Maryland-native Antoinette Allen looked in some disbelief as she got her food and drink before kickoff last Sunday. The guest experience folks working at the new grab-and-go concessions at Northwest Stadium re-assured her after some hesitation that, yes, you do just go ahead and walk through with your items -- no need to pull out your wallet.
"This is amazing," Allen said. "Everything you want is there. You just go and pick it up. Easy."
The grab-and-go stands are just one of a number of upgrades the Commanders have implemented at Northwest Stadium over the last year. From modernized tweaks to revamped details and even never-before-seen features, these changes have been made to dial up the comfort, the fun, the memories and overall improve the fan experience on Commanders gamedays.
As a season ticket holder, LJ Sheeley has been to her fair share of Washington games over the years. At the 2024 home opener, the elevated cosmetics of Northwest Stadium caught her eye while initially walking around but it was -- she admits "this might be a little funny" -- the women's bathroom experience that stuck with her.
"The women's bathrooms are all brand-new, all new stalls/hardware, brand-new paper towel dispensaries," she said. "It looks like they've re-done the flooring and painting (They may even have had new toilets). The last several years a lot of the stalls didn't close or didn't lock; the paper towel dispensaries didn't work most of the time. The bathroom floor was always wet because the toilets were running, so it was a huge upgrade to see."
Comfort-focused changes were noticed in other areas of the stadium, too. Mike Frazier and his son Isaiah had spent gamedays in the Club Level before. This time felt different.
"I've noticed the upgrades, like right here where we are, I don't remember this," Mike Frazier said. "I remember the leather seats used to be worn and the floors, it just seems like it was neglected. I can tell that they're trying to make improvements."
When comfort is tended to, fun can take center stage, which is what gamedays are all about. Lifelong Washington fan Marston Davis comes to the stadium for the football but admits he is a sucker for some particular pregame entertainment: go-go music. That was a big reason he found himself in Legends Plaza, watching Sirius Company, before kickoff last Sunday.
"I come every now and then [to Legends Plaza], especially if they have a go-go band, absolutely. I grew up on it – all the way to Chuck Brown and Rare Essence, ever since I was 13, 14 years old," Davis said. "It shouldn't be any other way. That's the official music for the Commanders."
Pregame entertainment was also a central point to level up the hype. At the home opener, the Commanders debuted "The Show," a new player introduction video that starts 20 minutes before kickoff.
"The Show concept was cool," said Aaron Cooley, who made sure he and his wife were in their seats in time for the debut. "Act 1 being the highlights, Act 2 being the Command Force and band and player intros then Act 3 being 'The Battle' itself."
Never-before-seen elements like "The Show" deliver some extra gameday goosebumps. A sprinkle of new elements around Northwest Stadium are looking to do that all season long while also leaving fans with once-in-a-lifetime memories. Perhaps the most special and exclusive of these is the new Tunnel Club.
"The reason I got the season tickets is actually because I got an e-mail about the Tunnel Club. I saw what it looked like and thought it looked amazing," said Tunnel Club season ticket member Ben Carroll.
A Tunnel Club membership gives fans access to a brand-new premium space that offers one-of-a-kind interactions with the players as they take the field.
"For me, it's the access," Carroll said about why he pulled the trigger on the Tunnel Club membership. "You can't do this any other place."
There's newness in every corner of Northwest Stadium with more to come. Changes are big and small with one thing in common -- making sure fans have a good time from the moment they arrive in the parking lot to when they leave.
"All of this [the upgrades] shows that they're listening to the fans and want to make the experience better," Aaron Cooley said. "Not only are they working to make stuff more efficient, but they are doing it fast. We are looking at week-to-week changes. Josh Harris and company may have been the best thing to happen to this franchise."
