When the Bengals play their 25th season in Paycor Stadium this year, they'll be running onto a new field from a locker room that has been substantially upgraded.
The massive locker room renovation is designed to leave a space that won't be recognizable to the team that packed up after beating the Browns last month in the final game of the season. The project has already begun and involves overhauling ceilings, flooring, restrooms, and showers, as well as installing state-of-the-art lockers.
The target completion date is Week 1 and until then players are using two adjoining locker rooms about 50 yards from the main one.
Bengals Director of Operations Jeff Brickner and equipment manager Adam Knollman, along with representatives of ownership, researched the latest locker-room models in both the college and NFL.
"We view it as the players' office, where they go to work every day, and we believe this meets their every need now and, in the future," Brickner says. "Until then, no one is going to miss a beat. Locker rooms B and C allow us to operate like we have. You only have one chance to make a first impression and we're going to make sure it's completed before we make that first impression."
The locker room renovation and field installation are just two of several offseason projects underway in the building, according to stadium managing director Steve Johnson.
New club seats, updated concessions equipment and an upgraded stadium TV system are among the major gameday enhancements, as well as the plaza expansion outside of Gate D by Elm Street, which aims to open up the stadium to fans more easily and drive more connectivity with The Banks.
"Because of the changes in the dynamic of the city with the entertainment district down the road, we're basically tripling the size of the entrance," Johnson says. "It allows fans much easier passage in and out of the stadium."
The continued investment into Paycor Stadium with these projects, along with the enhancements into the stadium last year, aim to keep the building a best-in-class stadium for fans and players alike. All projects are set to be completed by the start of the 2024 season.
