This season, 10 out of 30 stadiums in the NFL are either domed or have a retractable roof. In the next six years, the number will swell to 16 out of 30. However, I think indoor stadiums take away from the ambiance of a game. Football is an outdoor game and it should remain that way.

By 2031, more than half of NFL stadiums will be indoors. Seven teams in the NFL have said they plan to build a new stadium in that timeframe. And six of the seven will be fully-roofed venues.

The outlier is New Highmark Stadium, which the Buffalo Bills will open up in time for next season. And while New Highmark will provide fans with more coverage than their previous location, it will still be open-air. The Tennessee Titans are slated to open a new indoor venue at the start of the 2027 season. The Jacksonville Jaguars will renovate EverBank Stadium, adding a roof, the project is reported to wrap up for the beginning of the 2028 season. And the Cleveland Browns (est. 2029), Washington Commanders (est. 2030), Chicago Bears (est. 2031) and Kansas City Chiefs (est. 2031) will all follow suit, adding enclosed arenas to their city skylines.

I’ll say, the indoor stadium trend is positive in shielding folks from a variety of weather conditions: snow, showers, sweltering heat and bitter cold.

But who cares! Fandom isn’t about comfort. If you’re truly a fan of a team, then go out and support them, even if conditions aren’t perfectly ideal.

On top of that, the vibes of an outdoor game are unmatched. I love when packs of fans huddle together for warmth when cold bites.  I love the feeling of when the stadium lights turn on, illuminating the field. And I love the sights and sounds of fireworks and flyovers, as fans look up at the sky exuberantly. A dome, even if it’s clear, just doesn’t do that justice.

Part of why indoor stadiums are becoming more common is because roofs make venues more suitable to host sporting events like March Madness and the Super Bowl and events like concerts. The Chiefs will have this hosting ability once they open the gates of their new arena. And while it’s cool, I will miss the experience of going to a game in the fresh, frigid air of old Arrowhead. For the Chiefs and other teams accustomed to playing in the cold, playing indoors makes them lose some of their home field edge. Take the Chiefs’ 26-7 win against the Dolphins in the 2024 playoffs for example. Temperatures sat at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of 27 degrees below zero, providing a clear advantage for the Chiefs over the Dolphins, who are used to playing in the warm Florida sun year round.

Indoor stadiums are vibe cutters, taking away from the atmosphere of games and causing cold weather teams to lose aspects of their home field advantage. That’s why they’re lame and the NFL should be played outdoors.