North Carolina Ranked As One Of The Best Places to Visit for NHL Gameday
When talks started of relocating to Hartford Whalers to North Carolina they said Southerners would never embrace a hockey team. I’m here to tell you we certainly disproved that. Not only has Raleigh and the entire state embraced what is now the Carolina Hurricanes, but North Carolina ranks as one of the best places to visit for NHL gameday. In fact, I made the trip to Raleigh just last weekend for a Hurricanes game.
While I’m a big sports fan, hockey has never really been my thing. I much prefer college sports in general and NFL football with a small dose of MLB. But over the last several years my dad has grown to be a big Hurricanes fan, so we make the trek up to a game every year at this point. And I have to say PNC Arena is home to a fantastic gameday atmosphere. So it’s not surprising that Raleigh North Carolina has been named as one of the best cities to visit on NHL gameday. This is according to new research provided to us by our friends at Betway. Rankings are based on factors like stadium capacity, stadium rating, Stanley Cup wins, the cost of tickets and hotels, winning percentages, and fan engagement. Because if you’re going to spend hard-earned money (and the tickets aren’t cheap) it’s nice to see a win!
According to data collected by Betway, 63% of home games end in a win for the Carolina Hurricanes. They haven’t lost a game I’ve been to just saying! The capacity for hockey at PNC Arena is 18,680 which makes for a loud and engaged atmosphere.
It’s taken me a couple of years to understand NHL games. One of my biggest questions? What to wear. Literally, everyone wears jerseys. Like even NFL games don’t have that high of a percentage of people wearing jerseys that cost well over $100. And I’m certainly not paying that for one game a year for a team I like but don’t love. I’ve learned the cheers, and the traditions and somewhat understand the rules at this point. So I won’t go as far as to say I’m a true hockey fan at this point. But I hope they win and won’t complain about attending a game or two!
Thanks to our friends at Betway for sharing their research with us. You can read the full study and methodology here.
Charlotte North Carolina Named In The Top 5 Cities For Visiting NFL Fans
10. Indianapolis, IN
Iconic Stadium: 11.9/20
Franchise Prestige: 13.9/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 5.6/10
Distance From Major City Center: 9.1/10
Bars Walking Distance: 8.8/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 3.4/5
Cost of a Beer: 4.2/5
Gambling Opportunities: 8.3/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 7.8/10
When traveling to an event at an NFL Stadium, a dome instantly gets extra points from me. The last think you want is to spend the money to travel and the game/event gets canceled. Lucas Oil Stadium and the Colts have some good history. While Indianapolis isn’t at the top of my bucketlist, I wouldn’t mind attending something here.
Overall Score: 72.99
9. Cincinatti, OH
Iconic Stadium: 9/20
Franchise Prestige: 12/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 8.1/10
Distance From Major City Center: 9.4/10
Bars Walking Distance: 9.1/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 3.65
Cost of a Beer: 4.8/5
Gambling Opportunities: 9.1/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.1/10
Overall Score: 73.19
I’ve fully jumped on the Bengals bandwagon. My teams have been terrible the last few years and I need some good to come from Sundays so I’m not ashamed of that. My alma mater has two players on the defense, and have you seen Joe Burrow? I’d love to attend a game here!
8. Denver, CO
Iconic Stadium: 11.9/20
Franchise Prestige: 14.8/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 9.4/10
Distance From Major City Center: 7.5/10
Bars Walking Distance: 5.3/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 3.1/5
Cost of a Beer: 4.2/5
Gambling Opportunities: 8.3/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 9.1/10
Overall Score: 73.61
Denver is an overall wonderful city to visit, the Broncos have some incredible history as a franchise. No surprise Mile High Stadium is on this list.
7. Baltimore, MD
Iconic Stadium: 11.9/20
Franchise Prestige: 12.5/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 8.4/10
Distance From Major City Center: 8.1/10
Bars Walking Distance: 8.4/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 4.7/5
Cost of a Beer: 4.4/5
Gambling Opportunities: 8.7/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.1/10
Overall Score: 75.30
I’ve been to the other Maryland Stadium (FedEx Field in Landover), but not Baltimore’s. Solid, consistent scores across the board seems to be what landed this somewhat of a sleeper (IMO) on the list.
6. Las Vegas, NV
Iconic Stadium: 10.4/20
Franchise Prestige: 15.9/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 10/10
Distance From Major City Center: 5.3/10
Bars Walking Distance: 7.8/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 4.8/5
Cost of a Beer: 3.4/5
Gambling Opportunities: 9.8/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.1
Overall Score: 75.75
This is what the NFL wanted when putting a stadium in Vegas. You can’t ask for a better location to visit for an away game. A stadium on the strip with every bar, restaurant, casino, and tourist attraction imaginable within eyesight seemingly.
5. Pittsburgh, PA
Iconic Stadium: 12.5/20
Franchise Prestige: 18.3/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 7.2/10
Distance From Major City Center: 7.8/10
Bars Walking Distance: 6.9/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 2.5/5
Cost of a Beer: 3.4/5
Gambling Opportunities: 8.4/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.8/10
Overall Score: 75.80
When you think of stadiums and teams with history you have to think of the Steelers and Pittsburg. While I’m far from a fan of the team, a game here is a must-do for any NFL fan.
4. Charlotte, NC
Iconic Stadium: 13.5/20
Franchise Prestige: 11.7/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 8.8/10
Distance From Major City Center: 9.4/10
Bars Walking Distance: 9.7/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 3.3/5
Cost of a Beer: 3.6/5
Gambling Opportunities: 8.3/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.8/10
Overall Score: 76.99
A prime stadium location (David Tepper please don’t move it out of the city I’m begging you), gave Bank of America Stadium a boost in the rankings. I mean it’s a solid stadium, but I am a little surprised it ranked quite this high.
3. New Orleans, LA
Iconic Stadium: 12.5/20
Franchise Prestige: 13.1/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 8.1/10
Distance From Major City Center: 9.7/10
Bars Walking Distance: 9.4/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 3.1/5
Cost of a Beer: 3/5
Gambling Opportunities: 10/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.1/10
Overall Score: 77.05
Most likely the next on my NFL Stadium adventure is the Superdome in New Orleans. I mentioned before my love of indoor stadiums when traveling. A prime location in a fun city as well, makes me say yes please!
2. Chicago, IL
Iconic Stadium: 17.3/20
Franchise Prestige: 18/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 9.7/10
Distance From Major City Center: 7.2/10
Bars Walking Distance: 5.9/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 1.9/5
Cost of a Beer: 3.1/5
Gambling Opportunities: 9.5/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.8/10
Overall Score: 81.38
Another team, city, and stadium steeped in history. This one is on my short list as well!
1. Detroit, MI
Iconic Stadium: 14.4/20
Franchise Prestige: 15.5/20
Sports Bars Within 5-Mile Radius: 7.8/10
Distance From Major City Center: 9.4/10
Bars Walking Distance: 10/10
Cost of a Hot Dog: 2.8/5
Cost of a Beer: 5/5
Gambling Opportunities: 8.7/10
Sports Related Activities Nearby: 8.1/10
I know you Michiganders have a lot of pride, but Detroit is hardly the most desirable location for me to visit. But the stats in this case gave it the title.
Overall Score: 81.70
