NFL
Where is the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium? City, capacity, and why the name?
Located in Canton, Ohio, USA, the American football stadium is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame complex, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, located in Canton, Ohio, USA, is a prominent feature of the Pro Football Hall of Fame complex, which includes a football stadium and entertainment center. It is a crucial aspect of the Hall of Fame Village near the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The venue hosts the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and is also home to the football teams from Canton McKinley High School. It served as the home field for Malone University from 1993 to 2018 and Walsh University from 1998 to 2022. The venue was selected to host the NCAA Division III National Football Championships in 2021.
How many spectators can Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium house?
With an impressive seating capacity of approximately 23,000 spectators, the stadium is a testament to the passion and spirit of football enthusiasts who flock to witness the sport’s greatest legends being enshrined in the hallowed halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The current stadium replaced the previous stadium, League Field, where Canton’s professional football team, the Bulldogs, used to play many of their games.
It also boasts a terrace overlooking entire stadium which can accommodate up to 250 guests, an NFL-standard press box and luxury hospitality suites along with a VIP Lounge capable of catering for 50 guests.
In 2017, the stadium was renamed the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in honor of Tom Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saints. Benson donated $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with $10 million going towards renovating Fawcett Stadium and recouping the money by renting the stadium.
In response, the Hall of Fame announced that Fawcett Stadium would be renamed Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, with the ceremony taking place on August 3, 2017. Benson passed away less than a year later, on March 15, 2018.
The renovation of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was part of the approximately $200 million construction completed in Phase I of the Hall of Fame Village expansion project. The renaming of the stadium stands as a poignant tribute to Benson’s extraordinary contributions to the sport and the profound imprint he left on the league and the game of football itself.
Phase II of the expansion project remains in progress and will include the construction of the Constellation Center for Excellence, at the stadium’s west side. The 75,000 square-foot office building will be utilized for various research and programming initiatives. Future plans also include a 147,000-square-foot, football-themed water park, a seven-story hotel and a retail promenade to cater for shoppers.