost overruns.
- The enclosed venue features a translucent folded-plate roof, an 80-foot-deep siting near Cleveland Hopkins airport, a steep 34-degree Dawg Pound grandstand, and seats as close as 16 feet from the field for 67,500 fans.
- Goodell called the stadium Super Bowl quality but said Cleveland needs far more hotel rooms and stronger airport capacity before it can host, while he signaled the NFL Draft is likely to return to the region.