Established in 1967, the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the most well-known and longest-tenured franchises in the National Football League. The Bengals were founded by legendary coach Paul Brown, who headed the entire process of bringing a professional football team to Cincinnati, which started in 1965. The team was not officially approved until 1967. The current owner of the Bengals, Mike Brown, is the son of Paul.
The Bengals' history is an interesting one, and many may know the journey they have taken to be where they are now, but the growth of the franchise has been astounding and is currently at an all-time high. Over the course of their history, the Bengals have played in three different stadiums. Here's a look at all three.
Cincinnati Bengals Stadium History
3. Nippert Stadium (1968-1969)
While Riverfront Stadium was in development for the Cincinnati Bengals to eventually begin playing in 1970, they had to play two seasons at Nippert Stadium, which is the stadium that the Cincinnati Bearcats use for their collegiate football games to this day.
The Bengals were an AFL expansion team and signed a contract with the campus to play two seasons on the field while Riverfront Stadium, later known as Cinergy Stadium, was being built.
The stadium only seated about 25,000 people during the time the Bengals played there, and after a renovation in 2014, it now seats around 40,000. They also have installed astroturf, making the way for a very beautiful stadium and field where the Bearcats have had many successful seasons.
2. Riverfront Stadium (1970-1995) /Cinergy Field (1996-1999)
The stadium where it truly started for the Bengals was Riverfront Stadium, where the team started playing in 1970. Riverfront Stadium was home to some great Bengals -- and Reds -- teams and is where the Bengals truly established their team culture. The interesting thing is that the Bengals shared the stadium with the Reds until the Reds eventually moved to Great American Ballpark.
Riverfront Stadium was ahead of its time. It had a capacity of roughly 56,000 and was located right on the Ohio River with great scenery. It was what they called a "cookie-cutter" stadium, which was a popular build during the 1960s and 1970s, and it was normal for baseball and football teams to share the same stadium to save money.
In 1988, the Bengals went 10-0 at home, and the hit song "Welocome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses was in its prime coming off a release in 1987. The Cincinnati culture welcomed that song as the unofficial theme song of the team, and ever since, the Bengals have used that song in many different instances. Riverfront Stadium was key to the development of what Bengals football has grown into in the city of Cincinnati.
The stadium was later named Cinergy Field and was home to many historic moments in Cincinnati sports. Including multiple World Series wins by the Reds. In 2002 the stadium was demolished with live footage.