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The Washington Commanders Are Coming Home

Originally posted on The Lead | By James Duncan | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 7:43 PM ET

On Monday, Washington Commanders’ Owner Josh Harris, along with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, announced that the Commanders are returning to RFK Stadium.

The Commanders played at RFK Stadium from 1961 to 1996, before moving to the then-called FedEx Field in 1997 in Landover, Maryland.

RFK was known for its loud, passionate fans, who created a hostile environment for opposing teams. The fans were so passionate that RFK became famous for its bouncing seats that rocked the whole stadium. Construction for the new stadium will begin in the fall of 2026, and the Commanders will start playing there in the fall of 2030.

Here is a look at a render of the new stadium:

New Commanders Stadium Deets

Will have:

*Dome. Team “looking at all options” but if not retractable wants game day experience “as close to nature as possible.”

*65,000 seats

*PSL’s (Permanent Seat Licenses)

*8200 Parking spots (some tailgating)

*Set to open Fall 2030 pic.twitter.com/sTQCFikl9o

— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) April 28, 2025

What will the Commanders’ new stadium cost?

The 65,000-seated stadium will cost around $4 billion to complete. The Commanders will invest $2.7 billion to build their new stadium, with $1.147 billion coming from public funding.

Compared to other new stadiums, the public’s share for the Commanders’ project is relatively low. For instance, the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium is 60% publicly funded, while only 24% of the Commanders’ stadium costs will come from taxpayers.

New Commanders stadium vs other NFL stadiums

Public investment money. pic.twitter.com/Swjn5vaTGS

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) April 28, 2025

A Commitment to the Fans

The Commanders’ current stadium, Northwest Stadium, is a disaster. In recent years, videos have surfaced of fans accidentally breaking barriers and falling on players, to videos of sewage water soaking fans in seats. When news outlets ranked sporting venues, not just the NFL, Northwest Stadium always ranked towards the bottom of the list.

every NFL, MLB, and NBA stadium/ball park/arena ranked

(ranked by average review rating on Yelp, Google, Trip Advisor, and Facebook) pic.twitter.com/ffBqetpXpp

— BrooksGate (@Brooks_Gate) August 1, 2024

Harris knew that the current stadium’s conditions were unacceptable and had made some recent improvements, including a new sound system added in 2023. This was never a permanent solution, though. Harris knew they had to make a dramatic move, and he is confident that the new stadium will be a state-of-the-art project.

“Without exaggeration, this will be the best stadium in the country when it’s built,” Harris said.

This article first appeared on The Lead and was syndicated with permission.

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