Soldier Field Ranked As One Of NFL's Worst Stadiums: Report

CHICAGO, IL — A recent Sporting News report praised many NFL stadiums for their beauty, location, modernity and even party scene, but the home field of the Bears took flak in the ranking. Demolished and rebuilt in 2002, Soldier Field was modernized, but the report said the makeover missed its mark. The Chicago venue was ranked No. 28 out of 32 stadiums by Sporting News' Vinnie Iyler.

"You can’t beat the location right near Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Museum Campus," Iyler wrote. "But even after a pricey renovation, it’s been hard to find the sweet spot between modernity and maturity. That’s especially in relation to the home of Bears’ archrivals in Green Bay."

Soldier Field has been open since 1924 and has a seating capacity of 61,500. Its 2002 renovation lowered its capacity, and also caused it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. It's now the third-smallest stadium in the NFL.

Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, is Sporting News' favorite football facility. Wrote Iyler: "It's a cozy place made for the league's smallest-but-most passionate market. Part museum, part mecca, all classic."

The worst stadium? FedEx Field in Landover, MD, which the Washington Redskins call home.

"Washington really mailed it in with FedEx Field, located in a made-up city in Maryland," Iyler wrote. "Let's hope they can find a home with more downtown mojo again soon."

Here are the Sporting News' top 10 NFL venues:

1. Lambeau Field (Packers)
2. CenturyLink Field (Seattle Seahawks)
3. AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys)
4. Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs)
5. Heinz Field (Steelers)
6. Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans Saints)
7. Levi's Stadium (San Francisco 49ers)
8. University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals)
9. US Bank Stadium (Minnesota Vikings)
10. Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Falcons)

Eric Heyl contributed to this report.

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images